Changes

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 4.50€5€ (regional ticket).

July 2015: Commuter trains (named with letters) are blackrideable. There is staff in grey vests and green-white striped shirts selling tickets but not checking. Beware of groups of controllers in blue uniforms, they happen randomly, not too frequently. If you hitch a cargo boat from Tallinn your driver will most likely land at Vuoosaari Vuosaari marina that is a bit far from the city as from the closest metro stop (last stop, vuosaarenVuosaari). Better if you can ask him/her/them to take you at the station otherwise you might have to walk a bit.. When arriving on a normal ferry from Tallinn, you can hitchhike already on the car deck of the ferry some 30 minutes before arrival. You will leave the ferry sitting in the car and it will take you somewhere far beyond the city limits.

The easiest place to get a lift north is the petrol station complex ''Neste Keimolanportti itä'' situated in the suburb of Vantaa. Take There is one bus 474 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 station until the stop ''Kivistön kirkko''. The journey takes about 40 minutes and you need a Helsinki region ticket (€4.50). When you get off the bus, walk southwest along the road ''Laavatie'' and then south on the national road ''Vanha Hämeenlinnantie''. After 100 m you can see the petrol station complex to the west. 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 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).

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 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 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 to 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...

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.

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 800mts. 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 2two.

[[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 Road III and the motorway from the metro station ''Mellunmäki''. This is about a 40 minute journey on foot(see image). [[File:Helsinkieast-map.png|thumb|right|250px|How to reach the eastbound junction on foot]] 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, it is wise to turn down any ride not going all the way to your destination. [[File:Helsinkieast-signs.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Signs marking the Helsinki eastbound junction]]

Take bus 18 from the west side of the Central Railway Station to the Niemenmäki stop. Going a A little further ahead from the bus stop and cross to the other side of across from the street. You'll find is the entry ramp onto the motorway. I recommend standing right in front of the large side with a graphic symbolizing Unfortunately, there is absolutely nowhere safe for cars to pull over and stop for you here, at least not before the motorwaysign. However, as then if you'll be seen by cars coming from both directionswalk on 100m further after the sign, you will find that the hard shoulder begins and you can hitch there(of course, it's sufficient room for a car not legal). If you want to stop. Use a sign, not everyone taking this route is going all stay the way to Turku. Some right side of the drivers say though that 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 [[shoulder|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!)