Poznań

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Poznań
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Information
Country:
Flag of Poland
Poland
Voivodeship:
Coat of arms of Greater Poland (Voivodeship).png
Greater Poland (Voivodeship)
Population: 557 264
Licence plate: PO, PZ
Major roads: A 2S 5, S 11
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Poznań is a city in western Poland.

Hitchhiking out

Despite the fact that hitchhiking works great in Poland, getting out of a city can be a pain and Poznań is the best example for this. It is much more recommended to go to the toll plaza, but of course it can take some minutes longer than going to Głogowska street.

West towards Berlin (Germany)

A 2 E 30

  • Toll plaza Gołuski

Go to Ogrody (last stop of trams 2, 7, 17, 18 and many buses) and take suburban bus no. 718 (route, timetables) or 719 (route, timetables). The bus stop in Ogrody is on the other side of the street when you get off the tram. Get out in Dopiewiec. The ride takes about 40 minutes. You can also take a mini bus of private company Bis Trans which goes from the same spot in Ogrody to Dopiewo which is next village after Dopiewiec. Ask the driver to stop in Dopiewiec.

From there walk for about 2km south and then just jump over the fence (before the police station) to get on the parking after the toll. Here's the route.

Alternatively you can get to the toll plaza with a local train and a walk of 4 km. Take a local train (KM/REG) from Poznań Główny (central station) to Zbąszynek or Zielona Góra and get out after 12 or 14 minutes in Palędzie. From the station walk along the railway on Kolejowa street (going west). At the end of the street turn left on Pocztowa. At the end of this street turn right on Ojca Mariana Zelazka. 250 meter after the last houses you turn left on an unpaved fieldroad with willow trees. This fieldroad brings you to the toll plaza.

THIS METHOD DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE!.THERE IS A HIGH FENCE BETWEEN THE ROAD AND THE FIELD , AND THERE IS A POLICE STATION NEAR THE TOLL PLAZA. DON'T TRY IT ANYMORE!.

  • MOP Dopiewiec Rest Services

Start like above - from Ogrody catch the (infrequent, ticket inspected) bus 729 for about an hour to Dopiewiec. Walk back East along the road for 100m or so, then South along a road (turn right (along Szkolna?) for less than a km. You'll come to the A2 motorway - before the crossing and just over a meter high fence to the West (on your right) you'll find a rest station. There are only toilets and so little traffic, but I got a ride by asking in under 10 minutes. Did this in July 2018 on the advice if a local.

  • Bus stop on Głogowska street

Get to Górczyn (last stop of trams 5, 8, 14 and many buses). From there walk over the rail tracks by bridge and go straight for about 800m. Behind the second traffic lights there's a bus stop where you can hitch. There's no point of going further as expressway starts just a few hundred meters behind the bus stop. This expressway is a main road linking city center with motorway A2 from the west. There are also two petrol stations nearby where you can ask drivers. From the same spot you can hitch towards Wrocław so make a sign. A lot of local people will go to Komorniki, the first suburb of Poznań in that direction, where there are a lot of shops like Auchan (supermarket) and a McD. Often you will hear the recommendation that from there you will easily find a lift to the A2, but actually this is not true. Most traffic is coming from the A2 and is going to the center of Poznan.

If you happen to be stranded on that McDonalds, you can also walk towards Głogowska road, just under the bridge, there's a lane in direction of Świecko, that some locals take. You can either take this and go to Berlin directly or hitchhike until the toll plaza, which will be a much easier option.

If you plan to go to Germany, it is also a good possibility to catch a ride to Warszawa, get out at the toll box and change the side. Once on the motorway it will be very very easy to catch a ride to Germany because there is no big city inbetween Poznan and the border and if a car here stops for you, you can be quite sure it crosses the border.

  • Marii Lange Roundabout

INFO AS OF WINTER 2022: Get to Górczyn PKM (last stop of tram lines 3, 5, 14 and many buses). From there take bus no 704 or 710 to the stop Konopackiej or 703, 705, 180 to Sycowska Centrum Handlowe (the bus stop is just by the mall). Walk towards the McDonald's sign, it's visible from both of the stops. You will get to a roundabout where people get on and off the highway. There's a grass patch by the entry road to the McDonald's, you can stand there with a sign, your back turned to the McDonald's. People will stop on the parking lot or in the middle of the road that's behind you so make sure to check once in a while. It's relatively easy to catch something here, usually doesn't take more than an hour. From the same spot you can also hitchhike east towards Łódź and Warszawa and south towards Wrocław and Kraków so make sure to bring a sign!

92

Go to Ogrody (last stop of trams 2, 7, 17, 18 and many buses) and take bus no. 61 direction Krzyżowniki. Get out at the ninth stop called Ul. Wichrowa and walk along the road for about 300 m then you will see petrol station and McD's. Ask drivers there or stay on the road with sign or thumb. Also about 100 m after this place is a bus stop so it's more convenient for drivers to stop their car.

