3,631
edits
Changes
m
Helsinki is a nice place and worth staying for a couple of nights. Its a rather small city with about a million inhabitants on the metropolitan area and quite relaxed atmosphere.
<map lat='60.2' lng='24.935' zoomHitching in ='11' view='3' height='350' float='right' country='Finland'/>
== Hitching Out ===== North If the driver is not going directly to [[Hämeenlinna]]the Helsinki city centre, [[Tampere]] ===Take then it is a local train good idea to Kannelmäki and then bus 43 or 46T (from the same side of the street as the train station). With bus 46T ask to get be dropped off at Kalannintiea train stop. At train stops there are ticket machines that sell the 1-day and 3-day public transportation passes if you need it, and with bus 43 ask to get off at while on buses you can only pay the Tampere roundaboutprice of a single journey (2.80€ - or €2.20 if bought in advance from a ticket machine). You will can extremely easily see the motorway exit because it is signposted Tampereblackride all metro buses and tramways since there are not so many checkers and metro doesn't have tolls..
Traffic is light here and much of it is localNote, however, so don't use a sign. Try to get onto that if the motorway and then ask to be dropped driver drops you off at a petrol station a couple in the neighbouring communities of kilometres north where you can easily continue on with Espoo or Vantaa, a signjourney to Helsinki by train or bus will cost 5€ (regional ticket).
You can also go to the northern end of "'''Mannerheimintie'''", where "Hämeenlinnanväylä" starts. At least the '''buses 43, 452, 63''' July 2015: Commuter trains (leaving from the train station, from the "Elielinaukio"named with letters) take you there, hop off at the bus stop "Ruskeasuon varikko", where you can start hitching! You can reach this spot by tram too: take the '''tram number 10''' to the direction Pikku-Huopalahti (goes are blackrideable. There is staff in front of Lasipalatsi grey vests and follows Mannerheimintie)green-white striped shirts selling tickets but not checking. Hop off at Ruskeasuo and walk along Mannerheimintie for 5 minutes until you reach the end Beware of it (the beginning groups 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 destinationcontrollers in blue uniforms, they happen randomly, not too frequently.
=== Northeast to [[Lahti]], [[Jyväskylä]] (also okay for [[Porvoo]], [[Kotka]], [[Kouvola]] and [[Saint Petersburg]]) ===There's a bus stop called "Valtimontie" and If 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 III. 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 hitch a sign, but cargo boat from Tallinn your driver will most likely land at Vuosaari marina that is impossible without it. Stand just behind a bit far from the traffic lights and there will be plenty of space for city as from the cars to closest metro stop (last stop. You should also make sure the driver is really going to your way, because there's no place to leave you out between the bus stop and the junction where the motorways split..Vuosaari).In case Better if you can't find a satisfying ride within a reasonable time (can happen, specially on Sunday morning), hitch from here ask him/her/them to take you at the junction with ring road III (make a sign for one of the suburbs behind, e.g. Järvenpää). Get off once station otherwise you 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 much more long - distance - going - cars might have to find than in Valtimontiewalk a bit. Not that this is officially a motorway, so hitching is actually forbidden! However, Joeri found this spot much better than Valtimontie.
=== East to [[Porvoo]]When arriving on a normal ferry from Tallinn, [[Kotka]], [[Russia|Russian]] border, [[Saint Petersburg]] ===The fastest way to get east is to walk to you can hitchhike already on the junction car deck of Ring Road III and the motorway from the metro station Mellunmäkiferry some 30 minutes before arrival. This is about a 40 minute journey on foot. [[Image:Helsinkieast-map.png|thumb|right|250px|How to reach You will leave the eastbound junction on foot]] Once at ferry sitting in the junction, car and it is easy to get a ride as short as the suburbs or as will take you somewhere far as Saint Petersburg. With so many options, it is wise to turn down any ride not going all beyond the way to your destinationcity limits. [[Image:Helsinkieast-signs.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Signs marking the Helsinki eastbound junction]]
=== West to [[Turku]] ===
Take bus 18 from the west side of the Central Railway Station to the Niemenmäki stop. Going a little further from the bus stop and cross to the other side of the street. You'll find the entry ramp onto the motorway. I recommend standing right in front of the large side with a graphic symbolizing the motorway, as then you'll be seen by cars coming from both directions, and there's sufficient room for a car to stop. Use a sign, not everyone taking this route is going all the way to Turku.
