Did you ever go hitchhiking? Or did you not dare to do so? Did the stories scare you off? Or perhaps it's something that you've always wanted to do, but the time just wasn't right. Wait no longer...

Hitchhiking is a great and inexpensive way to travel. You are likely to meet interesting people, share stories and sometimes even meals. However great hitchhiking can be, inevitably there are also some risks involved...Every once in a while you hear a story with an unlucky ending. Although these stories are rare, it is always a good idea to keep in mind a few tips and tricks.

For this purpose Travelspecs has published the Ultimate guide to hitchhiking with 18 practical tips on how to hitchhike that will help you get you on your way (safely).

The ultimate Guide to Hitchhiking: 18 tips on how to hitchhike

1. Pack the right gear: First things first, you need to pack the right stuff for your traveling adventure. Since you're going to be less flexible with regards to transportation the last thing you want is having to search around for some stuff that you forgot to pack. You want to make sure that you have appropriate traveling clothing, bring a warm sweater and water proof jacket. A flashlight will come in handy, a compass, a travel safety kit. And how about a marker to write your destinations. Some music could be great too. For a full list of stuff to bring check out our travel packing list article.   

2.  Getting away: When starting your trip from a big city, consider taking public transport to the outskirts of town. Most traffic in the city will stay in the city, so you can be standing by the side of the road waving your thumb without any luck.

3.  Talking about cities...If you are traveling for a longer stretch, make sure people do not drop you off in a town center, usually it is very difficult to get back to the highway. I remember being dropped off in a city somewhere in France, trying for hours to get a ride back to the highway. Luckily a young couple took pity on me and my travel companion, brought us to their home, fed us and gave us a ride to the highway. Thank God for friendly people!

4.  Know where you are going. Get a good map and determine the best route to your destination. Even if you are not sure about your final destination, get a map anyway. It might come in handy when you are dropped off somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

5. Get ready to mingle: If you're traveling through an area with languages foreign to yours, try to learn some of the basic words. It will be fun, and even useful if you can explain in the local language where you're heading. 

6.  Get noticed: You can use your thumb to hitch a ride or a piece of cardboard with the name of a city (or a direction like North or East) written on it. It is usually a good idea to write the name of a city that is relatively close by and on route to your destination. Not many people are going to give you a ride form let’s say Amsterdam when your sign says “Barcelona”. Or "Denver" from New York.

7.  Pair up. If you are a girl, preferably team up with a boy. It is not recommended for a girl to hitchhike by herself. As a couple you might have a bit more trouble getting a ride, but it is definitely the safest way to travel. Three is a crowd....

8.  Choose your travel companion wisely. Preferably someone who can take a bit of stress, likes the outdoors and has a lot of patience. Which takes me to the next point.

9.  Be patient. It might take a while to hitch a ride, but in the end someone will pick you up. Really. So stay calm, even if you are cold, wet and miserable and have been waiting for three hours or more (I don not want to discourage you).

10.  Keep your luggage with you at all times (so travel light!). You do not want a stranger to take off with your luggage in the trunk and leave you standing on the roadside with nothing at all....And  who is going to give you a ride when you have tons of luggage anyway?

11.  Stay in touch. Take your mobile phone with you and stay in touch with people at home. Let them know where you are once in a while so they can keep track of you. Just in case.

12. Be flexible to travel whichever way. Once I got stuck between a husky and a cat on the back-seat of a small Renault. Not very comfortable, but it got me where I wanted to go.

13. Be prepared : make sure that you have a plan in case things go wrong. Make sure that you have a way out. Don't exaggerate, but just make sure that you're not totally surprised if you lose your stuff or if you need some medical help. Just make sure you have the right phone numbers with you, health insurance info, some extra cash for emergencies, that kind of stuff

14. Be visible. You want to stand on a place where drivers can see you and safely pull over if they decide to take you with them. Standing in front of a tunnel is not a good idea (yes, this was a beginners mistake). A gas station on the other hand usually is a good place to hitch a ride.

15. Dress decently. You would probably not invite an unshaven person with dirty clothes into your car, would you?

16. Know the law. In some countries, hitchhiking is illegal, so inform yourself on local rules. You do not want to be surprised by the police. On the other hand in some countries (like Cuba) it is mandatory to take hitchers. In addition in some countries it is accepted practice to pay for a ride, you may want to check that in advance.

17. Survive (lol). Take something to eat and drink with you. Just in case you are hungry and there is no shop or snack machine in sight.

18. And last but not least: trust your instincts. If a car stops and your instinct tells you not to get in, do not get in. Just ask the driver where he is going and then politely tell him you are not heading that way.

There, now you're all set for your next hitchhiking experience. Nothing can stop you now. Just goooooooooooo!!!!!

This ultimate guide to hitchhiking was written by Suzanne Geudeke who has hitched her way across several parts of our beautiful world. In case we forgot something, please share your experiences below.