Comment by a local: It's more convenient to get off at a stop named Smochowice. You can hitch hike from there or (what i usually do) hitch until the bus 01 (going through Sady, don't mess it up!) arrives. Get on the bus, buy a ticket to Tarnowo and get off after you pass Sady. It's probably the 2nd stop after Sady, as far as i know the name is Marianowo (i'm not 100% sure about it though). You will notice it since it's a perfect place to hitch-hike: there are 2 lanes instead of 3, you are visible from a far distance and there is a lot of space for a car to stop. On your left side there will be a forest, on the right side there are few houses, in front of you there will be a board which indicates, that it's the road towards the Pl - D boarder.

"Comment by J.N.: Just ride bus 01 to Tarnowo Podgorne instead of confusing yourself over which bus goes through Sady. Ride/walk along the main road through Tarnowo Podgorne until the end of the village where there is a roundabout on which the local road joins road 92 going to Pniewy and Swiebodzin. You can hitchhike on the roundabout. The businessman who picked me up told me he and his colleagues prefer using this road over the highway as there are much less traffic jams due to roadworks and trucks" (10.8.2011).

East towards Łódź, Warszawa

A 2 E 30

  • Roundabout Rataje

Get to Rondo Rataje (roundabout). There are plenty of trams and buses going there. You can hitch just behind it, on a dual carriegeway (the one without tram tracks). There's no emergency lane or bus stop, but drivers generally stop there, and you may even expect some competition there, as it's popular spot for students hitching back from school. From the same spot you can hitch southeast towards Katowice, so make a sign.

This spot is not good, I got stuck here for several hours with another hitchhiker until I gave up and took the bus. The stop appears like it should be a very good one but no one will stop. Not recommended. (08/2016).


  • Junction Poznań Luboń

In the city centre, just in front of the castle there's a bus stop called Zamek. From there take a bus 71 in the direction Osiedle Dębina and get off at the end. Go along the main road till you get to the motorway junction. You can ask at the red lights for a lift to the nearest petrol station on A2 (MOP Krzyżowniki), which is just before the junction Poznań Wschód (exit for S5 towards Gniezno). Ask: stacja benzynowa A2 (pronounce statsya benzenova ah dva).

  • Toll plaza Gołuski

See direction Berlin, then just go to the other side of the motorway.

  • Marii Lange Roundabout

INFO AS OF WINTER 2022: Get to Górczyn PKM (last stop of tram lines 3, 5, 14 and many buses). From there take bus no 704 or 710 to the stop Konopackiej or 703, 705, 180 to Sycowska Centrum Handlowe (the bus stop is just by the mall). Walk towards the McDonald's sign, it's visible from both of the stops. You will get to a roundabout where people get on and off the highway. There's a grass patch by the entry road to the McDonald's, you can stand there with a sign, your back turned to the McDonald's. People will stop on the parking lot or in the middle of the road that's behind you so make sure to check once in a while. It's relatively easy to catch something here, usually doesn't take more than an hour. From the same spot you can also hitchhike west towards Berlin and south towards Wrocław and Kraków so make sure to bring a sign!


92

  • Petrol station on Warszawska street

From city center take trams 6 or 8 to Miłostowo and get out at the last stop. From there walk along the road about 100 m and you will see Orlen petrol station. You can either ask drivers at the station or hitch at the end of it where is a place for cars to pull over.

This spot at the road is ok, but traffic is going a bit fast (70km/u). Worldhitchhiker stood there for more than an hour. After that he moved to the petrol station and asked people, then I got a lift within 15 minutes to a gas station at the highway (04/2019).

Optionally you can walk along the same road and after 200-300m you will see a bridge and Volkswagen factory. Hitch straight after the bridge on the bus stop (there is plenty of cars and trucks who are going by inner bypass around Poznan, so many of them are going for a longer distances, and you may avoid local traffic like it's possible at the first place mentioned).

Northeast towards Bydgoszcz, Toruń, Gdańsk 5 E 261

Take bus no. 73 direction Janikowo/Ogrodnicza from place called Rondo Sródka and get out after 11 stops (about 15-18 minutes) at bus stop called Bogucin Bałtycka. Hitch on this bus stop, it's on the road to Gniezno, Bydgoszcz and Gdańsk just after junction with Poznań bypass. You should notice railways nearby and crossed Poznań sign (end of the city zone). Notice that if your driver goes to Gnizeno, make sure you exit before the city, since the road becomes a motorway inside the city and there is no good spot to be found. UPDATE: If going north, e.g. to Gdańsk and your driver continues straight ahead to Gnizeno, ask to be let out just before the big new highway crossing to the west of Gnizeno. There is a bus stop where even trucks can stop, whereas the crossing itself is not very busy and the cars go much to fast. Morsch, August 2018.

