Nico Lethbridge fell in love with hitchhiking after visiting his cousin in the USA (Image: PA)
A wanderlust-fuelled traveller has urged adventurous souls to “dust off their thumbs” after scoring more than 200 hitchhiking journeys throughout the UK, resulting in a treasure trove of encounters and a hefty savings on travel expenses.
Nico Lethbridge, a 26 year old copywriter hailing from Saffron Walden, Essex, embraced the world of hitchhiking following a trip to his cousins in America back in 2017 and hasnt looked back, thumbing his way through the UK as well as across international destinations.
With nothing more than a backpack and a small whiteboard, Dalston-dwelling Nico practices what he calls “travels by thumb” whenever feasible, sharing that typically, these rides are double the duration Google Maps driving estimates suggest.
The economical aspect is undeniablehaving saved over £3,000 in travel faresbut for Nico, the true wealth lies in the mosaic of ‘fascinating’ individuals he’s met on his travels, ranging from an Afghan refugee to illicit lovers, not forgetting a down-to-earth coal miner and a self-styled, prize-winning cannabis farmer.
Addressing safety concerns, Nico mentioned hes been fortunate so far, stating “touch wood” that he’s yet to endure a negative episode. Hes exercised caution just once, declining an offer when he suspected the driver had alcohol on board.
From traversing countries such as Nepal, Italy, and Ireland, Nico shares invaluable hitchhiking wisdom: it’s crucial to know when to politely decline and maintain a presentable appearanceyouve got to “look like you don’t smell”.
Britain, he enthused while speaking to PA Real Life, tops the list as the simplest place for hitchhikers to find a ride.
“I generally find that it takes twice what Google Maps says, which isn’t too bad and I usually wait less than half an hour.
“So for anyone who is interested, I would say dust your thumb off and go for it, because it’s a great way to travel.
“I think the main benefit is connecting with a random stranger that’s what I get the most out of it, because it takes you out of your bubble.
“I’ve met all kinds of people, from drug dealers and refugees to artists and one of the last remaining miners in Britain.”
Nico was set on carving out a highly profitable career in finance until a life-altering visit to his cousin Dan in Los Angeles in 2017.
Finding himself strapped for cash during the trip, Nico opted for the intrepid choice of hitchhiking Route 101, culminating in a journey that took him over a thousand miles away to Seattle.
Regretfully admitting his youthful limitations, he explained: “I was too young and didn’t have enough money to hire a car,”.
The adventure proved to be a profound experience for Nico: “It was amazing, and kind of changed my life.”
Reflecting on his past ambitions, Nico observed: “Up until that point I had been planning on working in the City and making as much money as possible… but it just completely changed my outlook.”
Equipped with a history degree from the University of Durham, Nico threw himself into a month-long hitchhiking odyssey across the UK in 2022, beginning in Edinburgh.
With just the bare essentials, Nico set off on his trek, sharing: “I had a bag, a whiteboard and a tent, and I just spent the next month following my thumb.
His journey wove down the Cumbria western coastline to Whitehaven, crossed through the Lake District to Hexham in Northumberland, and eventually led him to Stonehenge in Wiltshire.
After an unsuccessful attempt to slip into the Glastonbury Festival, Nico roamed the West Country for several weeks before making his way back to the capital.
“That was kind of the beginning and I’ve just kept hitchhiking ever since,” Nico revealed.
Now a seasoned traveller, Nico thumbs his way across the country, boasting about 200 hitchhiking trips under his belt, which he shares with followers on social media and Substack.
His strategy begins with pinpointing an ideal spot on the map where cars can easily stop.
Armed with a whiteboard bearing his intended destination, Nico patiently waits for a good Samaritan to offer him a lift.
“The good thing about a whiteboard… is that if it isn’t working, you can just rub it out and put the next town up or somewhere nearby,” he explained.
Nico has honed his hitchhiking technique over time, paying particular attention to how he presents himself.
Nico Lethbridge, who documented his adventures under the name Britain by Thumb (Image: PA)
“There is a bit of a knack to it,” Nico admitted.
