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The '''Isle of Man''' is an island country in the Irish Sea. It's about 50km long, 10km wide, and has a population of 80000. It's got a green, mountainous landscape. The island has independence from the [[EU]], as well as from any other country. The island has a grand Celtic and Viking history, and a unique cultural heritage. It calls itself the "motorbike capital of the world", with [[TT course|61km-circuit]] road races and several large festivals (eg. TT festival, Manx Grand Prix) held in the summer.
Hitchhiking is easy on the Isle of Man and you will never wait long for a ride. There is also a good bus service, and a small train service (very slow, as the trains are over a hundred years old). Douglas has a horse-drawn tram line. If all else fails, walk - wherever you're going, it's not far. The island's width length can be walked in a day, and the width in 3 hours.
Anyone granted right of passage in the [[UK]] or [[Ireland]] has the same right of passage on the Isle of Man. You will not need a passport to board any of the ferries, although a passport is needed for entry and exit by air.
There are no motorways, and there is less than 1km of dual carriageway (next to the airport). Most roads are small country lanes and mountain passes. Stand anywhere on a quiet road out of a town/village with good visibility and a hitchhiking sign, and you'll get good (sometimes instant!) results.
Bear in mind the island's critically high road accident rate. This is for four reasons:
*motorbikes rule the roads,
*Manx residents can legally drive cars and ride bikes at the age of 16,
*the island's roads are narrow with many hills and blind corners, and
*out of towns/villages, there is no speed limit.
When you're picked up, your driver may well want to show you the power of the vehicle by hurling it down straights, or by slinging it around corners while straddling the middle of the road. Try not to distract the driver too much from the wheel.
==Main towns/villages==
*[[Laxey]] (northeast)
*[[Ramsey]] (northeast)
*[[Kirk Michael]] (northwest)
*[[Peel]] (west)
*[[St. John's]] (central)*[[Port Erin]]/[[Port St. Mary]] (southwest)
*[[Castletown]]/[[Ballasalla]] (south, airport)
