Changes

Hitchhiking on the ''autostrada'' is not legal (there are big signs saying ''no autostop'' at all highway entries), but it is unclear whether this extends to gas stations (area servizi) on the autostrada-- even to the Italians. It's probably just meant to stop people from walking on highways. An American that encountered police (''polizia'', who drive light blue cars) at an ''area servizio'' on the highway was simply warned not to walk on the ''autostrada'' and to stay at the station until finding a ride.If you're on a gas station it's a good idea to stay on friendly terms with the staff. When starting, it's probably a good idea to find a spot before people encounter that the ''no autostop'' sign; once you have passage onto the ''autostrada'' it is fairly simple to skip from one service area to the next until you arrive at your destination. It's less likely that you will encounter problems if you're not Italian-- and, if you speak Italian, don't reveal this to police (or the armed forces ''carabinieri'').