Hitchhiker ETA--How Long Will It Take Me To Get There?

[Salman]

A common question from new hitchhikers is[quote:180b0a5882]"I'm starting out in [this city] and want to get to [that city] ... how many [hours or days] will it take to get there?"[/quote:180b0a5882]
Well, most hitchhikers agree that if you're on a serious deadline you probably shouldn't be hitchhiking. But if you're on a break from school or work and just want to take a trip for the week, a formula for figuring out an Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) can be handy.

There are many factors that can slow you down or speed you up along the way. Where you get dropped off is the biggest part of this. Hitchhiking from within city limits often takes the longest, or getting stuck at a highway entrance with no traffic.

If time matters, plan ahead. Shoot for truck stops along the route. Stick to major highways and remember that a longer route with more traffic is faster for a hitchhiker than a shorter route with little traffic.

[b:180b0a5882]So, how long will it take you to[/b:180b0a5882]...[list:180b0a5882]
[*:180b0a5882][i:180b0a5882]Hitchhike 1000 miles?[/i:180b0a5882] According to Jesse at www.stiffarmingsociety.com and dcrider on digihitch, on the USA interstate highways you can do it in 1 day. Of course that all depends on how you look, what rides you accept, and where you get dropped off. Some regions around the world can take up to 5 times that amount (even US/Canada backroads), depending on the highway/ motorway system, number of towns along the route, etc.
[*:180b0a5882][i:180b0a5882]Hitchhike coast to coast in the USA?[/i:180b0a5882] 3 to 6 days (more if you look like a beatdown tramp)
[*:180b0a5882][i:180b0a5882]Hitchhike across Canada?[/i:180b0a5882] 4 to 6 days
[*:180b0a5882][i:180b0a5882]Hitchhike across... (Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa)?[/i:180b0a5882] (We'll keep adding to this list as other hitchhikers reply with their averages)
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[b:180b0a5882]The short theory of making good time while hitchhiking is[/b:180b0a5882]:[list=1:180b0a5882]
[*:180b0a5882][i:180b0a5882]Choose your station wisely[/i:180b0a5882]. Hitchhike from safe, high-traffic spots.
[*:180b0a5882][i:180b0a5882]Clean yourself up[/i:180b0a5882]. Don't smell or look like a dirty tramp if you want to go far, fast.
[*:180b0a5882][i:180b0a5882]When rides dry up, ask[/i:180b0a5882]. Some hitchhikers never stand at the road with their thumb out but instead ask at nearby gas stations/ truck stops. Others of us ask for rides only as a last resort. If riding with a trucker (yes, some do pick up hitchhikers), ask them to get on the CB and see if another trucker will offer you a ride. Relay hitchhiking with truck drivers is one of the fastest ways across a country-- or continent. Find your style, and don't get stuck!
[*:180b0a5882][i:180b0a5882]Communicate with your driver.[/i:180b0a5882] Make sure he or she knows that you need a safe, high-traffic spot to hitchhike from when dropped off. Many drivers are able to go a bit out of their way to help. Sometimes all it takes is the next exit down the road, or to drop you off on the other side of town. Hey, there's no harm in asking. Just don't get butt-hurt if they refuse-- show your gratitude for the ride, whatever the case.
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[b:180b0a5882]Recommended articles about efficient hitchhiking[/b:180b0a5882]:[list:180b0a5882]
[*:180b0a5882]Hitchhiking Tips at stiffarmingsociety.com - Good stuff from Jesse
[*:180b0a5882]Hitchhiking 101 by dcrider - that's [i:180b0a5882]101[/i:180b0a5882] as in 'the basics'
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Any veteran hitchhikers who care to share their ETA formulas or distance hitchhiking averages, post a reply to this topic.

[Lightfoot]

1000 miles would be a great day of hitching. But probably not possible on the east USA coast.

More likely, days of 350-750 miles are the norm, depending on conditions the hitcher can control (appearance, serious intent) and conditions out of the hitcher's control (traffic volume, bad locations).

Another rule of thumb is one can hitch long distances faster than most people's parents can drive those distances. But you have to be motivated!

If I got an early start and caught a ride before 7 AM, those were always great hitching days.

[Wouter]

I did Turnhout (Belgium) to Barcelona (Spain), which is 1456.29 km in one day. Returned from the French Pyrenees in another day. Note: this was during school holidays.

So I guess 1500km's in Western Europe is possible in one day.

[Raus]

I did Toronto to Vancouver in 3 days... Uncommon?

[Bradyn]

Kamloops-Calgary (620km), a trip I've done three times now, takes me a nice even day.

[wootier]

ive never actually paid attention to miles/time when hitching...the biggest concern for me is, how far do i want to get compared to how early i wanna wake up...i suppose u can hitch through the night but ive never tried it with my thumb out, just asking at filling stations...i think if uve got a day or two buffer u should b fine no matter wat anyway, just allocate more time for finding a ride...

[Treadge]

My longest distance/shortest time hitch was from virginia to south of tucson arizona, took about a day, maybe a day and a half, one straight shot. Dont know how many miles that is, but its a ways.

I usually average 250-750 miles a day.

2 times I went from NY to NC and back to NY, both times in 6 days.

Average for crossing the US from E to W or vise versa, 5-7 days, just dont try hitching from san antonio to el paso, I dont think its possible, hop on the 40!

[wootier]

ide feel guilty gooing that far that fast, u pro. pass up so much shit...but im probably doing it soon...i like the idea, its an undertaking

[Bradyn]

I've made Winnipeg-Toronto in 24 hours, which is literally the fastest you can drive it. My average is coming out to be about 500-600 km a day.

[Brock]

1000 km are fairly doable in Europe within a day.

Budapest (Hungary) - [Brasov] (Romania): 700 km. I travel this route quite regularly and normally do it in 10 hours. This includes a border crossing (and in the summer u may waste an hour staying in the line to get across); and 0 km on highway...

Hannover (Germany) - Gdansk (Poland): 800 km (out of which 320 km are not highway) - did it in about 11 hours

Stuttgart (Germany) - Rotterdam (Holland); 650 km - 5 h

longest ride:
Regensburg (Germany) - Brasov (Romania): 1600 km (through Slovakia) - 2 days. But this includes the required truck stops, long hours at borders, and lack of highways in certain countries... but I did it with one single vehicle -- I found a truck at ESCA (a truck parking place) from my hometown.