Changes

|in = Southern Europe

|hitch = {{average}}|BW = IT

You can get '''Italy''' is a free map member state of whole Italy the [[European Union]] as well as the [[Schengen Agreement]], and so are [[France]], [[Austria]], [[Switzerland]] and [[Slovenia]]. Border crossings shouldn't be a problem, but avoid revealing yourself as a hitchhiker at almost every gas station the border, since it might still be considered as part of the highway and thus illegal. Hitchhiking is a bit less common than in France or [[Germany]], but it's very well possible and doable. Just don't expect high speeds (autogrillparticularly in the north) with all gas stations listed in and be prepared for a night on the maproad.

Roads are often not laid out for bicyclists In Italy, you will find motorways (''autostrada'' -- ''A'') and pedestriansstate roads (''Strada Statale'' -- ''SS''). Hitchhiking on the ''autostrada'' is generally illegal (this includes petrol stations, which makes it harder check the [[Italy#Legal situation|legal section of this article]] for details); to walk towards and to find good spotsavoid problems you can try hitchhiking on the ''strade statale''. Always make sure to stay safe It takes little bit more time, but you meet more local people and do some research before heading out to hitchyou can see the countryside.

Even though most Italians say not to speak English they seem to understand You can get a lot free map of English. They also claim to not speak Spanish if you ask them, but they will almost always understand a whole lot of Spanish. Hitchhiking is Italy at almost every [[petrol station hitchhiking|petrol station]] (''autostopautogrill'' in Italian) or [https://www.autostrade.it/en/la-nostra-rete/carta-dei-servizi here]. Just say ''autostop'' and your destination or show your thumb, otherwise they often think you are asking how to get somewhere, as Italy This map has a lot of touristsall petrol stations marked in the map. The northern part of Italy Getting rides on petrol stations is quite safe, but take care generally easy. Toilets are free at petrol stations in the south of Italy. When pitching a tent in the wild, make very Make sure to stay out of sighton friendly terms with the staff.

'''Hitchhiking (Il)legal?''' - Hitchhiking Trucks do not drive on the ''autostrada'' is not legal (there are big signs saying ''no autostop'' at all highway entries)either Saturdays or Sundays, but it is unclear even so if you prefer to Italians whether this extends to gas stations (''area servizio'') on the autostrada. It's probably just meant to stop people from walking on highways. An American that encountered police (''polizia''drive with them, who drive light blue cars) at an ''area servizio'' on the highway was simply warned not to walk on the ''autostrada'' and a good time to stay at the station until finding get a ride. Once you are with them is early morning on the highway, don't put your thumb out, not even at the exits of service stations - then the police will warn you. Try rather asking drivers inside the stationa Monday.

If == Roads ==As described above, you're on a gas station it's a good idea ll find in Italy motorways "Autostrada" and state roads "Strada Statale". Motorways look pretty much like French ones : contrary to stay on friendly terms with the staff. When startingGermany, it's probably a good idea to find a spot before there are tollgates where drivers encounter the ''no autostop'' sign; once you have passage onto the ''autostrada'' it is fairly simple to skip from one service area to the next until you arrive at your destination. It's less likely that you will encounter problems if you're not Italian -- and, if you speak Italian, don't reveal this to police (or the armed forces ''carabinieri'').<!-- Guaka doesn't think so: Hitchhiking by standing beside the road putting your thumb out is forbidden in thereget slower. -->

