A2 (Germany)

The A2 in Germany is a major motorway in Germany. It connects the Ruhr Area with Berlin, via Hannover, Braunschweig and Magdeburg.

It crosses the A1 (Hamburg-Cologne) near Dortmund, the A7 (Hamburg-Frankfurt) in Hannover and the A30 (Bad Oeynhausen - Amsterdam (it merges into the Dutch A1 near Hengelo)) in Bad Oeynhausen

You can almost be sure to travel very fast here. There are plenty of petrol stations, and all of them are highly frequented. It is also the most important connection between Poland and western Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and France. Because of the many Polish cars and trucks, it is often referred to as Warsaw Alley. So when heading to Poland, you can try to find a direct ride here.

The A2 from Bad Oeynhausen until Berlin is part of the European road E30.

<map lat='52.2008737173322' lng='9.95361328125' zoom='7' view='0' country='Germany' width='800' height='200' />

Hitching the A2

Legend:  (very good) |  (good) |  (average) |  (bad) |  (senseless)

• (1) Kreuz Oberhausen
• (2) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Oberhausen-Königshardt
• (2b) Bottrop
  • Service station, only in direction Hannover.
• (3) File:AB-AS-blau.svg & Kreuz Bottrop
• (4) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Gladbeck-Ellinghorst
• (5) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Essen/Gladbeck
• (6) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Gelsenkirchen-Buer
• (6a) Resser Mark
  • Only in direction Oberhausen.
• (7) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Herten
• (8) Kreuz Recklinghausen
• (9) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Recklingenhausen-Süd
• (10) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Recklinghausen-Ost
• (11) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Henrichenburg
• (12) Kreuz Dortmund-Nordwest
• (12a) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Dortmund-Mengede
• (13) Kreuz Dortmund-Nordost
• (14) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Dortmund-Landstrop
• (15) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Kamen-Bergkamen
• (16) Kreuz Kamener Kreuz
• (17) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Bönen
• (18) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Hamm
• (18a) Hamm-Rhynern 10px (good)
  • For going west (Dortmund, Essen, Köln) easy to get rides, quite hard to find people going onto the A1 direction Münster.
• (19) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Hamm-Uentrop
• (20) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Beckum

At service area Auetal direction Dortmund.

