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'''Helsinki''' is the capital of [[Finland]]. Most of the Many foreign hitchhikers enter the country here, either by boat from [[Tallinn]] of or by plane to the Helsinki international airport - (which is not actually in Helsinki, but in the neighbouring community of [[Vantaa]]).

Helsinki is a nice place and worth staying for a couple of nights<map lat='60. Its a rather small city with about a million inhabitants on the metropolitan area and quite relaxed atmosphere2' lng='24.935' zoom='11' view='3' height='350' float='right' country='Finland'/>

<map lat='60.2' lng='24.935' zoomHitching in ='11' view=' If the driver is not going directly to the Helsinki city centre, then it is a good idea to ask to be dropped off at a train stop. At train stops there are ticket machines that sell the 1-day and 3-day public transportation passes if you need it, while on buses you can only pay the price of a single journey (2.80€ - or €2.20 if bought in advance from a ticket machine). You can extremely easily blackride all metro buses and tramways since there are not so many checkers and metro doesn' height='350' float='right' country='Finland'/>t have tolls.. Note, however, that if the driver drops you off in the neighbouring communities of Espoo or Vantaa, a journey to Helsinki by train or bus will cost 5€ (regional ticket).

If the you hitch a cargo boat from Tallinn your driver will most likely land at Vuosaari marina that is not going directly to a bit far from the Helsinki city centreas from the closest metro stop (last stop, then it is a good idea to Vuosaari). Better if you can ask him/her/them to be dropped off take you at a train stop. At train stops there are ticket machines that sell the 1-day and 3-day public transportation passes if station otherwise you need it, while on buses you can only pay the price of might have to walk a single journey (2bit.50€).

NoteWhen arriving on a normal ferry from Tallinn, however, that if you can hitchhike already on the car deck of the ferry some 30 minutes before arrival. You will leave the driver drops you off ferry sitting in the neighbouring communities of Espoo or Vantaa, a journey to Helsinki by train or bus car and it will cost 4.00€take you somewhere far beyond the city limits.

Traffic The easiest place to get a lift north is light here and much the petrol station complex ''Neste Keimolanportti itä'' situated in the suburb of it Vantaa. There is local, so don't use a signone bus station right in front of the petrol station called Keimola. Try Check the easiest way to get onto there with the motorway [http://www.reittiopas.fi/ Journey Planner of Helsinki Region Transport]. The journey from the west side of the central railway takes about 40 minutes and then ask to be dropped off at you need a Helsinki region ticket (€4.50). The petrol station is located north of Helsinki's ring roads, so traffic is going long-distance. It is very easy to get a couple of kilometres north where lift straight to Hämmenlinna or Tampere if you can easily continue on just stand at the exit with a sign. Since July 2015 a new ring railway is open. It is possible to take commuter train '''P''' from central railway station to ''Kivistö'', which is very near to the targeted petrol (check map). Commuter trains may be blackrideable, frequency of controllers is unknown (controllers wear blue uniforms. Grey + green-white striped uniforms belong to train staff who sell tickets, not check).

You If you don't wait to spend 4€ on a regional bus ticket, you can also go take a bus with a cheaper city ticket (€2.80 to the northern end of "'the street ''Mannerheimintie'''", where "the road ''Hämeenlinnanväylä" '' starts. At least From the west side of the '''buses central railway station, take bus 43, 452, or 63to the stop ''Ruskeasuon varikko'' (leaving and hitchhike straight from the train stationbus stop. The downside of this place is that traffic passes by very quickly, from the "Elielinaukio") take you there, hop off and many drivers are reluctant to stop at the a busy bus stop "Ruskeasuon varikko". If your driver is not going very far, where ask him to drop you can start hitching! You can reach this spot by tram too: take off at the petrol station ''Neste Keimolanportti itä'tram number 10''' to the direction Pikku-Huopalahti (goes in front of Lasipalatsi and follows Mannerheimintie). Hop off at Ruskeasuo and walk along Mannerheimintie for 5 minutes until you reach the end of it (the beginning of Hämeenlinnanväylä) and the bus stop mentioned above. Use a sign because there's a lot of traffic inside the city and you might get a direct ride to your destination.