Some === West to [[Turku]] {{E|18}} === 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 pretty hard not legal). If you want to stop there and have adviced stay the right side of the law, it's recommended to hitch hike hitchhike with a sign on a 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 and ask drivers as they are waiting to turn at the lights. === West (direction [[Hanko]]) === Take the national road/motorway 51 that starts in the southwestern part of the central city area. You can take the metro to the end station in the west: ''Ruoholahti''Huopalahdentie. Walk (north) for one block past the ''Kauppakeskus'' right (shopping centre) to the next big street (Porkkalankatu). Cross over to the other side of the street and a bit further on is the junction of the motorway and Porkkalankatu. The best place to stand is on Porkkalankatu at the start of the bus lane before the ramp''Länsiväylä'' bus stop. Use a sign here. On the motorway, the hard shoulder 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 where the 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!)
=== west (direction [[Hanko]]) ===
Take the motorway 51 that starts in the southwestern part of the central city area.
You may take the metro to station ''Ruoholahti''. When you leave the station it's to the north (to the right hand side as compared to the direction of travel). You have to go through one block of buildings past ''Kauppakeskus'' (shopping centre) to the next big street. You should find yourself right there near a big junction where the motorway goes off onto a bridge. There are good possibilities to stand – either a bus stop right before the traffic lights or a large [[hard shoulder]] around the corner on the beginning of the motorway.
It's unclear if you can find rides with people going by car.
== External links ==
* [http://hitchbase.com/ergebnisse.php?abfrage%5Bstartort%5D=103&abfrage%5Bzielort%5D=-1&abfrage%5Bstartland%5D=66&abfrage%5Bzielland%5D=-1&LANG=ger Helsinki at hitchbase.com]
* [http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/kjokisal/liftaus/main.html#helsinki Hitchhiking guide to Helsinki]
<!--Here's some info over Helsinki: 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.== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
:Please add direct links, not just general information about a website. Also, I prefer to add information when I know it will be under a free license :) [[User:Guaka|Guaka]] 19:45, 21 Dec 2005 (UTC)-->{{nomadwiki}}
__NOTOC__
→External links
'''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]]).
== Hitchhiking out == === North to [[Hämeenlinna]], [[Tampere]] {{E|12}} === The easiest place to get a lift north is the petrol station complex ''Neste Keimolanportti itä'' situated in the suburb of Vantaa. There is another option one bus station right in front of the petrol station called Keimola. Check the easiest way to get there with the [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 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 lift straight to Hämmenlinna or Tampere if you just stand at least Porvoothe exit with a sign. It is possible to take commuter train '''P''' from central railway station to ''Kivistö'', though it which is superseded by very near to the route mentioned above and waiting times 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). If you don't wait to spend 4€ on a regional bus ticket, you can be extremely longalso take a bus with a cheaper city ticket (€2.80 to the northern end of the street ''Mannerheimintie'', where the road ''Hämeenlinnanväylä'' starts. Take From the metro to west side of the Mellunmäki central railway station, then take buses 56Kbus 43, 86 452 or 87 63 to the Kuussillantie stop ''Ruskeasuon varikko'' and hitchhike straight from the bus stop. The downside of this place is that traffic passes by very quickly, and many drivers are reluctant to stop at a busy bus stop. If your driver may is not know the name of going very far, ask him to drop you off at the petrol station ''Neste Keimolanportti itä'' mentioned above. === Northeast to [[Lahti]], [[Jyväskylä]] {{European Route Number|75}} === There's a bus stopcalled "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 Ring 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 if you mention that it is impossible without one. Stand just behind the traffic lights and there will be plenty of