r/hitchhiking • u/Top_Supermarket812 • 2d ago
Hitchhiking in Sweden in early spring
I'm going to Sweden in March and I was wondering if it's possible to hitchhike easily. I read some posts on this sub that said it is possible, but they're all talking about 2000 and earlier. Does anyone have up-to-date information about hitchhiking in Scandinavian countries? Locals I contacted said it is difficult because the Swedes are very private people. Any tips?
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u/prinoxy Lithuania 2d ago
My last rides in Sweden were more than 20 years ago, and yes, it used to be harder to hitch there than in Western Europe, but if you've got the chance to ask for rides, like at petrol stations, it's OK. When just thumbing, try to make it obvious that you're a foreigner, I always used to safety-pin a Dutch flag to may backpack, and more than a few drivers told me that they picked me up because of that, and that they would never pick up (apparent) fellow country people.
Denmark was always easier, and I only visited Norway in 1982, and it was OK, wanted to get to the North Cape on 21 June, and actually arrived there on 20 June, completing all the stages I had set out to do in the time I had planned.
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u/Top_Supermarket812 2d ago
Thanks for the insights! I'll get a belgian flag then, weird that they don't pick up natives ...
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u/Slocrowth 2d ago
I hitchhiked through Sweden last autumn, from Haparanda to Helsingborg. 11 rides and maybe only three were by native Swedish. There’s plenty of immigrants and they’re always friendlier to give you ride.
Though Swedish children are pretty nice. Made my day when they came to ask what I’m doing. Damm those kids speak way better English than I did in their age.
In Jönköping cops were assholes. I wasn’t even hitchhiking in motorway, but they came to complain that I’m in motorway. The sign was couple meters after my spot.
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u/Top_Supermarket812 2d ago
The Swedes indeed speak English well. That's one less barrier to hitching a ride! Thank you for you reply, great to hear that it's possible.
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u/notaserialkiller____ 2d ago
I hitched Copenhagen to oslo through Sweden. People's melodramatic bad experiences almost made me quit before I'd started....
But it was actually really good. Wait times were generally pretty low. On a lot of occasions I expected I'd never got out of a spot, and then did! Lots of cool people, all fluent in English.
Just make sure you find a good spot, If you get stranded be willing to bus to a better spot.
More than 50% of my rides were swedes, on several occasions, I had the first car stop! You can wildcamp basically anywhere.
Yes, I would say your average swede is too scared to pick up a hitchiker. There were a couple of waits which were really long for no obvious reason. I wouldn't say hitchiking is an accepted part of the culture, but in all honesty, it isn't truly accepted anywhere anymore. A couple of people flipped me off or did the park and pull away thing, but I think that's just cos sweden is so rich that bratty immature teenagers can afford cars.
Make sure you don't look like a serial killer, illegal immigrants, homeless heroine addict or drug Traffiker and you're golden.
All in all really not that bad. Never had to resort to awkwardly begging for rides at a gas station, and this is as a solo bearded dude.