=== Northeast to [[Lahti]], [[Jyväskylä]] (also okay for [[Porvoo]], [[Kotka]], [[Kouvola]] and [[Saint Petersburg]]) {{EEuropean Route Number|75}} ===

There's a bus stop called "Valtimontie" and you can reach it with several bus lines: 68X, 70, 70T, 73, 73N, 75, 77, 730-732, 734, 740-742, 738.The motorway splits into two slightly before ringroad number IIIRing Road 3. Road number 4 goes towards north/northeast (Lahti, Jyväskylä), while road number 7 goes towards east (Kotka, Kouvola, Saint Petersburg, and so on). This place works okay with a sign, but it is impossible without itone. Stand just behind the traffic lights and there will be plenty of space for the cars to stop. It could be a good idea to stand before the bus stop, so that the cars can actually pull over into the stop, because it is actually illegal to stop after the traffic lights (at least some drivers think so). You should also make sure the driver is really going to your way, because there's no place to leave drop you out off between the bus stop and the junction where the motorways split.[[File:P8230246..JPG|thumb|240px|right|Hitchhiking to Jyväskylä]] In case you can't find a satisfying ride within a reasonable time (can happen, specially especially on Sunday morningmornings), hitch from here to the junction with ring road III (make a sign for one of the suburbs behind, e.g. Järvenpää). Get off out once you have passed the junction, and hitch on the road connecting the ring road and the motorway. Half of the traffic is driving very fast, the other half rather slow – however, here are you'll find much more long - distance - going - cars to find traffic here than in Valtimontie. Note that this is officially a motorway, so hitching is actually forbidden! However, Joeri found this spot much better than Valtimontie.

=== East There is another option using the tram, which are easier to [[Porvoo]], [[Kotka]], [[Russia]]n borderblackride than buses. Go to the crossroad of Valtimontie and Kustaa Vaasantie using tram #6 or #8 : Arabiankatu stop. Walk 800m back to the main road. Try the super long bus stop or go further up following the same street until it becomes a highway. There is a bus stop after the motorway sign, [[Saint Petersburg]] {{E|18}} ===but the police usually don't care. Sign highly recommended since the road splits in two.

The fastest way === East to get east is to walk to the junction of Ring Road III and the motorway from the metro station Mellunmäki. This is about a 40 minute journey on foot. [[File:Helsinkieast-map.png|thumb|right|250px|How to reach the eastbound junction on footPorvoo]], [[Kotka]] Once at the junction, it is easy to get a ride as short as the suburbs or as far as Saint Petersburg. With so many options[[Russia]]n border, it is wise to turn down any ride not going all the way to your destination. [[File:Helsinkieast-signsSt.jpgPetersburg|thumb|right|250px|Signs marking the Helsinki eastbound junctionSaint Petersburg]]{{E|18}} ===

There is another option [[File:Helsinkieast-map.png|thumb|right|250px|How to at least Porvoo, though it is superseded by reach the route mentioned above and waiting times can be extremely longeastbound junction on foot]][[File:Helsinkieast-signs. Take jpg|thumb|left|250px|Signs marking the metro Helsinki eastbound junction]]The fastest way to go east is to the Mellunmäki station, then take buses 56K, 86 or 87 walk to the Kuussillantie stop. The bus driver may not know the name junction of Ring Road III and the stop, but if you mention that it is motorway from the Esso metro station before ''Mellunmäki''. This is about a 40 minute journey on foot (see image). Once at the bridgejunction, he can then alert you when it is time easy to get off. On the corner a few metres toward ride as short as the bridge from the McDonald's and the Essosuburbs or as far as Saint Petersburg. With so many options, you'll see cars entering it is wise to turn down any ride not going all the junction of Ring 3 and motorway 7. Stand right before the no pedestrian signway to your destination.

