Is train hopping a thing in Europe? Feasible? (A: yes it is but must dodge A/C pwr lines) (www.npr.org)

submitted 1 month ago by activistPnk@slrpnk.net to c/solarpunktravel@slrpnk.net

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It’s a sustainable means of transport -- at least until law enforcement clamps down on it.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/36305825

Train hopping is still a thing in the US, I suspect because freight trains are slow.

But what about Europe? Even the slow trains are fast. Although I say that only having seen passenger trains. Are there freight trains that are slow enough? What about controls? The article mentions thermal cams being used to spot train hoppers. I might expect Europe’s tendency to push for safety to manifest as rigorous controls.

UPDATE: found this→ https://hitchwiki.org/en/Train_hopping#Europe

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/36305703

Would like to add this to my lifestyle.

“Working remotely as a software engineer, the 25-year-old spends his free time combing through open source railway data and online forums to determine which trains to take, when they'll slow or stop, where to hide in wait and what type of train car to jump into.”

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[-] activistPnk@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 month ago

The page you linked is full of incorrect information

I guess you are talking about the hitchwiki not NPR, since you are talking about Europe. Would be cool if you would correct it, since it’s a wiki with open access.

this post was submitted on 08 Apr 2026

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