One issue each night is where to sleep while hitchhiking.
During my 151 night hitchhiking journey through 24 countries, I used a combination of couchsurfing, free-camping, friends, family, renting a bed, sleeping while in transit.
Occasionally I don’t really sleep anywhere at all.
I paid for 9 nights accommodation only during my 151 day journey. Here is a summary of the places I have slept on this journey.
Type | Nights |
Free-camping | 17 |
Couch Surfing | 58 |
Friend | 28 |
Family | 12 |
Transit | 7 |
Rental | 9 |
Workaway | 20 |
Total | 151 |
Free-camping refers to the action of sleeping outside using a sleeping bag and sometimes, a tent as well. I made a video a few months ago to show where I was sleeping outside (which you can see below; if you want to see it in full-screen, click the Youtube symbol on the video and it will take you to the Youtube page where you can enlarge it).
CouchSurfing refers to staying at the house of somebody organised through the website, couch surfing. If I met somebody through couch surfing, and went to stay with them a second time, I moved them from the couch surfing category into the friend category as we obviously got on well. Family refers to accommodation with family living abroad or accommodation organised by family member visiting me. Transit refers to times when I slept in cars, lorries, train stations or general travel situations (sometimes not sleeping overnight at all). I also included a time when I was invited back to the summer house of a lovely family who picked me up while I was hitching. Rental refers to the nights that I paid for accommodation. Five of these nights were because I was meeting friends who were travelling out to meet me on the road, three because I hadn’t organised couch surfing in time, and one because it was very cold outside and I thought that my hitch partner might get ill if we stayed outside for much longer. Workaway refers to using the website workaway to organise a bed in exchange for a little bit of work. Below is the number of nights that I spent sleeping in each country.
Country | Nights |
France | 8 |
Belgium | 4 |
Holland | 5 |
Italy | 13 |
Germany | 9 |
Denmark | 2 |
Czech Republic | 7 |
Austria | 4 |
Poland | 28 |
Latvia | 5 |
Lithuania | 4 |
Estonia | 3 |
Serbia | 1 |
Bulgaria | 10 |
England | 1 |
Turkey | 10 |
Greece | 3 |
Croatia | 5 |
Hungary | 19 |
Luxembourg | 0 |
Romania | 2 |
Slovakia | 4 |
Slovenia | 2 |
Switzerland | 2 |
Total | 151 |
And finally, for completeness, below is a list of where I spent every night. You can also read stories, see my map, and see who picked me up on my other pages.
Date | Type | Location | Country |
Thu 7 Jun | Free-camping | Garden of an abandoned building, Brussels | Belgium |
Fri 8 Jun | Couch surfing | A Belgian guy, Brussels | Belgium |
Sat 9 Jun | Family | My cousin, The Hague | Holland |
Sun 10 Jun | Couch surfing | A Belgian guy, Gent | Belgium |
Mon 11 Jun | Couch surfing | A Belgian guy, Gent | Belgium |
Tue 12 Jun | Couch surfing | A Dutch girl, Maastricht | Holland |
Wed 13 Jun | Couch surfing | A Dutch girl, Maastricht | Holland |
Thu 14 Jun | Couch surfing | A Dutch girl, Maastricht | Holland |
Fri 15 Jun | Couch surfing | A Japanese girl, Maastricht | Holland |
