Ramsey

Ramsey is a town in northeastern Isle of Man.

Hitching Out

Hitch from the outskirts of town. Use the road signs in the town centre to find your way out.

South towards Laxey, Douglas

Use either the A18 'mountain road', or the A2 'coast road'. On this video, the bike is travelling south from Ramsey centre. At 00:35, there's a junction - straight on is the A18, left is the A2.

• The A18 'mountain road' will take you directly to Douglas. It is sometimes closed due to bad weather. From the bus station, walk up the road until you find a good spot. The corner at 01:22 on the above video works very well, with waiting time 5-20 minutes. Going south, the 'mountain road' is the most famous section of the TT course, so sit back and enjoy the fantastic scenery.
• The A2 'coast road' takes you down through Laxey and the other villages, on the way to Douglas. Get out of town first.

West towards Kirk Michael, Peel

Find a safe spot on the A3 towards Kirk Michael. Many places are possible; outside Ramsey grammar school works well. Waiting time 10-20 minutes. If you're going to Kirk Michael or Peel, only accept a ride that takes you straight there.

North

The area north of Ramsey is flat and sparsely populated. Traffic only enters to the region to visit the small villages and there is no 'main road'. As there are many interconnecting roads between the villages, the small number of cars are spread out between all the possible roads. So reaching a certain village may take a long time by hitchhike, unless your driver helps you out by going off their route. Go north from Ramsey centre, pick the route to your village of choice (A13/A9/A10) and you will always be able to find a safe, visible place to stand along that road. Or just stick your thumb out opposite Ramsey hospital with a sign saying NORTH, and see where you end up.

Public transport

Central bus station on the A2-A18 junction, connecting Ramsey with the north half of the island. Electric train station on the A2, connecting Ramsey with Laxey and Douglas.

Sleep

If you can get into Mooragh Park, there is a large bandstand that you could sleep under for shelter. Otherwise, go to the pubs, buy someone some drinks and persuade them to let you stay the night.