A prolific hitchhiking buff who has caught hundreds of rides around the world has revealed the one country that turned him down.
Nico Lethbridge, 26, a copywriter from Saffron Walden, Essex, said Italy was the only country where drivers snubbed his thumb after being told people think picking up strangers is “crazy”.
Nico has travelled by thumb around many countries, including the UK, United States, Ireland, France, Zambia, Jordan, Nepal and Azerbaijan.
In most countries, hitching a ride with strangers is permitted except on motorways and in places where pedestrians are banned.
Usually, this has not been a problem for Nico, who reaches his destination within double the drive-time advertised on Google Maps.
But there is one country he visited this summer where Nico’s thumb was turned down after spending hours waiting by the side of the road – Italy.
Despite this experience, Nico said he will continue travelling by thumb, which has saved him thousands of pounds in transport tickets over the years.
“Italy was the first country where I wasn’t able to hitch a ride,” Nico told PA Real Life.
“I thought it would be like other countries, where you can hitch a ride at a gas station or nearby junction, but it turns out my thumb got me nowhere.
“The best way to discover a country is to meet the people who live there and hitchhiking is a great way to do that.
“Plus if you’ve got time but don’t have hundreds of pounds to spent on expensive tickets, then hitchhiking is for you.”
Nico was planning on meeting his younger brother Tom, 21, in Aosta, a town in the Italian Alps, on June 17 this year.
After flying to Milan Malpensa airport, he made his way to Autogrill Pero Nord, a service station on the A4 Torino – Trieste.
But when he tried approaching drivers who stopped for gas they said “autostop no functioni” – hitchhiking doesn’t work.
It turns out in Italy the law preventing motorists from picking up hitchhikers extends to service stations.
One driver who spoke “good English” told Nico that people in Italy are also less trusting and usually think picking up hitchhikers is “crazy”.
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