Roads in Italy, both state roads and motorways especially in the North, are surprisingly heavily arranged : there are lots of barriers or rails on the side of the roads, and lots of (really lots of) tunnels to cross uneven landscapes and ranges. In the North, in the Alps, some roads are only succession of tunnels (like in Aosta valley), and sometimes even tiny roads leading to a small valley will have barriers one both sides. You can then sometimes get stuck because there is absolutely no place to hitchhike and stop a car, on a road between two tunnels and barriers on both sides. More generally, roads in Italy are quite tight, although really almost all the time very well sealed, and finding a good spot to hitch is maybe a bit difficult in mountains regions. Also because roads are stirring a lot, maybe more than in others countries. There is one thing that you also have to consider that, even if you see an autogrill or petrol station on the motorway not so far from you, you have to be prepared that it will like a fortress with massive fences. == Legal situation ==[[File:No_autostop_en_italia.JPG|thumb|left|[[User:Quarim|Quarim]] and a ''NO autostop'' sign.]] ''Art. 175 co. 7, capo B'' of the Italian ''codice della strada'' states:  *''Sulle carreggiate, sulle rampe, sugli svincoli, sulle aree di servizio o di parcheggio e in ogni altra pertinenza autostradale è vietato (…) richiedere o concedere passaggi.''* See also ''On roadways, on-ramps, junctions, service or parking areas and on any other area belonging to the ''autostrada'' it is forbidden (...) to ask for or grant rides.'Hitchhiking ' The law is pretty clear, and while it is not at all unusual in Europe that hitchhiking right on the motorway is illegal, Italyexplicitly includes service areas into the law as well. Be aware that drivers picking you up may also be fined; for hitchhikers, the fine appears to be 21 euros, for drivers up to 137 euros.  Of course it is still possible to hitch the width and length of Italy on freeways without being fined all the time. On-ramps and exits of petrol stations have big signs saying ''no autostop''; if you stay before those, an article you should be fine; even if police have a problem, they will mostly just ask you to move further away from the sign. The ban on hitchhiking is not generally enforced in highway gas stations, but all the more when you're in a place where it actually is potentially dangerous to stand. It can happen that they ask you to leave a gas station and continue by train (see [[https://nomadwiki.org/en/Italy#public_transport|public transportation section in NomadWiki]] for advice on how to travel for free by train). Generally it is smart to lower your thumb and try to look like a straying botanist or something whenever you see coppers approaching near the motorway.  According to [http://www.digihitchlaleggepertutti.comit/europe4494376_autostop-chiedere-un-passaggio-e-illegale this legal article (Italian)], this does not apply to ''tangenziale'', bypasses, unless they are ''autostrade'' or other high-velocity roads. All in all, it's less likely that you will encounter problems if you're not Italian -- and, if you speak Italian, don't reveal this to police (or the armed forces, ''carabinieri'').html Digihitch]  Border crossings that are on the motorways (such as the Grand Saint-Bernard at the Swiss border) might be considered by the police as part of the highway. [[httpUser:Olche Maith|Nina]] was hitchhiking with a nice truck driver who was trying to help her get her next ride at the border, but the policeman did not allow her to continue hitchhiking (even not to stay in the truck with the same driver!) and instead drove her to the bus stop and gave her money (much more than required for the bus). Others might not be so generous though. Edit:(TommytheCommie) We had no success trying to hitchhike from the toll bridges at the entrance to highways (autostrade). Everybody in Italy knows it's illegal to hitchhike on the highway. The police moved us back to the roundabout before the toll bridge, which was fine, but nobody was stopping in either position. So instead we hitchhiked on minor roads (named SS-9/10/wwwetc.digihitch) and never waited longer than thirty minutes once we found a good spot.com/userinfoWe hitchhiked down from Alessandria to Bologna on the Via Emilia (SS-hikecrazy9), getting short rides of 20 or 50 km at a time, but never waiting long. == Safety == The northern part of Italy is quite safe, but take care in the South. When pitching a tent in the wild, make very sure to stay out of sight. Roads are often not laid out for bicyclists and pedestrians which makes it harder to walk towards or find good spots. Some areas, especially on the outskirts of cities such as [[Rome]], can be dodgy for single female travellers for the reason that prostitutes frequent these places.html HikecrazyWhen you get into a car, make sure that the driver's motives are not determined by his meat loaf.  ==Getting out== === North across the Alps === Take the motorway [[A23 (Italy)|A23]] (in the eastern part of Italy) to [[Austria]] (don't try to hitchhike through [[Switzerland]], it's very difficult). Follow the [[A23 (Italy)|A23]] to [[Villach]] and [[Salzburg]] to get through the Alps very easy. On that way, you will also find a lot of people heading to [[Hungary]], [[Slovakia]] and [[Slovenia]].You can also try to hitch [[A22 (Italy)|A22]] to [[Bolzano]], [[Innsbruck]] over the [[Brennero]], but it's quite difficult to find a hitch from A4 to the A22 except when it is holiday time.  Also, don't go via [[Milano]], it's really difficult to get out of the ring because almost everybody drives into Milano and very few stop at service areas located nearby. There are a lot of tourists from Austria and Germany, especially in summertime. The new European car plates start with a letter on the left side of the plate, representing the country. Most Austrian (A on a plate) and German (D on a plate) are on the way to the sea or on their way back from holidays, so if you want to go North or South, try to find Germans or Austrians (usually, they speak better English than the Italians, too). Another option is stay on the [[A4 (Italy)|A4]] and ask trucks on the petrol stations. Many trucks go to Austria, Slovakia, Poland and more north through Slovenia to tank diesel there because there is cheaper diesel and on the roads there aren't so many hills so it saves fuel. Edit: (TheLoneBaker) Crossing the Alps via Switzerland from the A9 seemed to be extremely easy. Lots of traffic at the service stations. Probably not worth the effort to go a different route if already in Western Italy. == Regions and cities in Italy ==

* [[Agrigento]]* [[Bergamo]]* [[Brindisi]]* [[Bologna]], * [[Catania]]* [[Cosenza]]* [[BergamoEnna]]* [[Firenze|Florence]]* [[Foggia]]

* [[Torino]], * [[Trento]]* [[Trieste]]

=== [[Ferries between Italy]] towards [[Austria]] and Greece ===Take the Highway [[A23 (Italy)|A23]] (in the It's possible to hitchhike from south-eastern part of Italy) to [[Austria]] (don't try to hitchhike through [[Switzerland]]Greece, but it's very seems to be quite difficult). Follow the Find more information [[A23 (Italy)Ferries_between_Italy_and_Greece|A23here]] to [[Villach]] and [[Salzburg]] to get through . == Language == As in any foreign country, learning some of the Alps very easylanguage is recommended. On that wayAside from Italian and local dialects, you will also find a lot French is spoken in some areas of people heading to [[Hungary]], [[Slovakia]] Piedmont and [[Slovenia]].You can also try to hitch [[A22 (Italy)|A22]] to Bozen, Innsbruck over especially the Brennero. But Aosta Valley in which it's quite difficult not within the holidays to find is a hitch co-official language, as well as German in South Tyrol. A handful of words from A4 a local dialect may make drivers loosen up. Spanish is easy for Italians to the A22understand.Also don't go over Milano, it's really difficult to get out of the ring, because everybody goes into Milano but nobody who wants to get out stops there at are service areasEnglish is less widely spread than in more northerly countries.

Especially "Hitchhiking" is ''autostop'' or ''passaggio'' in summertime there Italian. Just say ''faccio autostop'' or ''cerco un passaggio'' and the name of your your destination or show your thumb, otherwise Italians might think you are asking directions as Italy gets a lot of tourists from Austria and [[Germany]]. The new European plates start with a letter on the left side of the plate, representing the Country. Most Austrian (A on plate) and German (D on plate) are on the way sign can also help to the sea or on their way back from holidays. So if you want to go North or South, try to find Germans or Austrians (they also speak better English than the Italians)avoid misunderstandings.