Lanaken? What do you do there????? :D :D

Maastricht towards Brussels / Antwerp (and UK), my favorite ways:

1. Bus to Maastricht Brusselse Poort, then walk to Via Regia square, behind it stick up your thumb, towards Veldwezelt. In Veldwezelt hh at bus stop behind the roundabout in the middle of the village. Just before Bilzen get a lift to Hasselt at the beginning of the N702 (behind roundabout). In Hasselt the onramp "Hasselt-West" is by far the most easy, have a sign Brussels or Ant at hand. Then you're set because the first motorway service area is btwn Hasselt and Leuven, or btwn Hasselt and Geel.

2. Start at Maastricht official hh-spot next to the football stadium, beginning of A2. Put up the thumb, explain a driver going on further on the A2 towards Roermond/Venlo/Eindhoven to drop you at the first exit of the A76 (dir. HEERLEN!!!!), A76 exit 2 (Geleen). They make 2 x 1.5 km more, but helps you a lot. Also did that most recently to get to Berlin Beach Camp over Aachen, it's longer, but can be faster :)

Ah now I see, you want to go to Lanaken to hh to Maasmechelen from there. Yep, that's also possible.

Map!! Maastricht to hh out westbound. On all these spots I use my thumb.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=nl&msa=0&ll=50.922082,5.543976...