Romania
Travel article for Romania
From:
Stroud
Age:
19-25
Travel time:
in August 11
Hitchhiking from Romania to Holland
You must be crazy! You're very Brave! Do you realize how dangerous that is?
These are the responses I got when I told people of my plan to Hitch hike from Sibiu in Romania to Holland. However it was a wonderful experience and maybe sharing it with you will give more people the courage to try it and to pick up other travelers like myself who want to feel the country on a low budget.
As a 21 year old girl I am aware that there are risks attached to getting into a car with a total stranger. Although I totally admire girls who hitchhike alone I wasn't willing to take that risk and so I travelled with a male friend. Altogether seven of us set off from Sibiu. Two male/female pairs, one male pair and one guy by himself. He's hitch hiked all around Europe and plans to hitchhike back from Singapore this year so he felt comfortable alone. Maybe you'll bump into him one day. He's got a lions mane but is as tame as a kitten. If you see him while crossing Asia give him a ride!
So we set off in Sibiu from a petrol station where there were many local Romanians looking for a ride. Hitchhiking is a way of life there as most people don't own cars. For short distances you will also often be picked up by a Caruca - horse and cart. It's a great way to explore the Transylvanian countryside. This time however we were aiming for Holland and we were planning to get there in 3 days so horse and cart was out of the question. We tried just sticking our thumbs out but soon realised that in Romania it's good to have cardboard signs with destinations. All of us were picked up by different cars within 30mins.
The first car that stopped looked like it may have broken down but no, it was two Israelis looking to give us a ride. We piled all our luggage on the roof and piled ourselves in the back. They had just bought the car from the farm where one of them had been working as a sheppard. By the end of the trip we knew a lot more about sheep. did you know the Romanian sheep keep their tails? They look a little like Dogs.
The first night we followed a little road through a few villages till we came to a small stream where we made a campfire and slept under the stars. There is not that much water in Romania so it's good to stop when you find some. It's also good to take the car off the road and sleep near it. I don't believe a lot of the stuff they say about the Gypsies but it's better to stay on the safe side.
At sunrise we awoke, packed up and headed for the Hungarian border. After the border we said bye to the Israelis and continued our Journey first with a German, then a Hungarian lady and then to Austrian guys till Linz. In Linz we slept in a children's play park near a petrol station and continued bright and early the next morning. We were very fortunate to ask a couple with a Slovakian licence plate as they turned out to be a Dutch couple who had moved there and were heading back to Holland for business. They gave us a lift all 1100km to Arnhem and even bought us breakfast and snacks =)
In Arnhem I hitched the last bit to Nijmegen by myself as my friend was heading in another direction. although I was wary of being alone I thought I've come this far I don't want to get the train for the last bit. I'm so glad I didn't! Being a girl, I was picked up almost immediately by a lovely family who were worried about me. Although they weren't actually planning to go through Nijmegen they took me straight to my destination.
When hitchhiking you are warned about the dangers of hitchhiking but actually it built my faith and trust in Humanity. It was such a enriching experience and we met so many interesting people and saw so much countryside which just isn't possible any other way, other than maybe interrailing. It is a very refreshing experience to be completely at the mercy of peoples compassion. It's liberating when it works. It is also free! If you want to see a lot on a small budget I'd definietly recommend it!
Hitchhiking Tips:
Trust your instincts. If you don't feel totally happy don't get in!
If you are in Eastern Europe use a cardboard sign.
Stick to the busy main roads - don't get tempted by a shorter route with less traffic as you may get stuck.
Try and travel from one petrol station to the next. That way you can approach people directly and it's more on your terms. Also building personal contact greatly increases the chance someone will take you. Also if you get stuck you're near food and a toilet.
Take hitchhikers next time you're driving and have space and learn from their experiences!
These are the responses I got when I told people of my plan to Hitch hike from Sibiu in Romania to Holland. However it was a wonderful experience and maybe sharing it with you will give more people the courage to try it and to pick up other travelers like myself who want to feel the country on a low budget.
As a 21 year old girl I am aware that there are risks attached to getting into a car with a total stranger. Although I totally admire girls who hitchhike alone I wasn't willing to take that risk and so I travelled with a male friend. Altogether seven of us set off from Sibiu. Two male/female pairs, one male pair and one guy by himself. He's hitch hiked all around Europe and plans to hitchhike back from Singapore this year so he felt comfortable alone. Maybe you'll bump into him one day. He's got a lions mane but is as tame as a kitten. If you see him while crossing Asia give him a ride!
So we set off in Sibiu from a petrol station where there were many local Romanians looking for a ride. Hitchhiking is a way of life there as most people don't own cars. For short distances you will also often be picked up by a Caruca - horse and cart. It's a great way to explore the Transylvanian countryside. This time however we were aiming for Holland and we were planning to get there in 3 days so horse and cart was out of the question. We tried just sticking our thumbs out but soon realised that in Romania it's good to have cardboard signs with destinations. All of us were picked up by different cars within 30mins.
The first car that stopped looked like it may have broken down but no, it was two Israelis looking to give us a ride. We piled all our luggage on the roof and piled ourselves in the back. They had just bought the car from the farm where one of them had been working as a sheppard. By the end of the trip we knew a lot more about sheep. did you know the Romanian sheep keep their tails? They look a little like Dogs.
The first night we followed a little road through a few villages till we came to a small stream where we made a campfire and slept under the stars. There is not that much water in Romania so it's good to stop when you find some. It's also good to take the car off the road and sleep near it. I don't believe a lot of the stuff they say about the Gypsies but it's better to stay on the safe side.
At sunrise we awoke, packed up and headed for the Hungarian border. After the border we said bye to the Israelis and continued our Journey first with a German, then a Hungarian lady and then to Austrian guys till Linz. In Linz we slept in a children's play park near a petrol station and continued bright and early the next morning. We were very fortunate to ask a couple with a Slovakian licence plate as they turned out to be a Dutch couple who had moved there and were heading back to Holland for business. They gave us a lift all 1100km to Arnhem and even bought us breakfast and snacks =)
In Arnhem I hitched the last bit to Nijmegen by myself as my friend was heading in another direction. although I was wary of being alone I thought I've come this far I don't want to get the train for the last bit. I'm so glad I didn't! Being a girl, I was picked up almost immediately by a lovely family who were worried about me. Although they weren't actually planning to go through Nijmegen they took me straight to my destination.
When hitchhiking you are warned about the dangers of hitchhiking but actually it built my faith and trust in Humanity. It was such a enriching experience and we met so many interesting people and saw so much countryside which just isn't possible any other way, other than maybe interrailing. It is a very refreshing experience to be completely at the mercy of peoples compassion. It's liberating when it works. It is also free! If you want to see a lot on a small budget I'd definietly recommend it!
Hitchhiking Tips:
Trust your instincts. If you don't feel totally happy don't get in!
If you are in Eastern Europe use a cardboard sign.
Stick to the busy main roads - don't get tempted by a shorter route with less traffic as you may get stuck.
Try and travel from one petrol station to the next. That way you can approach people directly and it's more on your terms. Also building personal contact greatly increases the chance someone will take you. Also if you get stuck you're near food and a toilet.
Take hitchhikers next time you're driving and have space and learn from their experiences!