Some Take bus 18 from the west side of the drivers say though Central Railway Station to the Niemenmäki stop. A little further ahead from the bus stop and across from the street is the entry ramp onto the motorway. Unfortunately, there is absolutely nowhere safe for cars to pull over and stop for you here, at least not before the motorway sign. However, if you walk on 100m further after the sign, you will find that the hard shoulder begins and you can hitch there (of course, it's not legal). If you want to stay the right side of the law, it's pretty hard recommended to stop there and have advised hitchhiking hitchhike with a sign at the Niemenmäki bus stop ; however, traffic going in this direction will already be filtering into the left lanes (away from the bus stop) to turn onto the on '''-ramp. Alternatively, it is possible to stand on the grass verge dividing Huopalahdentie''' right before and ask drivers as they are waiting to turn at the ramplights.

Take the national road /motorway 51 that starts in the southwestern part of the central city area.You may can take the metro to the end station in the west: ''Ruoholahti''. When you leave the station it's to the Walk (north (to the right hand side as compared to the direction of travel). You have to go through for one block of buildings past the ''Kauppakeskus'' (shopping centre) to the next big street(Porkkalankatu). You should find yourself right there near Cross over to the other side of the street and a big bit further on is the junction where of the motorway goes off onto a bridgeand Porkkalankatu. There are good possibilities The best place to stand – either a is on Porkkalankatu at the start of the bus stop right lane before the traffic lights or ''Länsiväylä'' bus stop. Use a large [[sign here. On the motorway, the hard shoulder]] around starts about 50m up and it is not very wide and so it is very difficult for cars to stop there. However, hitching right at the beginning, at the corner on where the beginning continuation of the 'bus lane' turns into the motorway., it is possible for cars to pull over into this lane (if there are no buses coming!)

It's unclear if But you can find rides with people going by car. If there is an extra passenger try to become a member of the Viking Club (only in Finnish, Swedish and Estonian) and get a truck, an extra free "picnic cruise" and just not use the return ticket has to be paid.

But ''This didn't work when I was there in summer 2016. Both website and staff told me there is no free cruise on becoming a member.''''However, the '''ticket price''' was 10€ on the website in finnish and/or swedish language. 20€ on the website in english language(!) And buying offline in the passenger terminal was even more. I sat in the terminal using the free wifi to buy the ticket, using online translator and common sense for figuring the finish website!'' ''As of January 2020, the ticket price for viking lines buying it through the website '''in finnish''' is 12€ round-trip (you can try use the outgoing way only, if you want). It is around 30€ (?) the website in english language. You will have to become fill a member rather long form in the finnish version but you can always ask for help to a native finnish or use google translator. Note that you need to buy the ticket online at least 1h 30' earlier than when the ferry departs.''  While on the ferry, you should hitchhike already on the car deck of the Viking Club (ship. Go to the car deck at least 30 minutes before arrival time to the harbour and start asking around. If you have a large backpack, keep in mind that at some point the car deck's doors will open and the cars will start flowing out into the harbour. You don't want to be between large trucks at that point!You should be able to get a ride at least until Pärnu this way, often all the way to Riga or through to Lithuania. If you're on your way to Poland or beyond, obviously look for Polish licence plates and talk to those people first. You can find boats from small harbors for sailboats. Distance to [[Tallinn]] is only 80km and small boats can do it easily. [http://venenetti.fi/satamat/ Catalog of harbors] ====Ferry companies====* [https://www.eckeroline.fi/en/ Eckerö line] -> The cheapest one. 2 / 3 ferrys per day. One in the morning, one in Finnish the afternoon and Swedish) one in the evening. Terminal 2 West.* [http://www.vikingline.com/ VikingLine] -> Cheaper when bought from the finnish website. They take longer and get depart from a free "picnic cruise"different terminal not close to the other ones.* [http://www.tallinksilja.com/en/ Tallink] -> Many times available but expensive and bad service. Terminal 2 West.* [http://www.lindaline.fi/en/ Linda line]

<!--{{Cities Finland}}Here's some info over Helsinki{{Template: To find good hitching spots here as well as elsewhere in Finland, go to see hitchbase.com. Languages are German, English and Russian. You are also most welcome to add new info on those pages.Europe/countries}}