space for the Esso station cars to stop. It could be a good idea to stand before the bridgebus stop, he so that the cars can then alert you when actually pull over into the stop, because it is time 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 get drop you offbetween the bus stop and the junction where the motorways split. On [[File:P8230246.JPG|thumb|240px|right|Hitchhiking to Jyväskylä]] In case you can't find a satisfying ride within a reasonable time (can happen, especially on Sunday mornings), hitch from here to the corner junction with ring road III (make a few metres toward sign for one of the bridge from suburbs behind, e.g. Järvenpää). Get out once you have passed the junction, and hitch on the road connecting the McDonald's ring road and the Essomotorway. Half of the traffic is driving very fast, the other half rather slow – however, you'll see cars entering find much more long distance traffic here than in Valtimontie. Note that this is officially a motorway, so hitching is actually forbidden! There is another option using the tram, which are easier to blackride 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, but the police usually don't care. Sign highly recommended since the road splits in two. === East to [[Porvoo]], [[Kotka]], [[Russia]] border, [[St. Petersburg|Saint Petersburg]] {{E|18}} === [[File:Helsinkieast-map.png|thumb|right|250px|How to reach the eastbound junction on foot]][[File:Helsinkieast-signs.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Signs marking the Helsinki eastbound junction]] The fastest way to go east is to walk to the junction of Ring 3 Road III and the motorway 7from the metro station ''Mellunmäki''. This is about a 40 minute journey on foot (see image). Once at the junction, it is easy to get a ride as short as the suburbs or as far as Saint Petersburg. Stand right before With so many options, it is wise to turn down any ride not going all the no pedestrian signway to your destination.
If you go further than to Porvoo, there is a rest stop halfway between Helsinki and Porvoo, so ask to drop you there. All there is is toilets and a café, so it's most efficient in the morning time. From there, find a ride at least to Kotka.
=== South, ferry towards [[Tallinn]], [[Estonia]] ===
It's not possible to hitch rides with people going by car. If there is an extra passenger in a car or truck, an extra ticket has to be paid. But you can try to become a member of the Viking Club (only in Finnish , Swedish and SwedishEstonian) and get a free "picnic cruise"and just not use the return ticket. As of January 2020, the ticket price for viking lines buying it through the website '''in finnish''' is 12€ round-trip (you can use the outgoing way only, if you want). It is around 30€ (?) the website in english language. You will have to fill a 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 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 the afternoon and one in the evening. Terminal 2 West.<br>[http://www.vikingline.com/ VikingLine] -> Cheaper when bought from the finnish website. They take longer and depart from a different terminal not close to the other ones.<br>[http://www.tallinksilja.com/en/ Tallink] -> Many times available but expensive and bad service. Terminal 2 West.<br>[http://www.lindaline.fi/en/ Linda line] == Sleeping == Even within the Helsinki city limits, there are plenty of secluded wooded areas where one can set up a tent, and these can be reached by local train. A glance at the map will show many ideal places around, for example, the intersection of Ring Road I and ''Vihdintie'' (local train M direction ''Vantaakoski'' to the stop ''Pohjois-Haaga'' then some walking). If you are discreet, then you should have no problem; even if you are discovered by police, they are more concerned about Roma camps than foreign hitchhikers.Kaivopuisto park, in the south part of the city centre is a very calm and cool place for wildcamping. If you don't have or prefer avoid put tent there are also some rocks at the very edge of it, near the sea, where you can lay on your mat without any problem, just maybe geese will arrive to wake you up in the morning..
[https://www.facebook.com/groups/231814287333110/ Trustroots people in Helsinki FB group]
{{Cities Finland}}
{{Template:Europe/countries}}
__NOTOC__
[[Category:Ferries]]
[[Category:Finland]]
[[Category:E75]]
[[de:Helsinki]]
[[fi:Helsinki]]