Hitchhiking : 5 tips for you

1- Smile : 

Your attitude is really important, and not only because the people prefer stop and help someone who looks funny and happy, but also for yourself.
Yeah smile for yourself, sometimes it could seem really tough hitchhike, when no one stop, or there are only few cars, or it looks like you will be there forever...don't stop to smile, be happy, you're lucky, you're travelling, and you have time to wait the next ride!

See the car stopped over there and is waiting for you!!

Bring out the idiot inside of you

2 - Is not a movie :

Especially if you're hitchhiking in place where they don't even know what is a TV or simply people are not get in touch with american movie, your thumb on the road is pretty useless!!
Hitchhiking in South East Asia i understood this, and i decided to try one more intense approach, i jumped in the middle of the road with two hands or one doing sign to stop to each car is passing through, and...it works!!

3 -  Find a good spot :

Yes, this is really important, a good spot where the cars need to pass through in the direction where you need to go, and possible they need to slow down or they have the chance to stop around.
So if you're hitchhike on the mountains don't do it close to a curve or where there is a slope, but find a good spot where your next buddy can stop to pick you up.
If you're hitchhiking from the city (pretty annoying) try to stop car and ask if they are going in direction of the highway, and not the place where you need to go (of course if you're not extremely lucky nobody will give you a ride until a far city just because you mention it) and once close to the highway find a good spot where someone it might do your same route.

PS Find a place where you don't get wet if is raining, find a place with shade if is sunny, it's pretty easy and logical but i prefer underline also this point.

4 - What about a sign-board? :

Ok, here i can say yes and no, or only yes but you will learn you don't really need it.
One of my friend who use to hitchhike used to say:

"The board is good only for the photos" 

I partially disagree with this sentence, but there is also some truth in it.

I started with a sign-board, and to start is pretty good because you might be not that "brave" to jump in front of cars, trucks, tanks, airplane and any vehicle on your way, BUT remember to write the board with the character of the country where you're hitchhiking.
For example if you are in China or Taiwan you want someone helping you writing your destination in Chinese, and same for other countries, remember it might be the person who would pick you up, can't read english!
So if you want to do it, do it LOCAL!

 Here i asked to a guy in Taipei's cafe to help me with a sign-board 

5 - Who is going to stop?

Ok, here comes the difficult part, or the funny one.
After you're hitchhiking in the same countries for a relevant time you will understand which kind of vehicle will be easier to stop.
Around South East Asia i found the Pick-Up is the one, maybe because if you're staying on the back the people will feel more safe, but this for example will not work in another country where for example the Pick-Up is not something common.
So just pay attention, and when you find the one, do whatever is in your own possibility to stop the vehicle and earn your ride!

Another Pick-Up picked me up again