The Catastrophically Inefficient Trip

There are many possibilities to get stuck while hitchhiking. No question you will arrive somehow someday, but meanwhile it can become really uncomfortable. So be aware of typical mistakes and try not to do as we did. Enjoy reading!

If you did a catastrophically inefficient trip as well, please share your experiences here top help others too.

Braunschweig-Amsterdam in 29 hours

You know there are about 360 km between them and the highway is quite direct. We did some extra trip touching the Ruhrpot and nearly the North Sea as well. You want to know the distance? It was about 888 kilometers. :)

our mistakes in chronological order

1. We left the house at 3 pm. Thats definitively too late for that distance. Best time to leave is noon or even morning.
2. We didn't agree about the starting point. On the one hand we wanted to try the highway entrance next to the house, on the other hand it was to late for experiments. After an hour or two we got to The Zweidorfer Holz, which was the right choice, even though it meant going quite a few kilometers backwards.
3. When we got a ride, we had a nice talk to the driver. Even though we were paying attention to the road, sign with a name of our destination petrol station passed behind a huge truck, unseen. Luckily just few km afterwards was next station. We started hesitating if should get off (bifurcation where we were supposed to separate was approaching!) or stay (not sure if really missed our station), when the driver asked,'do you want to leave NOW?' while passing Auetal we didnt manage to say 'yes' on time, which would have been so easy! So whenever you are in doubt of leaving or not, leave! Don't get distracted!
4. So we followed our drivers direction, got of around Hamm and decided to get back to A30. We got toTecklenburger Land, just before A30 (Germany) but the problem was that next petrol station on our way would be already in Holland. One possibility could have been to go east to Groenegau or even Auetal (which would have not been that good either) and change direction there. But it was late already. So we spent the night there at the toilet foyer which was not that comfortable at all.
5. In the morning we decided to go north (as that's where most of cars was going) to at least get away from there. Unfortunately, we didnt communicate enough with driver to realise that he wasnt going to Oldenburg, but to Bremen. So when we already passed Dammer Berge (where we should have gone out) we understood that he was going to Bremen. Finally we stood on the lane between A1 (Germany) and A29 (Germany) with a sign saying '20 km', with completely wet shoes and in a fog making s invisible. Talk to drivers very clearly, ask them for their exact way and if they don't know arrange a way that fits all.
6. After a while we hitched to nearest gas station:Huntetal, planning to go west to Groningen next and then all the way down to A'dam. It was quite dead and took us 2 hours till we realized we should go back south again to A30. Most of the people just went north to Wilhemshaven, so changing to A28 (Germany) was a bad idea. Put a big black cross there on your map to avoid going there accidentally!
7. So we went back south and we ended up 20 km from the station we woke up that morning, but 6 hours later (even on foot would be faster!) From there it was easy to go to Holland. All was going more than fine when we did another mistake, which took us another hour. When we were about 40 kilometers before Amsterdam having dumpster meal sitting with a sign at the station exit a nice man stopped to pick us up: "Amsterdam? Jump in! I don't go till there, but on the way to A'dam, from there you will have only 20km left." We had nice talk but just made a circle around Amsterdam and after more than hour in the car and making next 100km, we got to Leiden - which was 20km from A'dam. At the end we just made 20 km towards our aim. Always be sure to have a benefit of the way you go and talk clearly to drivers to avoid bad surprises.

We got next ride easily and got off in front of our final destination

trip as list

• Braunschweig, Hamburger Strasse
• Braunschweig, Hansestrasse
• A2, Kater
• A2, Nymern
• A1, Im Mersch
• A1, Tecklenburger Land
• lane between A1 and A28
• A1, Huntetal, East
• A1, Huntetal, West
• A1, Dammer Berge, East
• [Dutch stations to add later]