Road Academy is a project where we share our travel know-how to help others explore the world more easily, wisely, and safely. We do this by traveling together, showing how things work in real life, and sharing the skills and insights we’ve learned along the way.
Why?
Travel opens us up to the world and allows us to forge personal, intimate bonds with its people and places. Think of it as a school that costs little but teaches a lot. We've been traveling and building our travel philosophy for well over two decades, and have a wealth of knowledge and experience. We'd like to share it with you.
What?
A 9-day trip around Turkey in August (21-29) 2026.
At the starting point (Istanbul), we split into groups of three. Each group is made up of one experienced hitchhiker and two beginners. Each trio hitchhikes independently to the first destination.
When we arrive there, we all meet up, stay at the same hostel and hang out together.
At each destination we reshuffle the groups, so everyone gets new partners for the next leg of the trip.
Every part of the route is designed to be easily doable in a single day.
We don't hitchhike every day. Half of the time we use to rest, explore the cities together, and spend a day or two at the seaside.
Here you can see what it was like last year:
How hard is it?
Not too hard. On hitchhiking days, we usually arrive to the destination between noon and late afternoon - depending on luck. The route itself isn't very ambitious, as we only visit a small part of the country. That being said, there is some walking involved, as well as waiting by the road in summer temperatures.
When?
From August 21st till August 29th 2026.
Who can apply?
Both absolute beginners and experienced hitchhikers are welcome to join.
Smoking is not allowed in the places where we're all together (both indoors and outdoors), so if you're a heavy smoker you might want to sit this one out.
How much does it cost, and why?
To reserve your spot, a payment of €50 is required. We’d love to organize this for free like our other projects, but this is one where last-minute cancellations mess up all the group planning. We’ve found that, when people commit with a payment, they’re far less likely to bail out.
Another reason for the fee is the money we spend on social network ads (Facebook and Instagram) to find participants. It is usually around 5 to 6 euros per day over three months prior to the trip, which adds up to approx. between 450 and 550 euros per project.
If you can't afford the fee, let us know and we'll figure something out.
You cover your own travel costs. You'll need to get to Istanbul, plus money for food & accommodation (hostel dorms, approx. 15 euros per night).
How to apply?
Please send us your self-introduction in a short video, which you can upload somewhere and send us the link via the contact page. Tell us a bit about who you are, where you live, what you do, your prior travel experience and why you'd like to join. Half a minute should do the trick, but feel free to make it longer if you've got a lot to say.
If you're selected, the next step is to make a payment and book your spot. After that we'll send you a short hitchhiking textbook we've prepared for this project, as well as aditional details about the trip, packing and so on. We'll also add you to a Whatsapp group where we're all planning the trip together.
We like to keep things small, so the size of the group is 15 people. Once the group is full, the applications will be closed, so if you'd like to join better apply ASAP.
If you apply and don't get a confirmation email that your application has been received, please try again, or contact us directly on our Instagram page. That's also where you can ask any questions you might have.
See you on the road!
Road Academy 2025, arrival in Ayvalık
