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* [https://www.trustroots.org Trustroots.org]; hitchhiker centric* [http://bewelcome.org BeWelcome.org];* [http://couchsurfing.com CouchSurfing.com] most active* [http://www.hospitalityclub.org Hospitality Club] (good for finding phone numbers in smaller places).
* Are you ready to pay for a hostel? If yes, can you find one?* Is there a (big) [[airport]] on your road or close to the place you are? You may sleep there.* Can your driver host you?* Can you find a car/truck driving overnight and crash out on the way? In this case, is the driver really reliable?----* '''Are many people around you? If yes, a paper with === Holding a big "Couchsurfing?" on it may help you to find someone that would host you.'''sign in public place ===
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→Carry a good map
== [[Maps|Carry a good map]] ==
A list of recommendations can be found in the [[maps|maps article]]. You want to know where you are going. It also helps if [[petrol station hitchhiking|petrol stations]] are marked, and you don't need city maps. Try and find a map that you don't have to open out to one large sheet of paper every time you want to use it; you will be using it often. Book-style maps are best. A lot of times, you'll be okay without owning a map, though, if you use your chances well to have a look at one - petrol and service stations and lifts - and keep in mind all you need to know. If you have a digital camera, photographing the map and using the zoom function later has proven invaluable.
Hitchwiki spots in combination with OpenStreetMap can also be accessed offline. See [[High-tech_hitchhiking|High-tech hitchhiking]].
For DIY maps i like to write down bigest cities what i should pass and asking a driver to put me out at the best spots to continue my route. Works if your phone with Google Maos screenshots wont starts :D
== [[Where to hitchhike|Be in a good, safe spot]] ==
== Stay positive, smile and laugh ==
[[File:hitch_hiker_58392_in_spain.jpeg|thumb|right|250px|left|Taking pictures of your hitch-hiking buddy is an excellent way to keep up your mood.]]
Standing on dirty boring roads with loads traffic passing by and no one picking you up is as much a part of hitch-hiking as it is to eventually get picked up by a kind-hearted soul. If you're travelling alone, the road is your only companion that is reliably always by your side. If you can manage to have a friendly relationship with it, you'll have a much more enjoyable experience. Obviously, when travelling in a group, the same goes for your human friend(s).
It is easy to become bored or frustrated when waiting for a ride, but remember that a good attitude will help you get rides. Keep your spirits up by singing, humming, laughing and simply smiling. A grumpy hitchhiker may get rides out of sympathy, but a happy hitchhiker will get better rides and go further distances in less time. If you're in a group, try dancing or clapping your hands at the same time, it makes the drivers smile and lifts come much more often!
If you carry a marker with you, you can even cheer up future hitch-hikers who will use your spot by leaving them little messages on sign posts or crash barriers.
== Avoid tight deadlines ==
== [[Finding accommodation]] ==
[[File:Roads.JPG|thumb|250px|right|[[At night]], it'll get tougher. Apart from much less traffic, people may trust you less (especially if you're male) and you may be in more danger (especially if you're female). Also, you're not as visible as you were before. But if someone does decide to help, they will probably help you as much as they can...]]
If you make small distances, you can plan in advance where you will sleep.
If you have Internet access, you can check out those websites for free accommodation:
If there's a [http://www.ymca.int/ymca-hotels/ YMCA centre] in town, see if they have a room for the [[hitchhiking at night|night]].
If you don't want to sleep outside, consider those possibilities:
Strazdas007 says it is possible to find a host in this way, but you must know, where it is biggest chance that your sign will be seen - talking about subway stations or even stations in general, bigger supermarkets, town squares. He actually found one host near some touristic attraction - somewhere near Eiffel tower, but he was lucky, because next day he wasn't so lucky and had to sleep on the bench. And he was thrown out of the subway station in Paris, because guards were thinking that he was asking for money. Or you can simply look for some hipsters, or simply friendly youths and ask them if they are hosting, if they don't know, tell them about CS'ing, and maybe they will host you.
Try your luck. And remember this is not hitchhiking, eye contact is almost pointless, because your sign is making contact. Try to make sign as big as possible (well not very big, but so it could be seen from further or/and attract people eye).
=== Camping === Wild camping how to http://nomadwiki.org/en/Camping === Other options === If you can't find anywhere to sleep, there are still other ways to get out of the situation. If you are lucky enough to be at a 24-hour petrol stationor Mc Donalds, just keep drinking coffee and keep hitching through the [[hitchhiking at night|night]]. Keep in mind that it gets really quiet between 2:00 and 5:00, even at motorway service areas.
== Getting to the nearest city ==
= Related links and references =
* [[wikivoyage:Tips_for_hitchhiking|Tips for Hitchhiking on Wikivoyage]]
* [http://www.claudioadrianodobre.com/importance-smiling-communication/ The importance of smiling when engaging drivers]
* [http://www.hitchbase.com Worldwide Database of Places for Hitchhikers]
= Nomadwiki & Trashwiki = {{Excellentnomadwiki}}
[[Category:Practical info]]
