Hitchhiker

Got lift directly to Prague city center for train. In the meantime plenty of offers, mainly local, but also Olomouc. No shade. Highway police have this possibly as spot to hang out. There were two of them. Yet drivers stopping with offers. Walked there from nearby resting area, doable, in ~ 30 min.

Got lift to Brno, by a Polish couple, returning from Germany. (Two offers for Brno/Mikulovice in the meantime.) No shade, there is small exit as utility road from the spot, not marked on map, great for drivers to stop there. At the time not much traffic really, and only ~1/10 going for the highway exit. I was wondering, why drivers seems so confused all the time. And it's because of complexity of this exit and how the navigation is displaying it. Many drivers taking wrong exit - instead for highway, they leave for Kollnbrunn. There is another exit for highway so they don't need to return, it's forgiving, just adds a few more minutes to the route. Not for you, loosing the valuable traffic. So I would suggest, depending on traffic, try before roundabout on the exit road from the gas/parking lot, some 100m from this spot I guess, catching rather all traffic. (Two drivers stopping with an offer confirmed me their confusion, one even circled the spot 2 times before exited right.) Got there late at night walking from Wolkersdorf train station, (ticket cost is ~7€ from Praternsten). Headlamp come handy. Took me ~2hrs, with heavy backpack, from Prater to the spot. It's thru woods but they have maintained network of patch roads for fencing and logging the wood out. Go out of village, at the end before motocross/Rochuskapelle in the twist, there is pawed utility road. Walk it to the end and go straight to the forest, making it by the first triangle shaped path, ending nearby the highway again. On OSM maps there is line alongside that road - that is the fence, so you can't go deeper to forest (it's to the left side after hitting the fence). From there walk by the fence up to cell tower mast (there is no road visible on map, but as they build the fence, they have road for it, side by side), from here is a marked road again on map. You'll pass by an overpass for wild animals above the highway. A lots of wild boar (dozens), fortunately all I've met were on the other side of fence. Yet entire area ground having marks from their activity so count on that they are with you all the time. The gas station have cut thru the fence at the beginning, or you can walk up to second roundabout and there is open gate for cars. Arrived late at night, so slept in forest near the first roundabout, area is freshly logged out so no bushes but few well placed trees for a hammock.

Got direct ride to Vienna, city center. Guy returning from trip in Croatia. With my stay, not much traffic, but I got there quite late, and it was end of the season. Walked there from Kupljanovo train station. From Zagreb to thumbing here it took me 1,30 min. (with really big backpack), ticket cost is 2€. The gate through the highway fence was opened. No visible lock (employees parking there, pathway is used daily).

Got lucky, picked up by professional taxi driven by lady going directly to Zagreb center, yay! (She took me in Zadar city center for the 'Pozdrav sluncu' monument as she was doing some chores meantime and picked me later to continue. What a ride.) But it's unusual place to get there and better to leave with exit from Split I think. Anyway it worked for me. There is bus stop behind, school building. Cars are going slow. Nice visibility. No shade. Possibly it's doable to sleep in field nearby behind playground in case one stuck there. I think it's also doable from the crossroad leading here to this route from Split - Trogir highway (already on HWM). This ways my initial plan, to start there, but driver (also taxi) lift me up to here.

On my way to Zagreb, thru Zadar. Got few offers, mostly to Trogir or some city nearby. Finally gave up and took next offer to Trogir direction - lady running Taxi Kate picked me up to Plano as it's on the way to highway/pay tools. Good spot, but better to try the Mall of Split next time. There is a shade possible. A place for cars to stop. Traffic lights nearby - cutting the flow and speed of cars + cars going from left side (hard for them to see you, yet two stopped). Tree to rest the back pack against. Got there by bus to the Solin - Sirina 1 (3E ticket). As possibly no one will leave the bus there, remember to press 'STOP' button or else the bus will go without opening the doors. The 'STOP' both stop the bus if no one is on the stop and also it's for opening the doors. There is a utility road nearby so few cars will stop to cut the road across pathway, but not for you.

On my way to Zagreb, got an offer to nearby city and the second driver took me to Split. I stood before the bus stop, there is place for cars to stop, no shade. Low traffic (weekend and end of the season). Walked there from city center for swimming on nearby beach (there is a pathway connecting the beach sections after Galeb camp). Croatia have on Sunday almost all shops closed so had to visit one opened bakery and gas station for water. Otherwise there are some spots before this one.

