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Trainhopping: Why Choose Trainhopping?
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subm itte d 3 m onths ago * by huck stah Trainhoppe r / Hitchhik e r
Most of America is typically unaware that there is an entire
subculture of travelers still hopping freight trains in America. For
many, it's a lifestyle they assumed died in the 1930's, with visions
of migratory workers stealing apple pies from window sills.
Unfortunately, as with many subcultures, those are just
stereotypes from books and movies. The hobo culture is still alive
and well. In fact, in the past decade, it has been one of the fastest
growing forms of travel for low-income and homeless travelers,
making a huge comeback alongside hitchhiking. The new
generation of hobos has ensured that this form of traveling is not
going to die anytime soon.
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If you've already read Trainhopping: Why NOT Trainhopping, you
are already aware of the many reasons why trainhopping has its
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dangers and disadvantages.
In this this post, I'd like to go over the many reasons why
trainhopping has its benefits and avantages over any other form
of travel. There are several reasons, and I'll go over just a few of
them here.
Trainhopping is FREE!
The best part about trainhopping is that it's FREE! Not only in
terms of money, but also in terms of spirit, the view, the history,
and the subculture of friends you meet along the way.
Although this is the most dangerous forms of traveling, it is
definitely the most free. You'll likely never find yourself wanting to
hitchhike or take a bus ever again. Speakinng of buses:
Because Buses Sucks!
Not only are major buses (such as Greyhound) expensive for lowincome travelers, it's also an extremely uncomfortable form of
transportation.
Out of personally spending thousands of miles riding greyhound
buses across the USA, I have yet to enjoy a single hour on that
bus.
Finding a sleeping position in that little seating area is absolutely
impossible. Not only is the leg room minimal, but you are usually
squashed up against a stranger and have little room to lean or
stretch.
And then there's the babies crying, the fat people snoring, the
one guy that smells like dog shit, the one lady that wont shut up
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An online community created by vagabonds, for
vagabonds:
Vagabonds, Hobos, Hitchhikers, Trainhoppers,
Squatters, Rubbertramps, Backpackers,and more.
Feel free to share stories and pictures about your
adventures on the road, or share advice and tips
with greenhorns and lurkers!
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on her cell phone, the one teenager that plays his headphones so
loud you can hear it from 5 rows back, the driver that acts like he
wants to shoot himself, the stops in which your only choice to eat
is at a gas station, etc etc, the list goes on and on and on.
After 10 years on the road, I hate Greyhound and other buses so
much that even if I CAN afford a bus ticket, I'll still choose hopping
a train or hitchhiking over riding that dreadful bus.
Emergency Advice for Vagabonds
Documentaries for Vagabonds
Trainhopping: Tips and Advice
Because Amtrak is EXPENSIVE!
Let's face it, if you can afford to ride Amtrak, you probably have
no business trainhopping or hitchhiking unless you are merely
doing it for adventure and thrills. Although Amtrak is far more
comfortable than Greyhound, the prices are absolutely
outrageous. In fact, it is often actually cheaper to FLY as opposed
to riding Amtrak.
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Trainhopping vs Hitchhiking:
If you ask any hitchhiker, they will be quick to tell you a couple of
horror stories of their experiences on the road. From stories of
drunk-drivers wrecking the vehicle, to stories of rape and sexual
assault, you never know who is going to pick you up on the road.
"It's not the hitchhiker that you have to watch out for, its the
people that pick up hitchhikers" is a common quote in the
adventurous subculture of hitchhiking.
This is where trainhopping has its advantage. Sure, its obvious
that you can get physically hurt trying to hop on a moving freight
train, but aside from that, it's a relatively safe form of travel. You
don't have to worry about your driver being drunk, and you don't
have to worry about anyone trying to assault you or otherwise
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make you uncomfortable. It's just you, the train, and the conductor
& engineer.
Nothing beats the view from a train!
Trains often go where no other roads go, carving through
mountains and valleys that are far from anyway highway or town.
Not only is the view often incredible, but also consider the fact that
you aren't looking at it from tiny box with windows. There is
nothing quite like standing in the open door of a boxcar and
seeing a panoramic and unobstructed view of the vast landscape
and surroundings.
