Madrid to Granada (car-
truck- truck-car) 400km++
Time : 10am – 9pmComment : hard
There were two cars (the first one is short but no good experience, the last one is short and good experience) and two trucks. The last truck dropped me at the highway to Malaga. I walked for around 30 minutes to the highway or main road to Granada and a gentleman kindly drove me to a bus stop where I take a bus to city center.
Granada to Servilla (4 cars) 300km++
Time : 745am – 1.30pmComment : good
I waited at the highway from Granada to Servilla and then changed few car to a bus stop at the suburban of Servilla and then took a bus to center.
Amsterdam to Berlin (5
cars) 600km++
Time : 755am – 6.15 pmComment : good
I waited at Liftappar for one hour, no one stopped their car. Therefore I walked to the nearby petro station (300meters), it was a good location. The last petrol station near Berlin, I met a pretty and charming German girl who sent me directly to my host home. It was amazing experience.
Berlin to Frankfurt (7cars) 600km++
Time : 8am -8.30pm Comment: actually it won’t took so long but the forth driver took me to a wrong way and far away from Frankfurt.
The third driver dropped me at the junction either to Munich and Frankfurt a.m. The forth driver picked me up and drove to the way of Munich. It was crazy and I was dropped at a petrol station at a small village. I almost cried when I get down the car. I spent one or two hours there and only few cars filled petrol. One of the driver, took me back to the way to Berlin and dropped me on the high way petrol. The sixth driver was so kind and drove me to Hannerberg (even though he was on the way to Munich, 3km from the junction) highway petro station. It was around 5pm. The last drive sent me directly to Frankfurt railway station.
Athens to Ioannina
(400km++)
Time: 1030am – 8pm (2 cars)Comment good
I took a train to Kaito. A couple picked me up from train station and dropped me at the junction to highway. Then I hitch to Patras. I dined with the driver at Patras University. Then I found a van at the ferry to Ioannina.
Progradec to
Albania/Macedonia Border
Time: 20 minutes (1 car) Waiting time: 10minutes
I took a minivan from Korce to Progradec. These two young men sent me directly to the border and warned me that 70% Albanians cannot be trusted. :)
From Albania/Macedonia
Border to Ohrid
Walking time: 1 hours (I walked slowly with backpack)
I walked slowly with my backpack cross the border and then to Naum. I plan to hitch hike to Naum to take a bus to Ohrid but the driver sent me to Ohrid town center.
From Podgorica to Kotor
Time : 8am to 12 noon (2 cars, 1 lorry)Comment: Good
I waited around 30 minutes nearby the traffic light of Delta. A lorry took me to Budva and I only waited for 3 or 4 minutes to get a ride to a junction to Kotor and waited 10 minutes to get a ride to the center which is 4 km for the junction
From Kotor to Herceg Novi
Time: 4pm -6pm ( 1 car and 1 bus) Comment : good
Waiting time : 20 minutes. A car picked me up at the traffic light (nearby the park). Then I took a bus which is 3km away from the Herceg Novi which cost 70 cents Euro.
From Herceg Novi,
Montenegro to Sarajevo, Bosnia
Time : 8am to 6pm (250++km),
9 carsComment: poor
I waited at the roundabout. It was really hard since only few cars pass by for one hour (not more than 20). It took me around two hours which was only 10km to the Montenegro and Bosnia border (Sitnica). Each ride only took few kilometers. Then I waited at the checking point of Bosnia, not many cars pass the border. A car dropped me at Trebinje (It is better to wait here than the checking point). Another car took me for 5km again. 4 hours passed, I only on road for 20km. I prayed hard, then two young pretty Bosnians shout at me and drove me 100km, near to Mostar. I took another two rides to Mostar. It was easier to take a ride from Mostar to Sarajevo. The driver, Miller sent me directly to my host’s home.
From Sarajevo to Bugojno (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Time: 5 minutes waiting at
the petrol station. 10am to 2pm. 180km (1cars)Comment: good
It was a raining and freezing day and I didn’t prepare for the cold since summer was near. Two young men look like gangsters offered to give me a ride. I was scare when I get known they were mafia. However, Annam kept calmed down me that he was a mafia and had bad habits, he was a good man. He was in prison for five years and he got a 11 years old son. He has never hidden his past. They were not going to Bugojno but he didn’t want me to hitchhike on raining and freezing day. He sent me directly to Bugojno. I arrived safely. Someone who look bad and involved in illegal activities may got kind hearts to travelers. Someone who look nice (such as my host in Sarajevo..shame on him) and offered help to travelers, just tried to get advantages for female travelers!
From: Bugojno To Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Time: 11am to 2.20pm.
115+km (2cars)Comment: good
Zoran dropped me at the outskirt of Bugojno. I only waited for 5 minutes to get a ride to Prazor. I waited around 40 minutes at Prazor and a journalist sent me directly to Mostar.
From Mostar, Bosnia to
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Time : 11am to 2pm, 1 carComment: good
I walked from the old town to the petro station. 100 meters before arriving the petro station, I get a ride directly to Dubrovnik port. The driver drove through Trebinje instead of the coastline highway. I walked 45 minutes from the port to Dubrovnik old town.
From Dubrovnik to Split, Croatia
Time: 9am to 3.30pm, 1 coach, 2 cars
Comment : good
I waited at the D8 junction to Split. It is not a good point for hitch hiking, there are not many cars drive to Split form the highway. I planned to give up and suddenly a tour coach stopped in front of me. I have never autostop a ‘bus’, it was a great experience. The driver has sent his Japanese guests to airport and drove back to Metkovic. I was so lucky to get a ride on a tour couch. The driver even presents me a bottle of wine when we had a break in Neum. We had passed through Croatia border to Bosnia (Neum) and then Croatia but the officers didn’t stamp my passport.
I waited under a bridge near the junction of Metkovic and Split. After around 20 minutes, I get a ride for few kilometers. It was raining and I waited for 30 minutes to get a ride to Split. There were three Italians, Robin, Eddy and ???. They were driving back to Milan, they were so kind and directly sent me to the port of Split.
From Split to Zagreb,
Croatia
Time : 10am to 6pm, 2 cars,
1 vanComment: good
After I came out from Split-Brac habour, I get a ride from a Croatian air force officer to Zadar. I waited 40 minutes at the Zadar-2 toll and get a ride to Maslenica toll that is only 10km+ from Zadar-2. I waited at that unpopular toll almost 2 hours then I get a ride to Zagreb directly. However the van didn’t use the highway, we drove all around the country roadside. The scene is beautiful, pass by the Plitvice National park but it is too warm inside the van.
From Zagreb to Zadar,
Croatia
Time : 9am to 5.30pm, 1
van, 1 truck and 1 carComment: fair
I waited at the popular hitchhike spot, Jadranska avenija, near Billa for around one hour, no one pick me up. Therefore I walked to the gas station on the same street, someone sent me to the toll booth after half hour. I waited at the toll booth for around 2 hours, a van picked me up. I just realized that there was a rest place which was 1km after the toll. He was very tire, therefore he invited me to drove his van from there to his destination Otocac. Otocac was a quiet toll. After around one hour, I begged a truck driver driving me to highway and dropped me at a gas station. Only one minute I get a ride directly to Zadar. The driver is typical Dalmatian. Djani has told me a lot of Croatian history and drove me to some war places nearby Zadar.
