Gdynia

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Gdynia is a city in north of Poland. Along with Gdańsk and resort town Sopot, it forms the Tricity (Trójmiasto) conurbation.

Hitchhiking out

Tricity - Warsaw hitchhiking dispute

There are two main routes between Tricity and Warsaw: national road nr 7 and A1/A2 motorways. Most drivers going to Warsaw choose road nr 7 as it's shorter and free of charge. Driving motorways saves time, but is expensive. Hitchhiking on A1/A2 might be a little tricky, especially if you get a ride from someone not going directly to Warsaw. If you are inexperienced hitchhiker, it's probably better to stick to road nr 7.


South / East towards Warsaw, Olsztyn 7 S7 E 77

Spot nr 1: Bus stop Miałki Szlak in Gdańsk

Coordinates: 54°20'56.0"N 18°41'02.5"E

Requires using public transport: yes

This is a very good spot providing high chances of getting a ride directly to Warsaw. Follow instructions in the Trains section below to take a train to Gdańsk main railway station and look here: -> Gdańsk <- for further steps.


South towards Katowice, Kraków, Łódź, Warsaw, Poznań A1 E 75

Spot nr 1: Petrol station in Gdańsk Osowa

Spot coordinates: 54°26'00.4"N 18°29'13.2"E

Requires using public transport: yes

Take a train from Gdynia main railway station to Gdańsk Osowa. For general information on railway transport in Tricity, look for Trains section below. From Osowa train station walk Barniewicka street northwards - the direction you've come from on a train. Then turn right into Kielnieńska street, then left into Spacerowa. Go straight on at the roundabout. Pass Castorama store and see McDonalds and Lotos petrol station at your right side. Big, easily visible hitchhiking sign is recommended - Castorama store could probably provide a nice piece of cardboard.

Spot nr 2: Shopping centre/Orlen petrol station in Gdynia Chylonia

Coordinates: 54°32'18.4"N 18°27'12.1"E

Requires using public transport: no, ~1hr walking from the centre, but you may take a train as well.

From the main railway station either take a SKM train to Gdynia Chylonia or take a long walk down Morska street. If you took a train, exit to the left and walk down Kartuska street until you reach Morska and turn right, as if you were walking all the way from the main railway station. Pass a large road intersection where signs point to Szczecin and Łódź and get to Kcyńska street. Turn left. Pass Orlen petrol station on your left side, turn right and walk along the parking. Use a big hitchhiking sign, you can ask for a piece of cardboard in Tesco supermarket or OBI store.

Note: most of the drivers shopping here are probably locals. It might be a good idea to use a sign for Gdańsk Osowa, that is the spot nr 1 described above and once you get there make another sign for the city you're going to. In this case if a driver stops and doesn't speak English, you can show this message: Chcę się dostać na Lotos pod Castoramą w Osowie, stamtąd będzie łatwiej łapać stopa dalej.


West towards Koszalin, Szczecin, Berlin 6 E 28

Spot nr 1: Bus stop in Rumia Janowo

Coordinates: 54°33'31.3"N 18°24'18.3"E

Requires using public transport: yes

From Gdynia main railway station take a train to Rumia Janowo (for a guide to trains in Tricity, look for Trains section below). Exit to the left and right away you'll get to a nice bus stop. There is enough space to stop even for a truck. It's a good idea to hitchhike right next to traffic lights to let drivers spot you. Use a big hitchhiking sign, it's best to get your piece of cardboard while waiting for a train in Gdynia.

Note: It's not illegal in Poland to hitchhike on a bus stop, but it is for a driver to stop there. Police most often tolerates it, but may ask you to move somewhere else. If you decide to hitchhike on a bus stop anyway, keep your backpack handy to get into the car immediately and thank your driver for taking the risk!

Spot nr 2: Bus stop Hipermarket Tesco - Morska in Gdynia Chylonia

Coordinates: 54°32'43.2"N 18°26'49.3"E

Requires using public transport: no, ~1hr walking from the centre, but you may take a train as well.

From the main railway station either take a SKM train to Gdynia Chylonia or take a long walk down Morska street. If you took a train, exit to the left and walk down Kartuska street until you reach Morska and turn right, as if you were walking all the way from the main railway station. Pass a large road intersection where signs point to Szczecin and Łódź and get to your spot.

Note: It's not illegal in Poland to hitchhike on a bus stop, but it is for a driver to stop there. Police most often tolerates it, but may ask you to move somewhere else. If you decide to hitchhike on a bus stop anyway, keep your backpack handy to get into the car immediately and thank your driver for taking the risk!


North towards Hel, Władysławowo 6 216

Spot nr 1: Beginning of road nr 216 in Reda

Coordinates: 54°36'25.3"N 18°20'51.6"E

Requires using public transport: yes

From Gdynia main railway station take a train to Reda (for a guide to trains in Tricity, look for Trains section below). Exit to the right and get to the main road, turn left and keep walking. Cross the street when it's possible. After few minutes you'll spot a sign pointing to the right for Hel and Władysławowo. Turn right and reach a bus stop.

Note: It's not illegal in Poland to hitchhike on a bus stop, but it is for a driver to stop there. Police most often tolerates it, but may ask you to move somewhere else. If you decide to hitchhike on a bus stop anyway, keep your backpack handy to get into the car immediately and thank your driver for taking the risk!

Spot nr 2: Bus stop Hipermarket Tesco - Morska in Gdynia Chylonia

Coordinates: 54°32'43.2"N 18°26'49.3"E

Requires using public transport: no, ~1hr walking from the centre, but you may take a train as well.

