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|hitch = {{average}}<rating country='sk' />

'''Slovakia''' is a member state of the [[European Union]] as well as the [[Schengen Agreement]]. Hitchhiking here seems not to be so easy. People rarely tend to stop, when you are standing at the road with a sign. So it is best to ask directly at gas stations. Somebordering [[Austria]], but not many[[Czech Republic]], speak English or German. Russian is more widely understood[[Poland]], but not necessarily liked[[Ukraine]] and [[Hungary]].

Young It is most of the time very easy to find a ride, waiting times are usually less than half an hour. Slovak people can are incredibly friendly and will do their best to make you feel comfortable. Some will even invite you to have lunch with their family and/or have a drink with friends! Some, but not many drivers speak English and it's or German, especially younger ones. Russian is more widely understood among older people, but not so bad with English in bigger necessarily liked. In some southern areas of the country (where townsand villages are marked by blue signs), there is a substantial Hungarian-speaking minority. Of course in villages it can become difficult It is not common for drivers to understand each otherask money for a ride. Hitchhiking in Slovak is called ''stopovanie, stopovať'autostop'.

Someone wrote Hitchhiking (Aug.2009and indeed all pedestrian access)::"Two weeks ago I was in Slovakia. I was at a gas station asking people is not allowed on motorways, but one can hitchhike from entry ramps or ask drivers for a liftat petrol stations. After 2 hours some cops arrived On the country's national roads, you can simply stand wherever cars are going slowly and told me that hitchhiking put out your thumb. Use a card displaying a two-letter code of your destination town (see below in Slovakia is illegal (everywhere!section "Number plates") and , if your intended destination cannot be obvious to the drivers can get . It is not advised to hitch on an older national road which runs parallel to a 100 euro fine newer motorway, because all longer-distance traffic uses the motorway (new lawunless of course you only want to get to the nearest village). After 4 hours the cops left the station Hitchhiking in pairs of a man and a Czech person took me. He told me that this woman is truethe best bet: most successful and also secure..."

== Phrasebook ==Slovak is a Slavic language with many divergent dialects. Even Slovak people from the west do not always understand Slovak hitchhiker said:people from the east, but the standard language described here is understood by all. In the southern areas drivers speak rather Hungarian, so you might try the [[Eastern Europe phrasebook#Hungarian|Hungarian phrasebook]]. * Hello (formal/casual - do not use for older people) '''Dobrý deň'''/'''Ahoj'''* Please '''Prosím'''* Thank you '''Ďakujem'''* Direction '''Smer'''* Highway '''Diaľnica'''* Are you going to ...? '''Idete do ...?'''* Are you please going in direction of ...? '''Idete, prosím, smerom na ...?'''* Goodbye '''Dovidenia'''* Yes '''Áno'''* No '''Nie'''* To the next petrol station '''Na ďalšiu benzínku'''* I will get down here '''Tu vystúpim''' == West-East travelling == Slovakia is a small country. Because the country is mountainous, there are few major roads across the country. The D1 highway, running along the north of the country, is the main east-west road in Slovakia. :There But as the new motorway R1 was finished the streams seperated. Sometimes they are called the northern way and the southern. They split near [[Trnava]] and join in [[Ružomberok]]. Going both ways there is always a part where there is no law about hitchike highway/motorway (After they will finish the [[Žilina]]-[[Ružomberok]] part this will no longer be valid. But they are not going to finish it at slovakialeast the next 5 years.) but just a national road. For the north one it is the road 18, for the south it is the road 59.  Still the north route is the more used because it's a habit. It But in the summer it is not trueclose to be equal. Man have During the winter the northern route becomes more used by people going at least to wait [[Ružomberok]], becouse on the south route there are a lot of skiing centres so most of the cars go there and they tend to be full and there is always a traffic jam so the long distance drivers avoid this route.  The parts with no highway make the traveling slower but can be an advantage for you. On many parts there are traffic jams and the roads go through many cities so you can hitchhike on bus stops and traffic lights and you can catch a few minutes pretty long ride. Another small group of cars that go from west to the farest east ([[Košice]] and get more east) go by the so called big south route. It's a carroute that start in [[Bratislava]], goes by the D1 highway, continues by the R1 motorway and then gets off the motorway in [[Zvolen]] and continues by the national roads and then the big northern way and the big southern way meet in [[Košice]]. Like other countriesBut this is the least used route. Dont The meaning of mentioning this option is just to be afraid said that some people go that way and it is still possible to hitch there. == North-South travelling ==There is a road [[E77]] passing through the middle of hithike here[[Slovakia]] connecting [[Krakow]] and [[Budapest]]. It is also the main route used by Turkish trucks driving from [[Turkey]] to [[Poland]], [[Lithuania]], [[Latvia]], [[Estonia]], and [[Finland]]. Just come It is very hitchhike-friendly and trypasses through [[Ružomberok]], [[Banská Bystrica]], [[Zvolen]], and [[Šahy]]. Even though it is relatively easy to hitchhike along the route, it is best to wait at the border crossings [[Parassapuszta-Šahy border crossing]] (south) or [[Trstená-Chyzne border crossing]] (north) when looking for long-distance rides.

* [[KosiceŽilina]]* [[Nitra]]* [[Trenčín]]* [[Poprad]][[File:Hugo.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Hugo hitchhiking from [[Poprad]] to [[Žilina]]]]

== Border crossings =====[[File:Hugo.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Hugo hitchhiking from Ukraine]]===* [[Vyšné Nemecké-Uzhhorod border crossing]]* [[Ubľa-Malyi Bereznyi border crossing]]* [[Velké Slemence-Mali Selmenci border crossing]] (pedestrian crossing, EU/EEA & Ukrainian passports only)===[[Poland]]===* [[Barwinek-Vyšný Komárnik border crossing]] * [[Trstená-Chyzne border crossing]]===[[Hungary]]===* [[Milhosť-Tornyosnémeti border crossing]]* [[Parassapuszta-Šahy border crossing]]===[Poprad[Austria]] to ===* [[ZilinaDevínska Nová Ves-Schlosshof border crossing]](bicycle and pedestrian bridge) north of [[Bratislava]]

== Number Pates ==The plate consists of two letters + coat of arms of Slovakia + three numbers + two letters.[[File:Slovak_registration_3183.JPG|thumb|number Number plate of town Ilava, Slovakia]]

* BA, BD, BE, BI, BL, BT - [[Bratislava]]* BB, BC, BK - [[Banská Bystrica]]* BJ - [[Bardejov]]* BN - [[Bánovce nad Bebravou]]* BR - [[Brezno]]* BS - [[Banská Štiavnica]]* BY - [[Bytča]]* CA -[[Čadca]]

* KE, KC, KI - [[Košice]]

* KS - [[Košice-okolie]]surroundings

* MT - [[Martin, Slovakia*Martin]]

* NR, NI, NT - [[Nitra]]

* PO, PV, PS - [[Prešov]]

* TT, TA, TB - [[Trnava]]* TN, TC, TE - [[Trenčín]]* TO - [[Topoľčany]]* TR - [[Turčianske Teplice]]

* ZA, ZI, ZL -[[Žilina]]

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