Hitchhiking – the most economical and the most extreme way of traveling
The only problem that worries the future traveler is the method of 'strolling' through foreign countries. For example, you can seek help from a travel agency, organize your own tour program, or travel by hitchhiking. Each of these methods has both significant pros and cons.
Option one: a travel agency. Here you just need to pay a certain amount of money and get a ready-made tour, since the tour operator gladly takes on all the worries about visa processing and insurance. As for the pros, you simply take a suitcase, a video camera – and enjoy your vacation. The corresponding cons: the high cost of the trip and a pre-set itinerary, especially when it comes to traveling through several European countries.
Now let's consider the second option – traveling according to a personal scenario. Speaking about the cost of such a trip, it largely depends on your ambitious plans, but, at the same time, it allows you to create an itinerary yourself. A few words about the mode of transportation. When traveling to Western European countries, some people buy a used car right on the spot, and at the end of their 'tour' they leave the car near the airport. Others, on the contrary, prefer not to take risks and travel only in their own car.
The main problem that such travelers face is the difficulty in obtaining a visa required for entry into the European Union countries. The task becomes easier if you have an invitation from a citizen of a European country or a document for a booked room. More cunning citizens do otherwise: they buy a cheap tour to Europe, check in at the hotel, and then travel throughout the Schengen area.
And finally, hitchhiking – the most economical and, at the same time, the most extreme way of traveling to foreign countries. The technology of hitchhiking is as follows: you stand on the side of the road, raise your thumb up, and ask passing cars to take you to your destination.
Note that in the eighties, hitchhikers were picked up much more often than nowadays. Thanks to this method of travel, people often make new friends and acquaintances, but what you will definitely have to forget about is your own safety. In other words, no one guarantees your return home safe and sound. Sometimes drivers themselves offer to give a lift to a hitchhiker, but if such a driver seems inadequate, it is better to refuse.
As for choosing a country for hitchhiking, it is best to choose European states rather than African or Asian ones. But, again, forget about Italy and Spain, since in these countries hitchhikers are not liked. The safest option is to travel by hitchhiking with two or three friends.
Having chosen hitchhiking, do not forget the safety of your belongings, which should be inside the car. If you are careless with your backpack, then do not be surprised later if a camera or an expensive digital video camera disappears from it. By analogy with the 'tour' on your own route, hitchhiking enthusiasts regularly encounter the visa problem and therefore spend a lot of nerves proving their civil 'respectability'.