He Gurb, ik kan me voorstellen dan mijn onderstaand artikel je interesseert. Zelf lift ik graag, vrnl in Nederland en Belgie. In 2002 ca 3500 km dit jaar tot nu toe ca 2200 km. Gemiddeld heb ik 15 minuten op iedere lift gewacht (60% binnen 10, 80% binnen 20 minuten), waarbij ik zelden om liften vraag en vrijwel altijd met of zonder bordje sta te liften en mijn duim opsteek.
Het liftsucces is heel sterk afhankelijk van de assertiviteit van de lifter. Je krijgt geen lift, nee als lifter kies je de automobilist. Het snelste gaat dat met vragen. Verder moet je zo slim zijn om de juiste route te kiezen. Een langere route kan veel sneller zijn als er meer verkeer is. En je moet vooruit denken. Waar kan ik verder liften? Welke afstand is, gezien de hoeveelheid en de aard van het passerende verkeer en het tijdstip op de dag, realistisch? Waar moet ik "overstappen"? Als je in Luxemburg op het tank- en parkeerterrein Aire de Berchem een lift naar Metz accepteert terwijl je naar Marseille wil, ben je wel op de goede weg, maar verlaat je een fantastische liftplek, waar je makkelijk een lift naar Dyon of Lyon kan krijgen!
Groeten,
Frank Verhart
Introduction
In the Netherlands the density of roads and villages makes it not very easy to catch a motorstop to the destination you wish for. There is not only a lot of local, urban traffic, but many people work or have friends in the next town, just 20 kms further. Even on motorways (A-roads) the percentage of local and regional traffic is high, much higher than in France or Germany. It is illegal to hitch on motorways and junctions. Nearly always crossing motorways are junctions without legal possibility to stop. On non-motorways (N-roads) the roadsides are often not very suitable for drivers to stop. On suitable places it takes usually 2 - 20 minutes to catch a motorstop to destinations within 50 kms. In the past Holland was way better to catch stops, but as students travel for free by bus and train, drivers are less prepared to take them (you'd better catch the bus, boy!).
In the Netherlands (relatively) good places for catching a motorstop are:
· Official hitch-hiking sites found in most university cities. Some drivers look especially well for waiting people at these places!
· Ramps towards motorways. Outside cities there usually is only little traffic, which causes that you have to wait long. Within cities quite a lot of ramps do not have an additional strip of asphalt free op cars, which is optimal if drivers wish to stop for you.
· Fuel stations on the motorways. Preferably bigger fuel stations combined with a restaurant.
· Long bus stops right of the main road (stand at the beginning of the strip!)
· Cycling roads if they are connected to the main road
I report some places, some I know personally, others I do not know personally. Some spots were recommended by another hitchhiker. In Dutch cities look for city maps on bus stops and petrol stations (especially Esso) to get around to a hitching spot!
Amersfoort
1. Motorway A28, access lane 8 (Hogeweg). 2800 m east of Central Station, 1800 m east of centre. Towards Apeldoorn or Zwolle
Amsterdam
1. Official site at the Prins Bernardplein near the station Amstel, which can be reached by train, bus and metro. Should be good to Lelystad, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Germany.
2. Another good place has always been the south end of the Rijnstraat (Utrechtsebrug), the start of the A2-motorway. Unfortunately some recent adaptations of the road makes halting for cars nearly impossible!!
3. Towards The Hague: access lane S109 onto A10, 50 m from Amsterdam RAI train station.
4. Motorway ramp S112 onto A2 in direction of Utrecht. 25 minutes by tram 9 from central station to tramstop "Brinkstraat" then 150 m SE. Should be good to Utrecht, Eindhoven, Breda.
Arnhem
1. 1 km southeast of Central Station, 0,5 km southeast of the centre. Go to the traffic square Airbone-plein, where is a bus strip and lots of cars. Very good to Nijmegen, could be good also to 's-Hertogenbosch (Bois-le-Duc) and Venlo.
2. Another place to the south is near the Vitesse football stadium Gelredome in the part of Arnhem south of Nederrijn-river. The place is the start of the A325 at the N225. Should be good to Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Venlo.
3. To the north, west and south rather big roads with quite some traffic run almost to the centre. Find busstops with strips here.
Eindhoven
1. To the south it is possible to hitch on motorway junction "Leenderheide" (although not legal) 4,5 km SE of Eindhoven central station if you end up on the traffic square. On the direction Maastricht there is an emergency strip of asphalt just behind the traffic lights. You can catch all traffic from Eindhoven / Helmond, while transit traffic is passing by at 120 kmh. The place can only be reached safely when you are dropped of at the place. Excellent for Maastricht, Roermond, Sittard, Heerlen.
2. Floraplein, 3 km SSE of central station (4 busses per hour mo-fr, every xx:30 on sa-su), where you will find a good place to stop just at the southside of this huge trafficsquare on a main road to the south. Good to Maastricht, Roermond, Sittard, Heerlen.
Enschede
1. Official hitch-hiking spot heading west 2 km west of centre and Central Station at Westerval x Parkweg (near Industrial Area Parkweg). Reached from the station by bus 5 (get out at "Poolmansweg") mo-sa 4x hour, su 2x hour. Should be good for Hengelo, Apeldoorn, Utrecht.
Gouda
1. Motorway A12, access lane 11, nearby Goudse Poort-industrial area, 1800 m nw of Central Station. Towards Utrecht (east) or The Hague (west).
Groningen
1. Official hitching site just 100 meters west of the trainstation at the tunnel Emmaviaduct. Should be good to Apeldoorn
's-Gravenhage / The Hague
1. Official site at the start of the A12-motorway. From the Central Station walk to the east some hundreds of meters and the north beside the motorway (which is right of you, but lower situated) until you find the official place, indicated with a small blue sign with a tumb ("lifters") and a luxuriuos strip of asphalt. Very good to go to Utrecht, Rotterdam (personal experience).
