It all started back in 2006 when two of us were hitchhiking for the first time during their vacation. Along the way, they encountered other hitchhikers who kept passing them but never actually met. Eventually, the idea was born one evening: Let’s organize a hitchhiking race. That was the moment when everything began, starting with small urban races involving four friends, and then in 2008, it really took off. The plan was to have a race with more than ten people to Spain! Since some of us were involved with Viva con Agua in our free time, the thought quickly emerged that we could combine all the fun with a commitment to water projects. Armed only with flyers, we started on an adventure without any structures, heading to the Expo in Zaragoza, and realized that hitchhiking provided an incredibly good time, which wouldn’t be the last. This laid the foundation for the Tramprennen as it exists today.
Over the years, the Tramprennen has evolved, grown larger, and new stories have been written, but the spirit has remained the same. A website was created, and the Club of Roam-Autostop! e.V. was established as an institutional framework for our activities. While initially, the Tramprennen and Viva con Agua had strong personal connections, this bond gradually dissolved over time, and the Tramprennen became independent. We extend our gratitude to Viva con Agua for the shared time.
Understandably, the organizing team today is not the same as in the beginning. It mostly consists of individuals who first participated in the Tramprennen as participants and then caught the bug, wanting to be part of the organizing team. The entire process is completely voluntary. The organizational meetings are open to everyone, and new people join every year. So perhaps you would also like to get to know us, contribute your ideas, talents, and experiences, and meanwhile chat about past trips, discuss the suitability of different cities and gas stations for hitchhiking, or debate the hitchhiking skills of those present… The more people participate, the more enjoyable it becomes!
Since the inception of the Tramprennen, more than 1220 people have participated, traveling through 22 different countries along approximately 50 different routes. Destination countries included Romania (3 times), Albania (2 times), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Poland, Greece, Croatia, and Spain. Over 130,000 euros in donations have been collected. In addition to Viva con Agua, we have supported Pro Asyl, the Latvian women’s rights and aid organization Centrs Marta, Sea-Watch, Cadus and currently ROSA. Many thanks for that!
