Dresden

Dresden
<map lat='51.049' lng='13.74' zoom='11' view='3' />
Information
Country:	Germany
State:	Saxony
Population:	505,563 (30 June 2007)
Licence plate:	DD
Major roads:	A4, A13, A14, A17
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Dresden [1] is a city in the eastern part of Germany. In Dresden a World Heritage Site is located, the so called Dresden Elbe Valley

General remarks

Due to the position of the gas station around Dresden, passing it from North to South, or the opposite, could be really difficult.

Hitching Out

North towards Berlin, Cottbus (A13)

Take tram line 13 (Strassenbahn) until Friedensstraße. At the crossing (you'll recognize a McDonald's sign), turn right into the Hansastrasse, pass the McDonald's and walk underneath the railway bridge. <map lat='51.07538050661171' lng='13.74114990234375' zoom='13' view='0' float='right' /> After 1 km (and passing some small private gardens) you will find a Shell petrol station. In front of the petrol station entry there's enough space to stop cars that go to the highway. The Hansastrasse is an access to the A4, in both directions, but most cars are going north from here. Maybe 200m after the Shell station is another gas station and also space where people can stop if you just stand near the road. Most locals go there, as it is cheaper. However, you might miss both some company cars (since companies sometimes have special payment cards for Shell) but also the snobbish type of people that Shell customers tend to be ;)

There are also often hitchhikers right behind the railway station Dresden-Neustadt. Be aware that this is a common meeting point for users of www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de so there might be a higher possibility that people want money for a lift.

Another good site is very close to the ramp. Take the bus 81 directing Wilschdorf and get off at Hellerberge. Just walk back across the small incoming street. There you'll find an exiting lane going into a factory. If you show a sign telling Berlin, you won't wait long ;)

West towards Chemnitz, Leipzig

Go to the tram station "Cossebauder Straße" and walk up the big street ("Meißner Landstraße"). You can either ask the people at the gas station or stand next to the road with a sign.

Another good spot is directly at the ramp to the motorway A4. There is a place to stop, and the cars can see you while waiting at the traffic light. From the city, reach it by bus 94 direction "Cossebaude" or "Niederwartha" and get off at the stop "Zschonergrundstraße", or by local train RB/RE to "Elsterwerda-Biela" or "Hoyerswerda" and get off at "Dresden-Kemnitz". For train or bus you can use the ticket for travelling within one fare zone, so it's quite cheap.

South towards Prague (A17)

Just to start this direction... I haven't tried the spots myself but lived in the area for a long time. Get to Busstop "Südhöhe" (Lines 72, 76 & 360). There is an Aral gas station, but on the opposite side of the road. It's the last gas station before the highway though. You could also try to stop people at various Bus stops near traffic lights on the way ("Bergstraße") but the roads acclivity is very high, it's difficult for drivers to stop (or at least to get back on the road).

There might be better spots in Dresden Prohlis, has anyone information on this?

Passing through Dresden (North->South or South-North)

If you are coming from the north (e.g. Berlin, A13 or A4 from east.) and you want to go south (e.g. Prague), you might have a problem considering where to get dropped (obviously, only if your driver is not going your way). The problem is that the highway splits just before the gas station. So if you get dropped at the gas station (Aral company), you will get only people going the other way (West).

Then, you have then three options (in both ways, you will have similar problem and solution)

• you might want to get dropped way before Dresden, approximately 20-50 kilometers before getting to the city (exact information needed)
• you find a nice driver willing to do a loop for you. Meaning that he must go out from the highway after that Aral gas station, make a U-turn, take the highway in the other direction, and drop you on the opposite gas station, then he can enter Dresden or make another U-turn if he is heading west.
• if the weather is nice... you can be droped at the exit after the gas station. Then you can walk back, following the highway (from outside, please!), to get back to the right gas station (approximately 3.5 km).

Public transport / Blackriding

Well... I know someone who once got caught and blackrid(sp?) in Dresden for the rest of his living there. He still does so whenever he's in town ;) - [User:atopia|Ben]

Getting caught blackriding means 40 EUR less travel budget, it's illegal and the BVG can't use your money to put all those wounderful cameras everywere, so don't do it.

Anyway...

• There is not much ticket control in Dresden
• Ticket machines outside trams give you unstamped tickets
• You can invalidate existing tickets in both trams and busses, the machines beep when you do so
• Inside most trams, there's a ticket machine that gives you a stamped ticket (just hanging around there won't serve as excuse if you're controled)
• Bus drivers also sell stamped tickets

• You could buy a (short range, if you're on low money) ticket and keep it unstamped

• Most transportation rules for German public transport are along the lines that you have to present a valid ticket if you're asked to do so (I have not checked specifically for Dresden)
• You need to get the ticket stamped before the traffic control reaches you
• If you did, you can (and should) argue that you just forgot to stamp it before and have a valid ticked nonetheless

• After 8pm, you need to get in busses at the first door and (then) bus drivers are supposed to check tickets but usually don't give them a close look. I wouldn't suggest using an old student passport (serving as a ticket) as they are looked upon closer, but if you want to try your luck, show an old (invalid) ticket

• ticket control personal is:
  • always two persons
  • at least one physically capable male
  • not too old / too young
  • not too well-dressed
  • no heavy / big carriage
  • AFAIR they don't necessarily need handhelds so they might not carry bags at all
• most ticket control is performed from around 9 to around 1 pm
• sometimes there are special controls at 3am in busses etc.
• I've heard rumours of black clothed "security" personal performing ticket control e.g. at friday night but never was checked outside normal work hours

This article is based on text from the German language Anarchopedia which is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.