Latest news with #hitchhiking
The Sun
21-07-2025
- The Sun
Woman matching description of missing mum-of-three Rachel Booth ‘seen trying to hitchhike' after she vanished on jog
MISSING mum Rachel Booth may have been sighted hitchhiking after vanishing in the early hours of Saturday. Sniffer dogs and underwater search teams have been brought in to assist in looking for the mum-of-three. The 38-year-old was last seen at Sandiway Garage in the Northwich area of Cheshire, at 3.50am on Saturday, July 19. Police are today searching the surrounding area of Wild Shore Delamere water sports park - which is around two miles away. But reports have cropped up online claiming to have seen Rachel hitchhiking. Rachel's mum shared a video of one of the reports. Witnesses said they saw a woman between 12.30 and 1.15 walking towards Crewe. is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Hunt for missing Rachel Booth: Family appeal after mother-of-three is 'seen trying to hitchhike' after vanishing while buying wine and milk on early morning jog
Motorists today claimed they may have spotted mother-of-three Rachel Booth hitchhiking on the day she vanished from a petrol station. The 38-year-old was reported missing on Saturday, July 19, and was last seen by her family in the village of Barnton near Northwich, Cheshire. Following the release of police CCTV showing Ms Booth's final sighting as she bought wine and milk along the A556 of Northwich, witnesses have come forward to say they may have spotted her that day - hitchhiking in a yellow coat. Two people 'in cars' reportedly saw Ms Booth at 'between 12.30 and 1.15' walking towards Crewe. A witness said on Facebook: 'I did think what she was doing walking along them roads (sic). 'We even looked for a broken down car incase that was a factor.' Another added: 'Yeah it seemed quite a random part of the road to be thumbing a lift I wondered about a broken down car too, but didn't spot one anywhere.' Following the reports, Ms Booth's mother Chrissie Widdowson shared a post this morning to confirm there had been 'possible sightings by two people in cars, believed to have seen Rachel hitchhiking (walking - wearing a yellow coat walking in Minshull towards Crewe'. Ms Booth was seen wearing black leggings, a black vest and trainers at the time she vanished, with a phone visible on her outer thigh, suggesting she was out on a run. Specially trained search and rescue teams have scoured Delamere Lake Sailing & Holiday Park and Wild Shore water sports centre, Cheshire - around a mile and a half from her last known sighting - in a frantic bid to find the missing 38-year-old. Police believe she may have travelled to the village of Oakmere, near Delamere Forest, while underwater search teams have also been deployed to the sailing lake. Isaac Carolan, 19, who works at the Sandiway Garage, revealed Rachel's final purchase before she vanished. 'I spoke to my colleague who had served her on Saturday morning. She bought milk and wine and jogged from 45 minutes away.' He added: 'But it didn't seem weird, she didn't seem disturbed or flustered.' Another shopkeeper, at a Premier store in Barnton, where Rachel lives, described her as 'a lovely clever lady' who always comes in for parcels. They said she is 'very active and very nice', adding: 'We all like her.' Under the police appeal, two friends have claimed they may have spotted Rachel - described as being 5ft 9in tall, of a slim build and with blonde hair - attempting to hitchhike hours after her last sighting. They said: 'It does look like the same lady that was hitching a lift except the lady we seen [sic] obviously had the yellow jacket/cardigan on.' The potential witness said this was around the Church Minshull area - some eight miles from the petrol station - between 12.30pm and 1.15pm on Saturday, hours after her last official sighting. A separate witness also claimed they may have seen her passing a farm shop at Minshull and 'walking towards Crewe'. Nearby water park Wild Shore Delamere has also been shut down temporarily. The company said it has closed due to 'ongoing police investigations in the surrounding area', but insists the incident is 'unrelated' to them. Inspector James Wilson, of Cheshire Constabulary, said: 'We are currently following a number of enquiries to trace Rachel and we are becoming increasingly concerned for her welfare. 'As part of our investigation, our officers and partner agencies, including the Underwater Search Team and Cheshire Search and Rescue, are conducting enquiries in the Oakmere and surrounding areas where it is believed Rachel travelled to, and we would like to thank local businesses for their patience and understanding while these are currently ongoing. 'Investigators are following all lines of enquiry and anyone who has seen Rachel since she was reported missing is asked to contact us. The same goes for anyone who has any information on her whereabouts. 'We would also like to appeal directly to Rachel to get in touch to let us know you are OK. 'You can report information to Cheshire Police via 101 or through quoting IML-2136439.' Wild Shore Delamere said: 'Due to ongoing police investigations in the surrounding area, Wildshore Delamere will remain closed tomorrow, Sunday, July 20th. 'We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. 'The incident is unrelated to Wild Shore - however, we wish to help as much as possible - so we will be closing the site until further notice. 'If your booking is affected by this closure, please contact our customer services team. 'We'll be happy to arrange a refund or reschedule your session for a later date. Thank you for your understanding.' In a previous post, the water park said 'police have requested that we close this site to aid their investigation'.