Trainhopper / Hitchhiker
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*6) * * My favorite thing about hopping trains is the amount of
freedom and privacy that you won't get from any other form of
travel. Want to pop a beer? Go right ahead! Feel like smoking a
cigarette or a joint? Light it up! Want to stand up and walk
around, or lay down and go to sleep? There's plenty of space!
Want to listen to a song and sing along with it at the top of your
voice? Turn it up! You can pretty much do whatever you want
without bothering a single soul in the world, or without anyone
else telling you otherwise. To me, there is nothing like sitting in
the boxcar, popping a bottle of wine, and lighting a cigarette as
the world flies by.
Beware: It is ADDICTIVE!
With most people, the concept of hopping freight trains is a
love/hate relationship. That is, there are people that absolutely
hate it, and the are people that absolutely love it. There is not
much of a middle ground. But for those that love it, it becomes
extremely addictive. The thrill of catching out of town on a train
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gives you a rush that can be compared to sex or heroin, and is
equally addictive as both. Although I personally use a mix of
trainhopping and hitchhiking in many of my travels, I will easily
admit that hopping trains is my preferable choice. The
combination of the thrill and freedom makes it a cocktail that can
be extremely hard to resist.
14 com m e nts share
All 14 Comments
sorted by: best
[] ISIS_CA LM_THE_F_DOWN 9 points 3 m onths ago
Great post, thankyou. If only the freight trains here in Europe didn't travel at like 70mph and weren't electrified, and if
you get caught, people think your a terrorist or theif, not just getting a free ride. ah such is life
pe rm alink
[] [deleted] 7 points 3 m onths ago
Prepping for 1yr+ of hitchhiking the western United States and after this reading I'm thinking about trainhopling at
some point.
pe rm alink
[] huckstah Trainhoppe r / Hitchhik e r [S ] 6 points 2 m onths ago
It's an awesome form of travel as long as stay safe and learn from someone that really knows what they are
doing.
pe rm alink pare nt
[] fotografamerika 13 points 3 m onths ago
I'd like to try it. Any advice on how to read trains/yards and how to not get caught or killed?
pe rm alink
[] huckstah Trainhoppe r / Hitchhik e r [S ] 8 points 2 m onths ago
Do it with someone that has done it before! Get them to teach you all the tips and tricks.
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pe rm alink pare nt
[] thinkmcfly_think 6 points 3 m onths ago
Would you consider writing a little introductory post on trainhopping? Sounds really interesting
pe rm alink
[] huckstah Trainhoppe r / Hitchhik e r [S ] 4 points 2 m onths ago
Just wrote a few. Check the sidebar now. Thanks for the awesome suggestion :)
pe rm alink pare nt
[] A rksTheA rks 5 points 3 m onths ago
Does anybody know about train-hopping in central Europe? Is it possible?
pe rm alink
[] Notenough1997 1 point 1 m onth ago
considering trains are considered a more valid form of transportation there, I'd wager that you are more likely to
be caught/found out.
pe rm alink pare nt
[] beginnavagabond 4 points 3 m onths ago
Will anything happen to you if someone sees you on the train such as when you pass a road?
pe rm alink
[] huckstah Trainhoppe r / Hitchhik e r [S ] 8 points 3 m onths ago
If they're being citizen-nazi, they could call the cops and the cops will have your train stopped to remove you. It
hasn't happened to me or anyone that I've ever traveled with, but I definitely duck down when going through
towns or crossings
pe rm alink pare nt
[] zoobeasty 6 points 3 m onths ago*
In some of the pictures you share (like this one), you are in an empty engine car that has seats, windows, tables, etc.
IT was basically equal to a private room on Amtrak, and those costs hundreds of dollars. Hopping on one of those
might be the best possible way to travel for free
pe rm alink
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[] huckstah Trainhoppe r / Hitchhik e r [S ] 3 points 2 m onths ago
Indeed ;-)
pe rm alink pare nt
[] YWxpY2lh 2 points 2 m onths ago
Thanks so much for all of your informative posts on here. I'm reading through and really enjoying them.
Good travels!
pe rm alink pare nt
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