Hengelo
1. Motorway A1, access lane 31 (Oldenzaalsestraat). 3000 m northeast of Central Station, to be reached by bus. Starting point for travel to Germany.
's-Hertogenbosch
1. Go by bus in direction of Rosmalen from the centre and get out at the Reitscheweg near A2-motorway ramp 20 ("Rosmalen") to go to the south (Eindhoven, Maastricht, Nijmegen). Or get out first busstop after the motorway, walk back to the ramp to the north for Utrecht.
2. Alternative - acces nr 47 to motorway A59, to the north (Utrecht, Amsterdam) or south (Eindhoven, Maastricht).
3. To the west: 1,5 km southwest of Central Station: Vlijmenseweg X Oude Vlijmenseweg. Busstop with additional strip after traffic lights on the southern ring of the city. May work to Breda, Waalwijk, Dordrecht.
Hilversum
1. Acceslane 33 onto motorway A27, 2 km SE of central station / center, 750 m walk SE from trainstation Hilversum Sportpark. Royal strip of asphalt onto the main motorway which should be good for hitching south (and possibly north??) towards Utrecht, 's-Hertogenbosch, Arnhem, Breda.
Leeuwarden
1. Square Europaplein 1,5 km northwest of the station. At the westside of the square at the fuel station. Very good to Harlingen, should be okay to Alkmaar, Amsterdam (very scenic road!).
Leiden
1. Start of the N11-road. From the center travel by bus to the southwest. Get out at the crossing of A4 and Rhijnvreugd. Walk on the westside of the A4 to the south on the Willem vd Madeweg and find a spot close to the road or at the T-cross Willem vd Madeweg and N11 (illegal place, but the best, personal experience!). Good to Utrecht.
Nijmegen
1. Official site direction nord 1,5 km east of the Central Station, 0,5 km east of the centre. Go to the northeast of the city near the Waal-river and bridge. At the quite complicated traffic square 300 m south of the bridge is the official site indicate with a white sign "lifters" on the square. Be carefull to reach it! Excellent spot to go to Arnhem. Utrecht, Zwolle and Groningen should be good destinations as well
2. Official site direction south 0,5 km east of Central Station, 0,3 km south of the centre. Go to the Keizer Karelplein traffic-square just south of the centre. On the southwest side is the hitch-hikers strip, just after the square at the Graafseweg. Usually it is full of parked cars and no good for hitch-hiking! Alternatively take a bus onto the Graafsweg, get out at Graafseweg X Neerboschweg, cross the road and start there at the busstop. Good to Venlo or 's-Hertogenbosch.
Maastricht
1. Probably the best known Dutch official site for hitching is ca 1,5 km northeast of the Central Station, 2,5 km northeast of the cenre. From the backside of the station go to the north on Meerssenerweg until you meet a big crossing with lights. To the right/east on the viaductweg. Go through a tunnel for bikes (and walkers?) to the other side of the main road N2. Just after the tunnel climb the grassy roadside several meters and cross the road. You walk to the north and from here walk towards the (start of) the motorway where find a strip of asphalt with a white sign "liftersplaats". Should be a good site to travel to the north of the Netherlands; Eindhoven, Breda, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Arnhem.
2. To the south go to the cross of Scharnerweg and N2, just 500 m southeast of the station. Behind the fuel station to the right at the lights for cyclists. Not very safe, not a lot of space and probably illegal. Should be good to Liege, Luxembourg, Metz.
3. To the south go to alternatively to the crossing N278 and A2, knooppunt Europaplein. Ca 1000 m southeast of the station. To go to Liege, Luxembourg, Metz.
Rotterdam
1. Motorway 14, access lane 14 (to the east) (Schiepplein). 1250 meters north of Central Station. Towards Utrecht, Breda
Utrecht
1. & 2. Official site 2,5 km southeast of the Central Station, 2 km southeast of the centre. Go toward the Utrecht football stadium Nieuw Galgenwaard. The site is at the acces lanes on the urban road Waterlinieweg. Indicated with a sign with a thumb. Quite short strip and not too much traffic (read messages from friends on the hitch hikers sign, write more if you like). Towards the south there is a fuelstation as well. To the north should be good for Hilversum, Amersfoort. To the south quite good to Arnhem (20 minutes waiting with very little traffic and I was brought home!).
3. All directions (very little space, but a busy place), A12 motorway, access lane 17, by metro from Central Station to the south, last stop before the motorway on Europalaan.
4. A2 Motorway ramps (westside of Utrecht, you can get close by bus), to the north (Amsterdam, Alkmaar) ramp nr 8 ("Centrum") or 7 ("Oog in Al") or nr 6 ("Ring Utrecht N"), to the south nr 8 ("Centrum") or nr 6 ("Ring Utrecht N"). Busses nr 37/38 to Maarssen and 140 to Uithoorn stop very close to nr 7, 15-20 min ride from the center.(6x hour). From "5 Meiplein" (12x hour by tram) it is a 12-15 minute walk to nr 8.
5. Access road to A28 at the eastside of Utrecht - T-cross at Waterlinieweg x A28 at 2,5 km E of the centre, 3 km E of central station. Frequent busses stop at 8-10 min walk (busses 4, 5, 11). Take your place at the slip road just behind the traffic lights at the start of A28 and hitch your way to Zwolle, Enschede, Lelystad, 's-Hertogenbosch.
Venlo
1. The traffic square N271 / Kaldenkerkerweg, 50 meter east of the Central Station should be good to go to the north (Nijmegen) or Germany (Ruhr area).
...