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Hitching for free is possible on the main routes as there is relatively dense traffic.
There are not a lot of main routesthough, so be sure to plan your journey well. A paved ring road is being built around the country (as of 2013), but most of the long distance rides will still be on unpaved surface. Traffic culture in Tanzania is chaotic and road accidents are common.
Most private car's drivers will stop for ''white'' people as they consider them ''not dangerous''.
In a more remote areas (or less visited) you must be exceptionally lucky to get a free lift as the only mean of transport is a shared taxi. You do get very cheap buses travelling long distances, however be very aware of "swahili time" if you do end up booking a bus. This is a different form Instead of counting midnight, the swahili time which starts 00:00 at sunrise(Western 6am) and ends at sunset (Western 6pm). Therefore 11 in the morning might mean 5am.
Food is amazingly cheap and most people very hospitable, especially if you're quite obviously a traveller from a different country.
It's worth learning some Swahili as aside from the largest cities, you won't find very much English. You will also probably encounter a million greetings a day and it's lovely to be able to reply with the correct answer! MostpeopleMost people's first language is their tribal language, and Swahili is the language which unites everyone.
Be careful of travelling by yourself as a woman. Normally you may just get chatted up for your exotic look, but keep your own safety in mind.