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Daily Mail
How I solo travelled 5,000 miles across the world without spending a penny
A 26-year-old who spent just £15 on transport hitchhiking across Africa says she has since travelled from Guangzhou in China to the Russia-Mongolia border 'without spending a penny'. Courtney Allan, from Canada, originally planned to visit the UK for three weeks in late 2023, but after finding public transport too expensive, she decided to hitchhike, catching her first ride from near Bath. She proceeded to hitchhike through Europe to Morocco and then to Cape Town in South Africa, spending less than US$20 (£15) on transport across the whole African continent, in what she called an 'intimate' experience. Taking around a year from December 2023 to December 2024, she said the epic journey across Africa involved more than 400 rides through 16 countries, spanning more than 8,000 miles across every terrain. She said she is currently returning to South Africa, starting this time from China, and is in central Russia at the moment, having already travelled more than 5,000 miles for free as a result of hitchhiking. Nearly 50 days into the trip this year, she said Mongolia is a 'top contender for the most beautiful country (she's) been to' and she has 'not yet felt in danger'. 'When I think of who I am now, it's an exponential growth from who I was when I first visited the UK two years ago', she said. 'I feel incredibly blessed. Hitchhiking was so not normal for so long, it didn't even seem like an option. Courtney said the epic journey across Africa involved more than 400 rides through 16 countries 'It's becoming more common though, and it's such a great way to see the world for free.' Courtney initially only planned to visit the UK for three weeks in 2023, with return flights from her home city of Toronto in Canada to London. Finding UK transport expensive, however, she decided to hitchhike from Bath and has never looked back. 'My first lift was with a Welsh woman,' Courtney said. 'She was so bubbly and she tried to give me money. That happened a lot in the UK!' Courtney then hitchhiked into Wales, through Cardiff and up to Snowdonia. She loved her UK hitchhiking experience so much that she decided to continue, following her thumb through Ireland and mainland Europe to Africa. 'I was scared and, looking back, I was very North American about the whole thing to begin with, but I realised that people are just people wherever you are,' she said. She then proceeded to hitchhike the length of Africa from Morocco to Cape Town, a distance of more than 8,000 miles. 'Anyone can travel through Africa with lots of money but you're in a bubble,' she said. 'When you're hitchhiking, you're with the people who live in that country. You get a much more intimate experience. 'It's such a good way to meet local people and get the best things to do in a place. 'This isn't the stuff you see on TripAdvisor.' She said she travelled south through 16 countries until she reached Cape Town around a year later in December 2024. In that time, she said she spent less than 20 US dollars on transport, of which more than half was spent on a single ferry across the Congo River. Despite catching some 400 rides, she said she only felt physically unsafe once – but hastened to add that this was in one of the few taxis she took, not while hitchhiking. She said 'nothing bad has happened' to her and the trip would have been impossible without the much-maligned mode of travel. 'People always say, 'Oh, what's the worst thing that happened?', or, 'Did you get hurt?', but there was nothing bad at all,' she said. 'My budget would have gone up by thousands if I had been paying for transport.' Courtney is eager to encourage other women to enjoy the benefits of travel. She continued: 'Women are often scared of going out into the world because of the risks. 'But there is a risk everywhere, every day, no matter what you're doing. You can't let them get the better of you. 'For me, the benefits of being able to explore the world outweigh those risks.' Courtney's highlight of the trip in Africa was a train ride in Mauritania. She said: 'I don't know if you'd call it hitchhiking, it was more train hopping, but we rode 200km into the Sahara Desert under the stars. The skyline was incredible.' Her favourite ride meanwhile was with a woman in Guinea. 'She was so confident and drove us half an hour out of her way. I was like 'hell yeah', finally we got picked up by a woman and she's a boss!' she said. Despite loving her experience in Africa, Courtney's favourite place to hitchhike was Ireland. 'I barely waited for more than 10 minutes,' she said. 'It was super quick and I was picked up by mostly older women.' Courtney returned home to Canada in December 2024 but soon made plans to get back on the road, this time hitchhiking from China to South Africa, starting in May 2025. You can follow Courtney's journey on her Instagram page @hitchhikercourtney. She said: 'I think this will be my last big hitchhiking trip, although I think I will always hitch. I'd love to get into bike-packing though.' On her top tip for hitchhiking as a woman, she said: 'Trust your intuition. The first three seconds you can gauge the situation.' She admits she turned away her first ride in China recently, because the driver had an open bottle of spirit and gave off a strange vibe. But she continues: 'People are looking for a finite answer on how to keep themselves safe but there isn't one. 'I think the world is generally safe and many people will look out for you if you are a solo woman hitchhiking.'