North towards Piła, Koszalin 11

From city centre e.g. Rondo Kaponiera take tram 9, 11 to Piątkowska and get out at the last stop. From there go north along Piątkowska street to the first junction, then turn west (left) and go to roundabout Rondo Obornicka. On roundabout turn north again (right) and enter national road no. 11 (you will see hipermarket Carrefour next to you). You can hitch after roundabout or anywhere along Obornicka street where is a place to pull over. There's almost always traffic jam, so cars go slowly, which helps hitchhikers.

Northwest towards Gorzów Wielkopolski, Szczecin 92

See direction Berlin by national road 92 as it's the same spot.

South and southwest towards Wrocław 5 E 261 and Zielona Góra 32

  • From bus stop on Głogowska street

See direction Berlin by motorway A2, from Głogowska street as it's the same spot.

  • From the village of Szreniawa

Get to Górczyn (last stop of trams 5, 8, 14 and many buses). Then take a bus 703 to the station AFTER Szreniawa (aproximatelly 25 min by bus from Górczyn). After getting off you can easily catch a car in the direction of Leszno, Wrocław. Get off the bus, walk back a few meters, turn right and walk down the path for about 200m to a bus stop where you can hitch.

  • Marii Lange Roundabout

See direction Berlin or Warszawa/Łódź by motorway A2, same spot.

Southeast towards Ostrów Wielkopolski, Katowice 11

See direction Warszawa by motorway A2, from behind roundabout Rataje, as it's the same spot.

Public Transport

The city has efficient public transport system with daytime trams and buses operating from 5.00 till 23.00 and nighttime buses and one tram running every half an hour. In Poznań you can not buy tickets at the driver, you can get them in newsagents (kiosk) and grocery shops, and there is more and more ticket machines on the stops. The most convenient way is to buy the tickets directly in the jakdojade.pl app. Some buses and most of the trams have ticket machines inside the vehicle and you can buy tickets there, but prepare coins. A 15 minutes ticket costs 4 PLN (December 2022). If you travel a lot by public transport, the most cost-effective option is a 24-hour ticket, which offers unlimited rides for 24 hours and costs 15-20 PLN. There is a 50% student discount (ulgowy ticket) upon showing a valid student ID. You have to scan paper tickets when entering the bus/tram, the scanners are yellow and usually located near the doors. Drivers don't care if you have a ticket and all the doors are open on stops, but there are controllers checking tickets from time to time. They're dressed in civilian clothing and usually don't care about any explaination you might have. For riding without a valid ticket you will be fined from 140 to 280 PLN.

Tip: if you buy a 24-hr ticket on a Friday after 8PM, it will be valid all weekend until Sunday midnight.

There is a good website showing you how to get from one point to another by public transport in major Polish cities.

Eating

  • Traditional

In Poland you can find many places called milk bars or dairy bars (bar mleczny) where traditional Polish and Eastern European cuisine are sold. They are subsidized by the state and city authorities, so the prices are very low. Names and locations:

  • Caritas - Plac Wolności
  • Pod Arkadami - Plac Cyryla Ratajskiego 10
  • Przysmak - Ul. Podgórna 2

Normally they are open till 18.00 or 19.00. 'Apetyt' is open until 22:00.

  • Other
  • Chain of diners Piccolo. Cheap pasta/faux-italian dishes. 9PLN for a small serving. (tons of locations, type "Piccolo" in Google Maps to find the nearest one)
  • Chain of diners Gulliver Bar. Cheap pasta and rice dishes, they have vegetarian options. 8PLN for a small serving. (rynek Łazarski 11, Kraszewskiego 9b, Słowiańska 53B, Plac Ratajskiego 6, Marcelińska 94)
  • There's a lot of sketchy looking Kebab restaurants all around the city. Not the best quality but it's a good option if you need a hearty meal for a reasonable price. One of the most popular and cheapest is the Zahir kebab chain. Most of the places are open til late night and carry vegetarian options (falafel). As for winter 2022, you generally shouldn't be paying more than 16PLN for a small kebab.
  • If you're truly desperate for a hot meal, a chain of corner stores named Żabka operate in Poland. They are open 6:00-23:00 and located basically everywhere. You can buy a hot-dog for 5PLN or a reheated panini for 10PLN.
  • Free Food
  • Every Saturday at 17:30 there's a soup kitchen for those in need at the tram stop Dworzec Zachodni PST. It's called Zupa Na Głównym.
  • Poznań has a branch of Food Not Bombs, an anarchist organization distributing food. They give out free meals for everyone on Sundays at 16:00, by the Stary Marych monument on Półwiejska street.
  • Bars and Nightlife
  • Really cheap shot bar called Czupito on one of the corners of the Old Market Square. Warning, it's pretty packed on weekends.
  • Cheapest beer in the city, bar Pomidor (pol. "tomato"), Długa 7.
  • Neighboring clubs Mustang and Pod Minogą. Good drinks, often live music, overall nice place to sit down and chat.

Nowowiejskiego 6 and 8 respectively.

Links