• (21) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Oelde
• (23) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Rheda-Wiedenbrück
• (23a) Kleinraststätte-Gütersloh (very good)
• (24) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Gütersloh
• (24a) Obergassel/Niedergassel (bad)
• (25) Kreuz Bielefeld
• (26) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Bielefeld-Sennestadt 10px (very good), 10px (average)
  • This ramp is perfect for hitchhiking out of Bielefeld towards the Ruhr Area. At the ramp you find traffic lights and if you walk some 30m up the ramp you'll find a lay-by with enough space for cars to stop. For direction north towards Hannover it's a bit harder, no space for cars to stop along the ramp. You can try it in front of the traffic lights, but cars go up the highway quite fast.
• (27) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Bielefeld-Zentrum (good)
  • Forget it directly at the ramp, but there's a good spot some 1km before the ramp where the approach road starts. Have a look at the Bielefeld article for specific information.
• (28) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Ostwestfalen-Lippe
• (29) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Herford/Bad Salzuflen
• (29a) Herford (average)
• (30) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Herford-Ost
• (31) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Exter
• (32) Kreuz Bad Oeynhausen (senseless)
  • Chance to get over to the A30. Hitchhiking here is impossible!
• (33) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Porta Westfalica
• (34) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Veltheim
• (35) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Bad Eilsen (good)
  • In both directions, this ramp is quite good.Best option might be to stand down by the traffic light with a sign if going westwards, or walk up and wait just some 10 meters before the bridge if you want to hitch towards Hannover. Much traffic, cars can stop (not perfectly, but it's ok). Beautiful landscape!
• (35a) Auetal Nord and South (good)
  • In both directions, good to get lifts towards Bielefeld, Ruhr Area or Hannover. If going towards Amsterdam, you have to get out here if your driver isn't going on to the A30. For closer information, check out Auetal Nord and Auetal Süd.
• (36) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Rehren
• (37) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Lauenau
• (38) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Bad Nenndorf
• (39) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Wunstorf-Kolenfeld
• (40) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Wunstorf-Luthe
• (40a) Garbsen Nord and South (very good)
  • Your service station for finding rides from Hannover towards Dortmund or Berlin. A lot of traffic here, easy to reach by bus. For more, check out Garbsen Nord and Garbsen Süd.
• (41) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Garbsen
• (42) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Hannover-Herrenhausen
  • Get off here, when heading to Hannover. A tram station is very close.
• (43) Dreieck Hannover-West Chance to get over to the A352.
• (44) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Hannover-Langenhagen
  • You can get off here if you want to visit Hannover. There's a tram station directly at the ramp, and drivers can go back to the highway easily. For hitchhiking there's not much space on the ramp itself, but should be possible somehow.
• (45) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Hannover-Bothfeld
• (46) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Hannover-Lahe
• (47) Kreuz Hannover-Buchholz Chance to get over to the A37.
• (48) Kreuz Hannover-Ost Chance to get over to the A7.
• (49) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Lehrte
• (50) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Lehrte-Ost
• (51) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Hämelerwald
• (51a) Lehrter See Nord and South 10px (average), File:Westwards.png File:Eastwards.png (very good), 10px (bad)
  • this is the last service station before the junction, i alway meet other hitchhikers here. it is easy to find someone who gives you a lift in direction west (Dortmund) but a bit harder to find someone who is going to the A7 north (Hamburg)
• (52) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Peine
• (52a) Zweidorfer Holz (good)
• (53) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Braunschweig-Watenbüttel
• (54) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Braunschweig-HafenFile:Westwards.png (good), File:Eastwards.png (senseless)
  • good only in direction west, but forget to hitchhike to the east from here
• (55) Kreuz Braunschweig-Nord
  • Chance to get over to the A391
• (56) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Braunschweig-Flughafen (bad)
  • low traffic and almost no traffic during weekends
• (57) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Braunschweig-Ost (average)
  • from Braunschweig-Center take Tram Line to Volkmarode, then it is a 7km walk (or hitchhiking) to this ramp.
• (58) Kreuz Wolfsburg/Königslutter
  • Chance to get over to the A39.
• (59) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Königslutter
• (60) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Rennau
• (61) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Helmstedt-West
• (62) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Helmstedt-Zentrum
• (62a) Helmstedt (good)
  • Only in direction Magdeburg. This is the first of two service station's within 5 kilometers. Quite hidden behind a big wall along the motorway, it is a good spot to get cars towards Magdeburg or Berlin. Better try it here than the next service station some kilometer further.
• (63) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Helmstedt-Ost / Marienborn
• (63a) Lappwald / Marienborn (very good)
  • Two big service station's in both directions. Lappwald towards Hannover with a good construction, all cars of the service station have to get out at one long road with enough space to stop for you. On the other side (Marienborn) you can visit the old inner-German border, many tourist will stop here, but also good to get cars towards Berlin.
  • It's possible to switch sides here: to switch from Lappwald towards Berlin, do the following (see Google Maps):
    • Walk towards the end of the service station (A). On the right side, there's a road (B) going down to a tunnel crossing the highway
    • On the other side, there's a german Zoll and a trucker service station (showers, a small motel). If it's day and you want to go from here, that's it
    • At night, I recommend going further to Marienborn, although that's a 15-25min walk at least
    • At the first "real" crossways following the tunnel (C), go left
    • Same for the next one (E). This is quite a busy road, even at night, so take care
    • There's another tunnel, you're back on the "wrong" side of the highway
    • After quite a walk, shortly before the Autobahn driveway, there's a narrow yet bituminized way on the right side (F)
    • Follow the road, cross the bridge(G)
    • You're on the "right" side of the highway and see some houses
    • I'm not sure what's best here, I missed the way and ended up following the big road near the bus stop (H), went through the woods and climbed over the fence to get on the service station. You can see it through the woods and the climbing part is quite doable. I was told there's a regular way to the service station though, see Google Maps(I) --Ben

• (64) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Alleringsleben
• (65) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Eilsleben
• (66) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Bornstedt
• (66a) Börde (very good)
  • Service station in both directions. Very good to get lifts towards Berlin, Poland, Leipzig, even München. Last station before the A14. On the other side good spot to get cars towards Hannover. Highly recommended!
• (67) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Irxleben
• (68) Kreuz Magdeburg
• (69) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Magdeburg-Kannenstieg (average)
  • Get out here if you want to go towards Magdeburg. Walk some meters down the road, there you'll have enough space to stop cars. They can take you for around 2-3 kilometers, there you'll find a small train station that brings you right into the city. Not much traffic for hitching up the highway though, so only average rating.
• (70) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Magdeburg-Zentrum (bad)
  • Direct ramp towards the center, but quite busy road with not much chance to stop cars. Better try Kannenstieg, somewhat less traffic but you can get into the city more relaxed. If going out of Magdeburg, this ramp is good because some 1-2 kilometers before there is a petrol station situated. Check the Magdeburg-page for further information.
• (71) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Magdeburg-Rothensee
• (72) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Lostau/Hohenwarthe
• (73) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Burg-Zentrum
• (74) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Burg-Ost
• (75) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Theeßen
• (76) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Ziesar
• (76a) Buckautal (good)
  • Standing on this service station, doesn't matter in which direction, for sure gives you rides towards Berlin or Magdeburg because there is nothing else inbetween :). Good one, but not that much crowded than the other petrol stations before.
• (77) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Wollin
• (78) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Brandenburg (Stadt)
• (79) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Netzen
• (80) File:AB-AS-blau.svg Lehnin
• (81) Dreieck Werder
  • End of the highway. If going towards Berlin or Poland, follow the A10 eastwards. If going north and if you want to avoid the German capital, go up on the A10 northwards. For going south towards Wittenberg or Leipzig, hitch down the A9.