“Someone once told me that as long as you look like you don’t smell, someone will stop.”
He aims for a neat but not overly formal look to avoid attracting the wrong type of driver.
Another key to successful hitchhiking, Nico says, is “being able to say no” when a potential ride doesn’t feel right, recalling a time he declined a lift from a group of “topless blokes”.
“But even people who look really dodgy have then turned out to be super nice,” he concluded.
Adventurous Nico revealed his thoughts on the risks he takes while hitchhiking, mentioning: “I guess being a bloke, it’s maybe easier for me to take those risks and I definitely wouldn’t recommend getting in if you feel a bad vibe.”
In a remarkable journey last November, Nico embarked on a hitchhike expedition from London to Paris hoping to catch England battle Argentina at the Rugby World Cup.
He told of his morning start, positioned beside the road by 7:30 am aiming for the 12.15 pm ferry out of Dover, but not a single soul seemed poised to stop.
After hours waiting, Nico feared he was “screwed” until one driver offered him a partial lift to Maidstone in Kent instead of straight to Dover.
Nico recounted, “I got to Maidstone and put Dover on my whiteboard,” only to be greeted minutes later by a Paris-bound Samaritan saying, “Five minutes later a car pulls up and I asked ‘where you off to? ‘ and he was like ‘Paris’.”
“That generous stranger ended up taking him directly to Paris,” he excitedly shared.
Subsequently, Nico took up an impulsive challenge, racing against his girlfriend Ari, aged 25, to see who could reach Brighton first her by train or him by thumb.
Despite Ari’s train journey via Waterloo, Nico boasted winning the race, albeit by a mere five minutes, admitting with a chuckle, “She was actually quite pissed off.”
Nico Lethbridge has been picked up by all sorts of vehicles (Image: PA)
Amongst his hitchhiking tales, Nico fondly remembers an encounter in August 2022 which introduced him to a Birmingham-based “fascinating” Afghan taxi driver, a refugee from Taliban-controlled Kabul since 1996.
Adding color to his stories, Nico reminisced about a lift in Shrewsbury given by a “weed grower” who claimed fame at Spannabis, Barcelona’s illustrious cannabis fest, and who boasted about supplying his product to well-known US hip-hop celebrities.
On his whirlwind trip to Stonehenge, hitchhiker extraordinaire Nico chanced upon a dubious duo at a Leicester service station, embroiled in a clandestine romance and darting off for a surreptitious weekend fling.
Nico, who doubles as a photographer, has chronicled his remarkable hitchhiking voyages across the UK on his blog, aptly named “Britain by Thumb.”
His weekly entries provide vivid snapshots of his adventures, all with an eye towards eventually compiling these stories into a book.
It seems that those behind the wheels of more lavish vehicles aren’t too inclined to stop for a hitchhiker, according to Nico’s observations. However, there have been exceptional moments, including a memorable jaunt aboard a Bowtop wagon.
“I’ve had a couple of smart Range Rovers pick me up, but only two though, and they told me stories about slightly ill-gotten means,” Nico recounted with intrigue.
Having thumbed his way through an array of countries from the expanses of the US to the rugged terrains of Zambia, Nepal, and Azerbaijan, not to mention European jaunts in France, Italy, and Ireland Nico has no intention of retiring his thumb anytime soon, keen as ever to embrace the unpredictability of the road.
When queried about the perceptions others hold regarding his unusual travel methods, Nico shared, “Most people think it’s quite weird… but my mum and dad are quite used to it now.”
Dispelling modern concerns about the perils of thumbing rides, Nico believes today’s connected world offers a layer of safety unseen in the past: “People often think it’s more dangerous now, but I think it’s the opposite because you’ve got a mobile phone.”
His sage advice to anyone with time to spare, a charged phone at hand, seeking a touch of adventure?
“If you’ve got the time, a fully charged phone and you’re looking for an adventure, get yourself in the nearest layby.”
To delve deeper into the escapades of Britain’s most intrepid hitchhiker, visit: nicolethbridge.substack.com.