Turkey
Hitchhiking in Turkey is easy. Sometimes it may be customary to contribute a few Lira, but for some hitchhikers this is unheard of. Looking like western backpacker will get you a lot of attention when traveling outside the major tourist areas. Often, the first vehicle to pass will stop for you (sometimes even if they are going the opposite direction!). Lifts with big trucks are the most common since cars may be very full. Turkish truck drivers are generally very friendly and helpful, but may not speak a word of English. Knowing some German words may help. Some drivers may try to convince you to take a bus. If you do end up on a bus, they are very nice also, with complimentary tea and snacks, and are relatively low cost.
Contents
Cities
Food
You will never have to worry about lack of food in Turkey. Many truck drivers have coffee makers in their truck. Turkish people are very generous and it is seldom you get a ride without a driver offering you food. Turkish food may give you diarrhea.
Sleep
All towns in Turkey have a OtoGar, a bus terminal. Most of them will offer a warm and fairly safe place to spend the night. But you should be careful and try to place your baggage in a way so you will wake up if anybody tries to take it. Most smaller towns outside the main regions have very cheap hotels, starting at 8 Lira. Many truck drivers will have an extra bunk in their truck which they are usually happy to offer if they are stopping for the night.
Licence plates
The first two numbers of the Turkish number plates indicate the city where the car is registered. These are sorted from 1 to 81 alphabetically. This rule is not applicable for villages that became the status of cities quite recently.