From the main railway station either take a train to Gdynia Chylonia or take a long walk down Morska street. If you took a train, exit to the left and walk down Kartuska street until you get to Morska and turn right, as if you were walking all the way from the main railway station. Pass a large road intersection where signs point to Szczecin and Łódź and get to your spot. Large hitchhiking sign is recommended. If your driver isn't going to Hel but continues on the national road, ask to be dropped off near the intersection - there is a bus stop right before the intersection and another one right after. Go on the road 216 and find a bus stop after few minutes of walking, which is a nice place to hitchhike (coordinates above - this is the spot nr 1)

Note: It's not illegal in Poland to hitchhike on a bus stop, but it is for a driver to stop there. Police most often tolerates it, but may ask you to move somewhere else. If you decide to hitchhike on a bus stop anyway, keep your backpack handy to get into the car immediately and thank your driver for taking the risk!


South to Gdańsk 468

During the day travelling Gdańsk is easy as trains depart every 10-15 minutes. However, during the night, when trains don't depart often (there is 2hr break from 2am to 4am), hitchhiking works suprisingly well. Have reflective elements on your clothing and an enormous sign. Hitchhike at the bus stops on road nr 468, which is the main road connecting centres of Gdynia and Gdańsk. Bus stop Gdynia Dworzec Gł. PKP - Morska 01 (coordinates: 54°31'13.4"N 18°31'42.1"E) right next to the main railway station is perfect.

Note: It's not illegal in Poland to hitchhike on a bus stop, but it is for a driver to stop there. Police most often tolerates it, but may ask you to move somewhere else. If you decide to hitchhike on a bus stop anyway, keep your backpack handy to get into the car immediately and thank your driver for taking the risk!


Hitchhiking in

Drivers bypassing Gdynia by Tricity Bypass (Obwodnica Trójmiasta) S6

Section of national road nr 6 running along Tricity is commonly called Tricity Bypass (Polish: Obwodnica Trójmiasta). It allows drivers to avoid Gdynia centre. If this is the case and the centre is your destination, ask your driver to drop you off at the intersection of national road nr 6 and Morska street (Polish: Skrzyżowanie drogi krajowej nr 6 z Morską). Walk down Morska street towards the centre - you can hitchhike at the bus stop, take a bus, a train or just walk - would take more less one hour.


Useful info

Trains

Overview

Railway transport is a primary means of transport for people travelling from Gdynia to Gdańsk and neighbouring towns of Reda or Rumia. There are several types of trains: SKM, PKM, Regio and PKP. No matter the type of train, if you want to board without a valid ticket you are required to get in by the first door and ask/wait for the manager to buy one. Online schedules: https://rozklad-pkp.pl/en . Works for entire Poland and all types of trains.

SKM

SKM (Szybka Kolej Miejska) connect Gdańsk, Gdynia and neighbouring towns: Rumia, Reda and others. SKM trains run on a separate railway track, have separate ticket offices and separate timetables - not those blue with white inscriptions, but these yellow/brown ones. SKM trains stops at every station, including these ones described above in Hitchhiking out section: Gdynia Chylonia, Rumia Janowo, Reda.

Buy the ticket either in a ticket machine or at the ticket office. If you buy a ticket at the office you need to validate it before you board a train. Validate in a little yellow machine situated most often in a tunnel or on a platform, but not in the train. After validating / purchasing ticket from a machine you need to board the first SKM train that goes where you want to go or you will need to buy another ticket. Controls are frequent.

PKM

PKM (Pomorska Kolej Metropolitalna) trains go from Gdynia to Gdańsk Airport. Use this one if you are going to Gdańsk Osowa - buy the ticket at the office or in a machine at the main railway station, you don't need to validate this one. PKM's final station is most often Gdańsk Wrzeszcz and that's what will be displayed.

Regio and PKP

Regio (regional trains) and PKP (long distance trains) can be used to travel from Gdynia to Gdańsk or Reda, but they stop only at the main stations (so, for example, you won't get to Rumia Janowo). Route Gdynia-Gdańsk takes ~20min (Regio) or ~30min (PKP), while for SKM it's more than 40min. Tickets can be purchased in a machine or at the office. For Regio, tickets are most often valid for 6 hours and during this period you can board any Regio train going to the station specified on your ticket. In case of PKP, you buy a ticket for an exact train.


Wild camping

Gdynia is surrounded by hills covered with forests. Most of them are protected as Tricity Landscape Park (Trójmiejski Park Krajobrazowy). It's illegal to camp in most of these forests, but this law is most often not enforced and if you don't make a campfire, it's going to be fine. From the very centre it takes no more than half an hour walking to find yourself in a forest.

If you prefer to camp on a beach, this is perfectly possible as well. Just don't go to the city beach, choose the one at the foot of Kępa Redłowska, somewhere here: 54°29'30.6"N 18°33'54.7"E. Local youth refer to this place as wild beach, as opposed to the city beach which is usually crowded. Once you reach the wild beach, have some fun on one of the 'swings' hanging on the trees and in the morning climb the Kępa Redłowska to spot a beautiful sunrise.


About Gdynia

History

It is no exaggeration to say that founding of Gdynia was a world phenomenon. Back in time, after IIWW borders changed and the Second Polish Republic found itself lacking a proper seaport. It took the authorities less than five years to transform little fishing village into a 10,000+ port city. That's why today Gdynia is sometimes referred to as city of sea and dreams.

What to see

South Pier (Molo Południowe). A berth for ships, including largest Polish sailing ships and foreign flagged vessels visiting the city.

Kępa Redłowska and Klif Orłowski, a nature reserve close to the city centre. Upland with a stunning view of the Gdańsk Bay and Hel Peninsula.

Though it's not the city itself, Gdynia makes a great starting point for a visit to Hel Peninsula. With its beautiful beaches, forests and charming resort towns such as Jastarnia Hel is a popular tourist destination.