‘We’re definitely going to die here Ali’.
These are the muttered words of my optimistic travel buddy Sarah as we reach our fourth hour stranded in a French village with less amenities than the moon. The promise of endless creamy brie and warm baguettes are a distant lie as we settle down to a lunch consisting of four Maryland Cookies.
‘At least we won’t have to do our dissertation proposal’. Cold, scared and slightly confused, we still afford a rye smile at this glorious fantasy.
It’s our long and relaxing Easter break from university and my good friend Sarah and I have put down our books, picked up our bags and embarked on an exciting, unusual and pretty stupid trip to Morocco on the North West tip of Africa.
Being adventurous and largely naïve, we decided it would be a good idea to hitchhike to our destination and in the mean time try and raise a bit of money for charity.
As crazy an idea as this may indeed be, we’re not the first people to do it.
‘The Hitch’ was created 18 years ago and almost 5500 people have now successfully thumbed their way across Europe down to Morocco.
The scheme, which has become increasingly popular with students, raises money for ‘Link’, a charity devoted to improving education standards in Africa.
Sarah and I set off on the morning of March 27th feeling completely unprepared and unaware of the incredible journey we were beginning.
Little did we know in six days time we would be in Tetouan in Northern Morocco having blagged 16 lifts down through France and Spain, slept in the mountains in a tent that wasn’t waterproof, been offered countless amounts of drugs, ridden 20 miles in a tractor in Central France, been swooped upon by huge buzzards, eaten brie in the back of a French Bloke’s caravan and attempted to rescue puppies in Salamanca.
I cannot possibly explain all the bizarre situations we found ourselves in, but I can assure you that it was the most enjoyable challenge of our lives and we highly recommend giving it a try; So here are some tips to help you along the way!
Planning your hitchhike
Our trip lasted two weeks. Six of those days were spent hitching, the rest spent in Morocco. The following tips are based on a two week trip:
The first thing that comes to mind when you’re planning a trip is money. Unfortunately as this sort of trip can’t exactly be planned it is impossible to predict how much money you will need because you simply have no idea what could happen and where you could end from one 24 hour stint to the next. I recommend having around £500 to spend through Europe and in Morocco but if you’re careful and lucky you won’t have to spend that much.
Booking.com
One of the most commonly asked questions we’ve had is ‘How did you manage to get lifts’? I strongly recommend that you buy a white board to write your desired destination on. They are much more reliable than big bits of card and you’ll look less like a homeless person. There is an art to the perfect hitchhike technique. Always stand near a main road but in a position where cars will be slowing down as they go by you, for example, just before or ahead of a roundabout. As a car approaches you it is vital that you engage in an activity that can only be described as ‘dancing like a twat’. This attracts the driver’s attention, increasing the likelihood that you’ll be picked up. This technique never failed us, admittedly we had to endure some pretty tedious waiting, but we were usually picked up within 15 minutes of starting.
Safety is another concern for many hitchers, especially women. It is not recommended for women to hitch alone or without male company. Women should always sit in the back of a vehicle and should never be left alone with the person who’s picked them up, no matter how friendly they seem – it’s better to be safe than sorry. Sarah and I had no problems at all - mainly because everybody thought we were married. It is also easier to be picked up as a male-female pairing as you appear a lot less threatening than, for example, two lads.
We took a tent on our trip but found that we didn’t sleep in it as much as we had hoped. This was mainly due to being dropped off in towns. It’s very difficult to find a campsite in the middle of Bordeaux or Salamanca so most people should be prepared to stay in the odd hostel or cheap hotel. Hotel Ibis is a personal favourite of ours. Due to the bad experiences of the nights we did manage to camp, I highly recommend buying a tent that’s waterproof, not an Argos special-priced tent.
If you have to take one item that will save your life you have to take alcoholic hand gel. Sarah and I have become slightly addicted to it. But in all seriousness, when you’re feeling dirty and tired it’s a great feeling rubbing that stuff into your hands and face!
Morocco as a whole is an incredibly beautiful country. The people are very friendly, but you have to expect the odd unfriendly person who will probably try to con you; common sense usually prevails in this sort of situation. Take care entering the country via the Northern ports, especially Tangier, it isn’t the prettiest place and the people will hassle you to an unimaginable degree. Just smile, say no thank you and walk away.
Due to religious beliefs, alcohol in Morocco comes in short supply, so the most common substitute they have is marijuana. It is illegal to purchase or possess marijuana in Morocco so don’t get yourself locked up in a Moroccan jail for the next few years.
My personal highlight in Morocco was Fes. People will tell you it is just a small Marrakech and it’s not worth visiting but it is for this reason that it is 100% worth visiting. It possesses a charm and character that the big bustling city of Marrakech simply does not have. Wander around the old medina and haggle in the markets for some worthless colourful hat, its brilliant!
The hitch takes place from March 1st – April 30th and people can apply for next year’s hitch soon at http://www.lcd.org.uk/events/hitch/.
Do it!
Hitchhiking overview
How long: 2 weeks
How much money: £500
Essential items: Waterproofs, alcohol hand gel, warm hoodie, chocolate, white boards.
France highlights: Saintes and Bordeaux.
Spain highlights: Salamanca and San Sebastian.
Morocco highlights: Chefchaouen and Fes.
General tips: Learn standard French and Spanish to avoid silent car journeys!
