Hitchhiking in Türkiye

Hitchhiking in Türkiye is a piece of cake. I'm telling you, I did it with dogs and we moved around the country that way for about 80 days. Much of it with my dear Sonia, a Taiwanese traveler who we met precisely in Turkey. The waits are (almost) always short and the rescuer on duty is (almost) always a charm. Not only are the Turks a people willing to help in this sense, but there is a culture of “otostop”, as they call it. It happened to us on more than one occasion that we were walking outside a city and there were local people already waiting for a ride. We could call this hitchhiking queues!

Turks are professional hitchhikers

Although there is not much more mystery, here I share some facts and tips for hitchhiking in Turkey based on my experience. You can also read these posts:

• AUTOSTOP, TIPS

• WHY TRAVELING BY HITCHHIKING

• HITCHHIKING WITH YOUR DOG

HITCHHIKING IN TÜRKIYE (WITH DOG)

Road conditions

Very good road network in Türkiye

The condition of highways and roads is very good throughout the country. Maybe a little worse in the southeast, Kurdish territory. Therefore, not much time is wasted traveling from one destination to another, as may happen in other countries.

Strategy

Get us out of Sarkikaraagaç please

Locate yourself at strategic points such as town exits, highway entrances, areas where cars go slowly (for example, behind a traffic light) or ask drivers directly at gas stations. You have to keep your cool and never lose your smile. Maybe a sign helps, although not as much as in other countries.

Be ready to speak

Turkish truckers are the best

Be prepared to talk or try to talk (if either party does not speak English) in the vehicles that take you. Turks are generally very nice and curious, and they will want to know about you.

Cultural respect

Tesekkur ederim :)

If you are hitchhiking with your dog and you see that those who stop are not really dog lovers, go ahead and say these words “Köpek çok güzel”. That is, “good dog.” Also show them a towel, a blanket, a sleeping bag or something to indicate that your dog will sit there so the seat won't get stained.

Population and geographic variety

Helping to distribute bread

Cities are always more difficult than towns and rural areas, as far as hitchhiking is concerned. Furthermore, some geographic areas are more difficult than others. I found it especially easy in the southern Mediterranean area, the interior (Cappadocia to Nemrut) and the Kurdish territories. On the other hand, the part that was most difficult for me was the northern coast, on the Black Sea.

Schedule according to the weather

Best times to visit Türkiye: spring and fall

Try to avoid summer in the southeast (Kurdish area), especially if you travel with a dog. We were there in spring and autumn and even so we had to face some very hot sections. On the other hand, in general the country is very cold in winter, especially the center and the southeast.

Put a tent in your backpack

Camping next to a gas station in the interior of Türkiye

A tent is surely the hitchhiker's most precious gadget: if night comes and you haven't managed to get a ride, you can always camp in a meadow next to the road.

Turkish hospitality: teas, meals... even houses

Çay time

Don't rule out that some other Turk ends up pampering you. The ways that Turks can do this are varied. For example: a meal at a restaurant, a tea at a stall and a visit to their house to meet their family and even spend the night. Also, if you hitchhike at a gas station it is very likely that the workers will bring you some tea ;)

CONCLUSION

In short, I highly recommend the "otostop" in Türkiye! Adventure is guaranteed, riding in cars, vans and trucks that will take you through the varied landscapes the country treasures. Given the Turkish (and Kurdish) hospitality, it is very possible that they will want to show you some secret corners of their lands and even invite you to eat and sleep in their homes.

This man went off the road and took us on a hike into these mountains