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[[Wikipedia:Switzerland]]
[[trash:Switzerland]]
→Personal Experiences
|capital = [[Bern]]
|map = <map lat='46.927758623434435' lng='8.26171875' zoom='7' view='0' float='right'/>
|pop = 78,761738,800791|currency = Swiss Frank (''Schweizer Franken''), CHF
|hitch = <rating country='ch' />
|BW = CH
'''Switzerland''' is a country in [[Western Europe]].
__NOTOC__
In '''Switzerland''' people speak four different indigenous languages, depending on the area you are hanging around: [[Germany|German]] in the north and east, [[Italy|Italian]] in the south, [[France|French]] in the western part of the country, and Rhaeto-Rumantsch, which is derived from Vulgar Latin, brought by roman soldiers two millenia ago in the mountains of eastern Switzerland. There is a large percentage of foreigners, as well as many tourists. Most people will be able to understand some English(most young people speak it well).
Hitchhiking works very well in '''Switzerland''', especially in the mountain regions and small country roads, where it is quite common to pick up wanderers and hitchhikers. It's also quite easy to get lifts with truck drivers from [[Germany]] to [[Italy]] and back. There are not that many service stations along the highways, and some are not open 24 hours.
Since the mid-December 2008 Switzerland is officially part of the [[Schengen Agreement|Schengen Area]], and long existed cross-border passport checks are on a way to be abolisheddoesnt exist really anymore. I found it pretty hard on the main roads near big cities, I have been waiting for hours to be dropped out near Basel, getting out from Lugano was also challenging...the main signs lead you only to the motorway where is forbidden and even on the entrance the police didn't allow me to; the small roads didn't have directions to bigger cities, only to all possible villages around that say nothing to strangers without maps like me :) Only between the villages was easier though according to a driver hitchhiking is more difficult nowadays due to some theft cases - July 2015, Nadita
== Hitching at the border ==
Since in not legal to hitch on motorways (petrol stations are allowed though), you should avoid to get dropped at the border. If you're hitchhiking with a truck driver into Italy, he'll probably maybe need to stop at the border before driving on - but ask him not to say that you're a hitchhiker since the border police might tell you to leave the truck and drive you to the bus station instead. Bikepunk got dropped at the border on the motorway close to [[Geneva|Geneve]] and the border staff asked him to get out of there (He just went a bit further and hid behind a wall (not the best to hitch) and finally someone picked him up).
[[File:Lausanneswitzerland.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Anthony hitching in [[Lausanne]]]]
== Camping ==
In Switzerland, everybody is legally allowed to use pasture and woods to a certain extent, including camping. The same goes for agriculturally not usable space such as public bodies of water, rock, snow or ice.
Sometimes its good to let locals know that youre camping next to their property. If someone reacts bad, just ask another person or people who are on a walk.
== Highway petrol stations ==
* You can find a nice online map at http://map.search.ch, including zoom, service stations and integration with [http://www.sbb.ch the Swiss railways].
* [http://www.autobahnen.ch/index.php?lg=001&page=018 Service Stations in Switzerland]
== Personal Experiences ==
Hitchhikernick - hitched from Austria/Switzerland border to Zermatt in January 2024. The German swiss area was easy going with waits averaging 10 mins. Once I got to the French side west of Interlaken it got more difficult. What seemed like possible to do in a day turned into 3 as the French-Swiss weren't interested in picking me up, was mostly foreigners, and long waits.
''Hitchhiked from Zurich south toward Italy, met an incredible old Swiss man who drove out of his way to show me his village and talk to me of the way he was raised, his relationship with the mountains. He even let me off at a perfect spot, shaded from the rain headed the right direction on the Autobahn, but I was stopped by police under a bridge because it was a "no pedestrian zone." They didn't fine me, but told me where the local train station was. I chickened out and took the train the rest of the way to Italy.'' -- [[User:Vinteuil|Vinteuil]]
== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
{{nomadwiki}}
{{hitchbase_country|186}}
{{IsIn|Western Europe}}
{{Template:Europe/countries}}
[[Category:Switzerland| ]]
