Hitchhiking to Paris 2016
This trip was my second big adventure in the summer of 2016. After hitchhiking to Athens my confidence was very high — and I had a clear plan: this time I wanted to reach Paris. The road there led me first to Stuttgart, then through all of Switzerland, and finally across France to the city of love.
Stuttgart & Switzerland
My first stop was Stuttgart — I really liked the car museum there. Then I continued to Switzerland and was truly impressed by the landscape: green meadows, picturesque villages, and high mountains. The country is however very expensive, so I had to use either Couchsurfing or sleep in my tent at various places.
Once I experienced a particularly funny moment. I was riding with a man who offered to let me stay at his apartment. We exchanged numbers — and in the evening I actually had trouble finding a place to sleep. So I went to his apartment. He was not there. I waited, and in the meantime his roommates arrived. They found me at the door and asked who I was. I replied that I would be spending the night with them — and they smiled. The next day I was lucky: I got a bicycle and explored the city of Bern on my own.
France
I had never been to France before and knew almost nothing about the beauty of this country. That changed quickly. Many times the people I met along the way showed me beautiful places I would never have found on my own. The most impressive experience in the south were the Calanques near Marseille — a breathtaking coastal landscape of white rocks, turquoise water, and hidden coves.
Carcassonne, Dune du Pilat and the Loire Castles
From Marseille I traveled on to Carcassonne — a medieval fortified city that completely captivated me with its towers and walls from another era. Then I visited the Dune du Pilat on the Atlantic coast, the largest shifting sand dune in Europe. The view from the top across the ocean and the pine forest behind it is unforgettable. Afterwards my route took me along the Loire, where I saw a series of impressive castles that tell the rich history of France.
Paris – the Destination
At the end of the trip I finally reached Paris. The city has its own energy — the busy bustle, the elegant boulevards, the Seine, and of course the Eiffel Tower. Since I was a student, I was able to visit the Louvre for free with my student card and enjoy this great museum to the fullest. An unforgettable conclusion to an unforgettable journey.