Booking.com
These are the muttered words of my optimistic travel buddy Sarah as we reach our fourth hour stranded in a French village with less amenities than the moon. The promise of endless creamy brie and warm baguettes are a distant lie as we settle down to a lunch consisting of four Maryland Cookies.
‘At least we won’t have to do our dissertation proposal’. Cold, scared and slightly confused, we still afford a rye smile at this glorious fantasy.
The Hitch
It’s our long and relaxing Easter break from university and my good friend Sarah and I have put down our books, picked up our bags and embarked on an exciting, unusual and pretty stupid trip to Morocco on the North West tip of Africa.
Being adventurous and largely naïve, we decided it would be a good idea to hitchhike to our destination and in the mean time try and raise a bit of money for charity.
As crazy an idea as this may indeed be, we’re not the first people to do it.
‘The Hitch’ was created 18 years ago and almost 5500 people have now successfully thumbed their way across Europe down to Morocco.
The scheme, which has become increasingly popular with students, raises money for ‘Link’, a charity devoted to improving education standards in Africa.
Sarah and I set off on the morning of March 27th feeling completely unprepared and unaware of the incredible journey we were beginning.
Little did we know in six days time we would be in Tetouan in Northern Morocco having blagged 16 lifts down through France and Spain, slept in the mountains in a tent that wasn’t waterproof, been offered countless amounts of drugs, ridden 20 miles in a tractor in Central France, been swooped upon by huge buzzards, eaten brie in the back of a French Bloke’s caravan and attempted to rescue puppies in Salamanca.
I cannot possibly explain all the bizarre situations we found ourselves in, but I can assure you that it was the most enjoyable challenge of our lives and we highly recommend giving it a try; So here are some tips to help you along the way!
Planning your hitchhike
Our trip lasted two weeks. Six of those days were spent hitching, the rest spent in Morocco. The following tips are based on a two week trip:
Money
The first thing that comes to mind when you’re planning a trip is money. Unfortunately as this sort of trip can’t exactly be planned it is impossible to predict how much money you will need because you simply have no idea what could happen and where you could end from one 24 hour stint to the next. I recommend having around £500 to spend through Europe and in Morocco but if you’re careful and lucky you won’t have to spend that much.
Booking.com
Getting picked up
One of the most commonly asked questions we’ve had is ‘How did you manage to get lifts’? I strongly recommend that you buy a white board to write your desired destination on. They are much more reliable than big bits of card and you’ll look less like a homeless person. There is an art to the perfect hitchhike technique. Always stand near a main road but in a position where cars will be slowing down as they go by you, for example, just before or ahead of a roundabout. As a car approaches you it is vital that you engage in an activity that can only be described as ‘dancing like a twat’. This attracts the driver’s attention, increasing the likelihood that you’ll be picked up. This technique never failed us, admittedly we had to endure some pretty tedious waiting, but we were usually picked up within 15 minutes of starting.
Is hitchhiking safe
Safety is another concern for many hitchers, especially women. It is not recommended for women to hitch alone or without male company. Women should always sit in the back of a vehicle and should never be left alone with the person who’s picked them up, no matter how friendly they seem – it’s better to be safe than sorry. Sarah and I had no problems at all - mainly because everybody thought we were married. It is also easier to be picked up as a male-female pairing as you appear a lot less threatening than, for example, two lads.
Where do you sleep
We took a tent on our trip but found that we didn’t sleep in it as much as we had hoped. This was mainly due to being dropped off in towns. It’s very difficult to find a campsite in the middle of Bordeaux or Salamanca so most people should be prepared to stay in the odd hostel or cheap hotel. Hotel Ibis is a personal favourite of ours. Due to the bad experiences of the nights we did manage to camp, I highly recommend buying a tent that’s waterproof, not an Argos special-priced tent.
If you have to take one item that will save your life you have to take alcoholic hand gel. Sarah and I have become slightly addicted to it. But in all seriousness, when you’re feeling dirty and tired it’s a great feeling rubbing that stuff into your hands and face!
Arriving at your destination, Morocco
Morocco as a whole is an incredibly beautiful country. The people are very friendly, but you have to expect the odd unfriendly person who will probably try to con you; common sense usually prevails in this sort of situation. Take care entering the country via the Northern ports, especially Tangier, it isn’t the prettiest place and the people will hassle you to an unimaginable degree. Just smile, say no thank you and walk away.
Due to religious beliefs, alcohol in Morocco comes in short supply, so the most common substitute they have is marijuana. It is illegal to purchase or possess marijuana in Morocco so don’t get yourself locked up in a Moroccan jail for the next few years.
My personal highlight in Morocco was Fes. People will tell you it is just a small Marrakech and it’s not worth visiting but it is for this reason that it is 100% worth visiting. It possesses a charm and character that the big bustling city of Marrakech simply does not have. Wander around the old medina and haggle in the markets for some worthless colourful hat, its brilliant!
The hitch takes place from March 1st – April 30th and people can apply for next year’s hitch soon at http://www.lcd.org.uk/events/hitch/.
Do it!
Hitchhiking overview
How long: 2 weeks
How much money: £500
Essential items: Waterproofs, alcohol hand gel, warm hoodie, chocolate, white boards.
France highlights: Saintes and Bordeaux.
Spain highlights: Salamanca and San Sebastian.
Morocco highlights: Chefchaouen and Fes.
General tips: Learn standard French and Spanish to avoid silent car journeys!
Booking.com
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