Sat 16 Jun | Friend | A guy from Leeds University, Paris | France |
Sun 17 Jun | Free-camping | In the garden of the Eiffel Tower, Paris | France |
Mon 18 Jun | Free-camping | Service station, past Lyon, before Italy | Italy |
Tue 19 Jun | Free-camping | The only bush in Santa Margherita | Italy |
Wed 20 Jun | Free-camping | A market square in Rapallo | Italy |
Thu 21 Jun | Couch Surfing | An Indian guy, Como | Italy |
Fri 22 Jun | Couch Surfing | An Indian guy, Como | Italy |
Sat 23 Jun | Couch Surfing | A ‘squat,’ Zurich | Switzerland |
Sun 24 Jun | Couch Surfing | A ‘squat,’ Zurich | Switzerland |
Mon 25 Jun | Couch Surfing | A German girl, Cologne | Germany |
Tue 26 Jun | Couch Surfing | A German girl, Cologne | Germany |
Wed 27 Jun | Free-camping | By a railway line outside Osnabrück | Germany |
Thu 28 Jun | Family | My cousin, Hamburg | Germany |
Fri 29 Jun | Family | My cousin, Hamburg | Germany |
Sat 30 Jun | Family | My cousin, Hamburg | Germany |
Sun 1 Jul | Couch surfing | A Danish girl, Copenhagen | Denmark |
Mon 2 Jul | Couch surfing | A Danish girl, Copenhagen | Denmark |
Tue 3 Jul | Transit | A moving Polish truck in Germany | Germany |
Wed 4 Jul | Friend | A friend from Canada, Vitry-le-François | France |
Thu 5 Jul | Friend | A friend from Canada, Vitry-le-François | France |
Fri 6 Jul | Friend | A friend from Canada, Vitry-le-François | France |
Sat 7 Jul | Friend | The apartment of my friend’s brother, Lyon | France |
Sun 8 Jul | Friend | The apartment of my friend’s brother, Lyon | France |
Mon 9 Jul | Transit | Slept in Milano train station. On the floor. | Italy |
Tue 10 Jul | Family | An apartment, Desenzano Del Garda | Italy |
Wed 11 Jul | Family | An apartment, Desenzano Del Garda | Italy |
Thu 12 Jul | Free-camping | An orchard near Verona | Italy |
Fri 13 Jul | Couch surfing | A Polish girl in Padova | Italy |
Sat 14 Jul | Couch surfing | A Polish girl in Padova | Italy |
Sun 15 Jul | Couch surfing | A Polish girl in Padova | Italy |
Mon 16 Jul | Free-camping | A service station near Udine | Italy |
Tue 17 Jul | Couch surfing | A German girl, Graz | Austria |
Wed 18 Jul | Couch surfing | A German girl, Graz | Austria |
Thu 19 Jul | Free-camping | Inside a bush, Prague | Czech Republic |
Fri 20 Jul | Couch surfing | A Czech guy, Liberec | Czech Republic |
Sat 21 Jul | Couch surfing | A Polish guy, Wrocław | Poland |
Sun 22 Jul | Couch surfing | A Polish guy, Wrocław | Poland |
Mon 23 Jul | Couch surfing | A Polish girl, Kraków | Poland |
Tue 24 Jul | Couch surfing | A Polish girl, Kraków | Poland |
Wed 25 Jul | Free-camping | Under a bridge without a tent, Minsk | Poland |
Thu 26 Jul | Couch surfing | A Lithuanian guy, Vilnius | Lithuania |
Fri 27 Jul | Couch surfing | A Latvian guy, Riga | Latvia |
Sat 28 Jul | Free-camping | A beach near Riga | Latvia |
Sun 29 Jul | Free-camping | Beside the motorway | Latvia |
Mon 30 Jul | Free-camping | Freedom Park, Tallin | Estonia |
Tue 31 Jul | Free-camping | A park near a beach, Pärnu | Estonia |
Wed 1 Aug | Couch surfing | An Estonian girl, Tartu | Estonia |
Thu 2 Aug | Couch surfing | A Latvian family, 17km from Valmiera | Latvia |
Fri 3 Aug | Couch surfing | A Latvian guy, Riga | Latvia |
Sat 4 Aug | Transit | An invitation to a summer house | Lithuania |