Forbes
24-06-2025
- Forbes
Bora Bora Too Busy? Explore Friendly Rurutu In French Polynesia
The limestone caves and sapphire seas of Rurutu make it a unique island to visit in French ... More Polynesia. Beneath a grapefruit tree on the road that rings the Polynesian island of Rurutu, my six-year-old daughter stuck out her thumb. The first car, a Mini-Cooper, stopped and the driver greeted us in Tahitian. 'Ia orana! My name is Tom. Where would you like to go?' We chose to spend our family vacation on the remote island of Rurutu to beat the crowds and experience a more laid-back version of French Polynesia. Many of French Polynesia's 118 islands fly under the travel radar. This is especially true of Rurutu, one of the seven Austral Islands that are strung like pearls across the ocean 400 miles southwest of Tahiti. Unlike more popular South Pacific destinations like Bora Bora or Moorea, Rurutu is a welcome throwback to a more mellow paradise with strong ties to traditional Polynesian culture. When we arrived after the 75 minute flight from Tahiti, everyone in the one-room, open-air airport was bedecked with fragrant, handmade leis. Our kids' eyes went wide with wonder when they, too, were adorned with flowers by our hosts at Vaitumu Village, a small, peaceful hotel where we rented a bungalow. Rurutu island in French Polynesia offers uncrowded beaches and unique natural beauty and culture. Hitchhiking Around Rurutu's Paradise To get a feel for Rurutu and meet some of the 1,200 people who live there, we decided to try hitchhiking. The island just three miles wide and seven miles long, bordered on all sides by clear, sapphire seas. Circling Rurutu on the narrow, tree-lined main road takes less than an hour. Friendly locals were always happy to give us a ride during our week-long stay. Many of them went out of their way to show us the island. Tom, a high school teacher who was the first person to give us a lift, took us to the grocery store in Moerai, the island's largest village. He told us he prefers the slow pace of Rurutu after growing up in busy Papeete, Tahiti. 'I don't have kids yet, but when I do I want to raise them here, where it is tranquil and everyone is kind,' Tom said. At the living-room-sized market, we selected crackers, peanut butter, cold Perrier and a few slices of handmade pizza for lunch, then took our bounty to a shady sea wall. After a quick dip in the jade-green shallows, we wandered back to the main road and once again stuck out our thumbs. Next stop: the Monster Cave, a stalactite-encrusted natural wonder tucked inside Rurutu's white cliffs. We were so enamored of the cave's unique beauty—and confused by the many trails disappearing into the brush—that we paid for a guided tour the following day. Iosefa Maaro, our guide, handed out gloves and showed us how to carefully climb the sharp limestone. He guided us with a flashlight through a series of caves, pointing out shimmering crystal salts on one side and sweeping vistas of the sparkling Pacific on the other. The author's family finds a hidden pocket beach on Rurutu, thanks to a friendly local driver. Rurutu Offers Abundant Fruit, Culture And Nature Rurutu is still wild and largely undeveloped, with gorgeous tropicbirds circling the cliffs and humpback whales breaching just a quarter-mile from shore. Tourists visiting this remote destination can explore its many caves, watch breaching humpbacks (from July through October), go fishing for jacks and tuna offshore, or learn to weave with grasses and palm leaves. 'Many of us come back here after we get an education, to be with our families and to hike and to live in the traditional way,' says Aufi-Yen Opuu, the manager of Vaitumu Village. One day we caught a lift with a Marquesan salesman named Raymond to the southern village of Haeti. He dropped us at a long stretch of deserted beach and said he would pick us up in two hours for 'a full tour of the island'. While we awaited his return, the kids made a fort out of palm fronds and pushed each other on a rope swing. I swam in the butter-warm turquoise water. At lunchtime, we applauded as local children played drums on the beach, snacking on the bouquet of baguettes beside them. Later that afternoon, Raymond chauffeured us around the rest of Rurutu, pointing out dozens of species of fruit trees. A past mayor decided to plant abundant food along the main route. Anyone can harvest delicious grapefruit, papaya, lychee, avocado, coconut, mango and more whenever they were hungry. Our kids learned to identify cacao from coffee, breadfruit from pineapple, and decided every community should provide free fruit. At the end of Raymond's tour, he dropped us off at the market in Moerai where we picked out souvenirs from the lovely traditional wares. Weaving is a cultural trademark of Rurutu, and we admired the intricately woven hats and purses, made from pandanus and coconut fibers. Vaitumu Village on Rurutu island offers ocean-view bungalows, a pool, and a restaurant and bar. Unwinding On Rurutu's Island Time The ease and abundance of Rurutu extended to our stay in Vaitumu Village, the island's premier lodging option. Our two-room, ocean-view bungalow was perfect for napping, as was the flower-strewn poolside patio. We enjoyed delicious poisson cru and other Polynesian meals at the village's restaurant, and chatted with other guests and locals during the bar's sunset happy hour. After a week of swimming, beach-combing, cave-exploring and plenty of conversations with locals, I was more relaxed than I can remember. 'It is very difficult to leave Rurutu, isn't it?' said Opuu, as she draped my family in beautiful leis before our departure. My daughter nodded, sipping one last pineapple juice mocktail. Luckily, I know where to return next time I want to truly unwind. For those looking for a perfect Polynesian getaway, Rurutu is the place to be.
The Guardian
22-06-2025
- The Guardian
Why don't people hitchhike any more? Is the world more dangerous or just meaner?
Whatever happened to hitchhiking? You rarely here of people thumbing a lift any more. Is the world more dangerous or just meaner? Ann Langdon, Essex Post your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@ A selection will be published next Sunday.