On my way to Croatia, direction Zagreb. Got few offers, not far away or to the different direction (Dubrovnik). Finally guy picked me, straight ride to Omis (really nice place, coastline, worth to visit for a day). I stood not on gas station, some 100m before - just after the roundabout. It's with space to stop for car on the line to gas station. No shade, but quite windy all the time (they have windmill park nearby, could see the blades rotating). I walked there from train station - just to see the Mostar. (The train is going, as of now, only once per day, so if you jump out, there is no same day ride to Ploce. Only back to Sarajevo.) Basically it's straight road all the way from train station to here, no navigation needed. Took me some 3 hrs to see it all and thumbing here. It's only 45 min by walk from the famous bridge (with big backpack). But there is public transport also that could get you close. Circa 1 km nearby, before this place, is a field with no buildings and there were few stray dogs, so I waited before they departed out of my way.

I stood right after crossroad. Got picked up by a guy from Turkye who's working there as private taxi for transferring clients around BiH. He was returning empty directly to Sarajevo after bringing people to Jajce. Perhaps it's also good place because there is a lot of traffic with tourist there as it's famous place to visit. No shade, not much space to pull off. Walkable across the bridge from Jajce. Overall cars are going quite fast, but there is no other place to catch traffic in the direction of: Donji Vakuf, Jablanica, Travnik Sarajevo.

On my way to Jajce - worth the stop there if you can. Got picked up after two offers for shorter ride, by Croatian driver returning from Banja Luka back to Croatia - eventually Makarska. In order to avoid walking the road, in case you're not taking the bus, cross 'Visaci most' bridge to the other side. There is nice new riverside (with open baths, looks to me as open to public). Then cross bridge next to gas station, walk a bit back. I stood before the zebra crossing. Bus stop providing safe space for car to pull there. Slept nearby - walked (from the Tvrdava castle in city, doable), shortly before the bridge, by the street named Suturlija, deeper in to the woods. Almost to the end of trail, there is a nice pond with small waterfall. No suitable trees for hammock. Unfortunately the wide area with few sheds is guarded by some dogs hitting on me - I left the place in hurry. Later in morning met few ladies walking one of the dogs - they were sleeping in tent nearby and the dog was guarding them as well. But rest of the dogs (guarding some chickens) stay on place - wouldn't go there again in night, rather directly to the pond. (Pic of camping spot added.)

On may way to BiH, dropped on opposite side on parking lot, walkable from crossroad. Got picked up by the same guy who drove me a day ago from Bratislava, what a luck! In the mean time some two offers but for not much far away. Good for: BiH: Doboj/Banja Luka (that is on way to Sarajevo). RS: Slavonsky Brod, Beograd The spot is not much, unfortunately seems to me also the only one in this direction. Traffic is in waves defined by traffic lights, one before and one after the spot. (Sometimes the line of cars gets so long they're staying still as you are thumbing.) It's three line road and cars are quite fast, they have not much chance to see you and switch the line. So only from two lines viable. There is long exit road from from gas station, practically making it 4 liner, but the one you're staying nearby isn't in use much. It's good place therefore for cars to stay there while you checking for the destination with the driver. Shade is present from the big billboard (depends on time and the month of year) and maybe from few trees alongside. Gas station nearby with parking lot and container for paper - so could pick cardboard there. Also many benches alongside the bicycle line for resting.

Directly after exit from roundabout, plenty of space to stop car, they are not yet going fast. No trucks. Started late, didn't catch up morning traffic, still quite a lot of traffic (for the weekend) - 1 offer for place not far away. Finally got lift directly to Zagreb (and perhaps up to Makarska but they were staying in Zagreb overnight so I rather continued hh.) Good in direction for: HU: Nagykanisza, Kaposvar, Pecs HR : Lendva,Varazdin No shade. Tesco nearby for refill&wc. Got dropped in Kormend late, there is a big park nearby the local castle (and the river) with a place to put hammock - can really recommend.