Sun 5 Aug | Free-camping | A barn (Hitch Gathering 2012), Ambraziškiai | Lithuania |
Mon 6 Aug | Free-camping | A barn (Hitch Gathering 2012), Ambraziškiai | Lithuania |
Tue 7 Aug | Free-camping | A field near Augustów | Poland |
Wed 8 Aug | Friend | A travel friend, Kraków | Poland |
Thu 9 Aug | Friend | A travel friend, Kraków | Poland |
Fri 10 Aug | Friend | A travel friend, Kraków | Poland |
Sat 11 Aug | Friend | A travel friend, Kraków | Poland |
Sun 12 Aug | Friend | A travel friend, Kraków | Poland |
Mon 13 Aug | Friend | A travel friend, Kraków | Poland |
Tue 14 Aug | Friend | A travel friend, Kraków | Poland |
Wed 15 Aug | Friend | A travel friend, Kraków | Poland |
Thu 16 Aug | Friend | A travel friend, Kraków | Poland |
Fri 17 Aug | Couch surfing | A polish girl, Warszawa | Poland |
Sat 18 Aug | Couch surfing | A Polish girl, Warszawa | Poland |
Sun 19 Aug | Workaway | Hotel using workaway, Dwór Mościbrody | Poland |
Mon 20 Aug | Workaway | Hotel using workaway, Dwór Mościbrody | Poland |
Tue 21 Aug | Workaway | Hotel using workaway, Dwór Mościbrody | Poland |
Wed 22 Aug | Workaway | Hotel using workaway, Dwór Mościbrody | Poland |
Thu 23 Aug | Workaway | Hotel using workaway, Dwór Mościbrody | Poland |
Fri 24 Aug | Workaway | Hotel using workaway, Dwór Mościbrody | Poland |
Sat 25 Aug | Workaway | Hotel using workaway, Dwór Mościbrody | Poland |
Sun 26 Aug | Friend | Camping at a friend’s, Warszawa | Poland |
Mon 27 Aug | Friend | Camping at a friend’s, Kraków | Poland |
Tue 28 Aug | Friend | Camping at a friend’s, Kraków | Poland |
Wed 29 Aug | Friend | Camping at a friend’s, Warszawa | Poland |
Thu 30 Aug | Transit | Overnight train, Kraków to Bratislava | Slovakia |
Fri 31 Aug | Couch surfing | A Slovakian guy, nr Malacky | Slovakia |
Sat 1 Sep | Couch surfing | A Hungarian guy, Budapest | Hungary |
Sun 2 Sep | Family | Apartment, Split | Croatia |
Mon 3 Sep | Family | Apartment, Split | Croatia |
Tue 4 Sep | Family | Apartment, Zadar | Croatia |
Wed 5 Sep | Family | Apartment, Plitvice Lakes | Croatia |
Thu 6 Sep | Family | Campsite, Senj | Croatia |
Fri 7 Sep | Family | Apartment, Ljubljana | Slovenia |
Sat 8 Sep | Workaway | Workaway placement, Budapest | Hungary |
Sun 9 Sep | Workaway | Workaway placement, Budapest | Hungary |
Mon 10 Sep | Workaway | Workaway placement, Budapest | Hungary |
Tue 11 Sep | Workaway | Workaway placement, Budapest | Hungary |
Wed 12 Sep | Workaway | Workaway placement, Budapest | Hungary |
Thu 13 Sep | Workaway | Workaway placement, Budapest | Hungary |
Fri 14 Sep | Workaway | Workaway placement, Budapest | Hungary |
Sat 15 Sep | Workaway | Workaway placement, Budapest | Hungary |
Sun 16 Sep | Workaway | Workaway placement, Budapest | Hungary |
Mon 17 Sep | Workaway | Workaway placement, Budapest | Hungary |
Tue 18 Sep | Workaway | Workaway placement, Budapest | Hungary |
Wed 19 Sep | Workaway | Workaway placement, Budapest | Hungary |
Thu 20 Sep | Workaway | Workaway placement, Budapest | Hungary |
Fri 21 Sep | Rental | Apartment, Budapest | Hungary |
Sat 22 Sep | Rental | Apartment, Budapest | Hungary |
Sun 23 Sep | Friend | A travel friend, Malacky | Hungary |
Mon 24 Sep | Friend | A travel friend, Malacky | Slovakia |
