What is Bloggertramp?

Bloggertramp is an attempt to hitchhike through Europe and blog about it every day. About the places and people I meet, about the strange and funny things happening on the road. Probably about the beauty of Europe’s motorway service areas. I also hope to meet bloggers from different European cities on my way (if you want me to stop by your place, shoot me an e-mail to kuhn (at) kopfzeiler.org) My journey starts on August 15th, I hope to be back on September 11th.

How did you come across the idea?

I have been thinking about doing something like this since spring 2009. It is not only about having a holiday that’s unpredictable, but also about using technology to write about it almost in real time. A lot of hitchhikers complain they have experienced so much, but were not able to write it down. I will do this.

Who is behind Bloggertramp?

My name is Johannes Kuhn, I am a journalist (right now mainly for sueddeutsche.de) and blogger. I am writing about politics, economy and society at kopfzeiler.org, I have a group blog about music which is called songdestages.de.

Why isn’t this blog in English?

I thought about doing it in English, but writing in an almost literary style would take a lot of effort and time – time I want to spend moving. But I plan to write some blog-posts in English, to sum up how I have been doing. But besides that you may use Google Translator to get a sense of what I am doing – and of course don’t hesitate to write English comments.

What will be your destinations?

I will go through Austria, Hungary. Slovakia, Poland up north via the Baltic states, crossing Scandinavia from east to west (no Jyväskylä, but the famous boats). I hope to reach Oslo where you may vote how to go on.

Will there only be hitchhiking?

As far as it is possible, yes. There are some sea routes I obviously can’t go by thumb, and there are some sea routes that are not possible to do by ship (for example between Norway and Scotland). I therefore may take the plane on these occassions.

How long will this take?

I plan to leave on August 15th and be back on September 11th. There might be a sequel next year, maybe with another concept and/or another bloggertramp (if you have any ideas, send me an e-mail) .

What will be happening beyond the blog?

As I will not be constantly online (goddamn you, roaming-fee!), I will be twittering from @kopfzeiler while I am on the road. Once in a while I will introduce you to the songs I take with me on my journey at SongdesTages.com. There will be a Facebook-page.

Can I get involed?

Absolutely! I need your help before the trip and I will also occasionally ask people which destination to go next while I am on the road. And if you are living in Europe and see me coming your direction, you can of course help me by offering accomondation.

How is Bloggertramp financed?

Bloggertramp is independent, all the money comes from me. If you want to help me, help me with your suggestions or with a place to stay while I am on the road.