On my way to BiH. Got 7 offers (Vienna, Gratz or Gyor, few shorter, some drivers unfortunately must take soon the long 8hr break so I rather take the chances there) before I took this one. One guy even stop to say sorry for not having the space in car and to chit-chat a bit. It's a good spot, drivers reacted often on my presence. Should I take any offered, I'll be waiting ~30min. Quite a lot of traffic. Plenty of space to stop the car/truck. No shade. One can train balancing on the highway rail guard. The traffic sign, covered heavily with all the markings from all the hh who stood there before shows me it's a fav spot really.Also good to have it, resting the backpack over it so it's visible to the driver with what I'll load the car trunk. Walked there from Juzne mesto - there is a big construction site of new district so the old route before the train track is different. Walked it but it will change based on how the construction progress. After the train track it's still the same as for many years. After the bridge above highway, from the filed, walk to the side of the road sooner as there is later the fence build, before it's just empty rods. On the spot there is no space to sleep without being seen, but on the way there you'll see plenty of options for tent, hammock if sleep over is needed.

Quite a lot of traffic. Got few offers and pick up one directly to Bratislava. Got there (late afternoon) by train + bus from Brno main station. If directly by train hop out in Ladna. Or train to Breclav + bus (574), this is more flexible, jump one stop earlier at the Mlynska, it's directly opposite to the bridge above train tracks, save yourself from a longer walk. Ticket cost ~4€. This spot is used by highway police to pull cart/trucks there - they are to be seen there all the time with the van and usually staying at the exit, so some driver may not prefer to pick you up because of them. (As also noted from previous hh there, all the way back to 2014.) They didn't anyhow interact with me. But I think it's worth the place as it easily reachable on foot (and back to the city as well if you need to). Compared to rest of the in-city options on the road Brno > Bratislava. (If you end in the city, if you're dropped on the Brno exit already, it doesn't make much sense to take this trip imo.) Both stations are connected by walkable bridge so the changing the direction is easy as well. The gas station have showers (~4€) and the wifi is ubiquitous - reaching even the spot on the left side where is small area with pines, clean - none going there use it as toilet. I slept there with hammock (you're not visible from the parking lot nor the gas station itself). On the exit there is 'temporary' traffic sign - looks like it's there for long time, nice to put the back pack there on its holder weight so it's not in dirt. Opposite to the exit are some shrubs and there is unfortunately a lots of rats, I stop counting them and they are usually running to the field surrounding the gas station, so towards you. This is only one inconvenience here - but they are to be seen only when it's getting dark. Judging by a lot of birds of prey roaming the sky, waiting for them, it's a long term problem.

Pure luck, as I was pulling my sign after walking there - being dropped few hundred meters on the other direction (must cross the highway) and driver just stops for me - give me ride directly to Brno main train station. The timing was good because everyone commuting from work back to home. The underpass below the road is not walkable as there is water and too steep slope with no space for backpack. The maintenance road allow for easy car stop, no shade, good visibility. Traffic light nearby so the cars are not going that fast yet. Safer for both sides than directly the on-ramp.

Stayed on the exit, no shade. Got a lift by truck going for Zlin. (Later that day also he would drop me eventually at 'Breclav', but he wasn't sure how long the un-loading and new cargo pickup will last so jumped out earlier at Otrokovice.) Quite new gas station with resting area for trucks as well. Not much traffic there. Highway is not yet finished to Brno. Prepare for longer waiting time. No trees, all behind the highway fence, not possible to walk away (for public transport or to camp elsewhere).

I was standing before the gas station, about 100m, (there is almost no traffic into). There is a place for cars to stop outside of the road, after lights, before you're staying, so it's safe. Cars are not yet on high speed after the traffic lights and visibility is clear. No shade. Lots of trucks will shield you from one line - but that is almost everywhere. Accessible from city by walk from 'Jungmannova' bus stop (12,14,22 lines). There is a streetlamp (with a camera on it), good for letting the backpack stay out of dirt. Police pass by few times and they don't bother me at all. A lot of local traffic - judging by drivers reaction on my presence (they go to nearby shopping area or Pardubice). Have two offers but not far away. Third one could drop me on highway somewhere in my direction, so I took it. I think this is the only place to get out of the HK, for Pardubice, Svitavy, Brno direction. Since highway is build already, most traffic goes this route (rest of HWM entries are from times before its existence). If someone would like to camp nearby - just walk over the Elbe by the bridge (after the crossroad) and go to the 'U stareho ramene' spot. Nice place to put hammock there, not much visited by locals (stayed there one night after being dropped in city late at night).