Tue 25 Sep | Friend | A travel friend, Malacky | Slovakia |
Wed 26 Sep | Couch surfing | A German girl, Vienna | Austria |
Thu 27 Sep | Couch surfing | A German girl, Vienna | Austria |
Fri 28 Sep | Rental | Hostel, Prague | Czech Republic |
Sat 29 Sep | Rental | Hostel, Prague | Czech Republic |
Sun 30 Sep | Couch surfing | A German guy, Berlin | Germany |
Mon 1 Oct | Couch surfing | A German guy, Berlin | Germany |
Tue 2 Oct | Rental | Hostel, Prague | Czech Republic |
Wed 3 Oct | Friend | A travel friend, Brno | Czech Republic |
Thu 4 Oct | Friend | A travel friend, Brno | Czech Republic |
Fri 5 Oct | Couch surfing | A Hungarian girl, Szeged | Hungary |
Sat 6 Oct | Couch surfing | A Hungarian girl, Szeged | Hungary |
Sun 7 Oct | Couch surfing | A Romanian guy, Bulgăruș | Romania |
Mon 8 Oct | Couch surfing | A Romanian guy, Bulgăruș | Romania |
Tue 9 Oct | Couch surfing | An American girl, Belgrade | Serbia |
Wed 10 Oct | Couch surfing | A Bulgarian girl, Sofia | Bulgaria |
Thu 11 Oct | Rental | Apartment, Sofia | Bulgaria |
Fri 12 Oct | Rental | Apartment, Sofia | Bulgaria |
Sat 13 Oct | Rental | Apartment, Sofia | Bulgaria |
Sun 14 Oct | Friend | A travel friend, Sofia | Bulgaria |
Mon 15 Oct | Couch surfing | A Bulgarian guy, Plovdiv | Bulgaria |
Tue 16 Oct | Couch surfing | A Bulgarian guy, Plovdiv | Bulgaria |
Wed 17 Oct | Couch surfing | A Turkish girl, Edirne | Turkey |
Thu 18 Oct | Couch surfing | A Turkish girl, Edirne | Turkey |
Fri 19 Oct | Couch surfing | A Turkish guy, Istanbul | Turkey |
Sat 20 Oct | Couch surfing | A Turkish guy, Istanbul | Turkey |
Sun 21 Oct | Couch surfing | Another Turkish guy, Istanbul | Turkey |
Mon 22 Oct | Couch surfing | Another another Turkish guy, Istanbul | Turkey |
Tue 23 Oct | Couch surfing | Another another Turkish guy, Istanbul | Turkey |
Wed 24 Oct | Couch surfing | Another another another Turkish guy, Istanbul | Turkey |
Thu 25 Oct | Couch surfing | Another another another Turkish guy, Istanbul | Turkey |
Fri 26 Oct | Couch surfing | Another another another Turkish guy, Istanbul | Turkey |
Sat 27 Oct | Transit | A truck in a field | Greece |
Sun 28 Oct | Couch Surfing | A Greek guy, Thessaloniki | Greece |
Mon 29 Oct | Couch Surfing | A Greek guy, Thessaloniki | Greece |
Tue 30 Oct | Friend | A travel friend, Sofia | Bulgaria |
Wed 31 Oct | Friend | A travel friend, Sofia | Bulgaria |
Thu 1 Nov | Friend | A travel friend, Sofia | Bulgaria |
Fri 2 Nov | Transit | A service station trying to get a lift, Maribor | Slovenia |
Sat 3 Nov | Rental | A hostel, Strasbourg | France |
Sun 4 Nov | Transit | En route to my family | England |
Jamie, love the site. I have been looking to do this myself for a while now, so I am finally going to pack my bags in a couple of weeks when I finish University. I was wondering how easy it was to use Couch surfing abroad? Did you have a phone on you, and just try and find wifi? or did you use other methods??
James
Glad to hear that – I hope you have a wonderful time. Using CS was super easy everywhere except popular tourist cities (Paris, Prague, Venice) where most people get way too many requests to deal with. I had a basic phone (£10 from Tescos) which I used if I got badly lost, but mostly I relied on finding free wifi.