Joensuu

From Hitchwiki
Revision as of 18:53, 25 March 2008 by Ankii (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Joensuu is a city in the east of Finland.

<map lat='62.611666942941866' lng='29.82513427734375' zoom='10' view='0' float='right'/>

Hitching out

South towards Lappeenranta, the border of Russia

Take a bus (101, 102 or 103) to Reijola. The buses leave on the north-east corner of the market square, in the crossing of Siltakatu and Kauppakatu. Notice that the buses run once or twice an hour. It takes about 30 minutes to get to Reijola, you can ask the driver for help. There's a gas station on the leftern side at the crossing of Vanha Valtatie/Reijolanraitti and Joensuuntie/Highway #6. Hop off here! You can either ask the drivers at the gas station or go to a bus stop in the crossing (if the gas station is behind you, to the left is Joensuu and to the right is Lappeenranta).

West towards Kuopio ("Kuopiontie", the road number 17)

The street called "Siltakatu" right in the center of Joensuu will bring you to the hitching spot. Walk towards west, meaning to the opposite direction of the trainstation and the river, until you reach "Länsikatu", which crosses "Siltakatu". Take the right side of the street and cross "Länsikatu". Take the sandy walking path (the road is on the left side and a school on the right side) and keep on walking for some while. There's a bus stop on the left-hand side (a path takes you there). If you reach Heinäpurontie or Kaislakatu, you've walked too far. The problem with this place is that there's a lot of traffic inside the city.

Another option is to take the bus number 2 to Marjala (runs about twice an hour). Hop off at Marjalantie (ask the driver). Walk to the same direction as the bus goes. Turn left after a couple of hundred meters later, walk past an ABC gas station (open 24h, café, restaurant, free toilets, moderate priced grocery store) and cross the bridge over the highway. Go down the small hillside, before the ramp, to the shoulder of the road. I've usually hitch hiked under the bridge (comes in handy if it's raining) or right after it. You can also ask some drivers at the gas station mentioned above.

South-West towards Varkaus, Jyväskylä, Tampere, Mikkeli, Helsinki (the road number 23)

The starting place as going westwards. About 25 kilometers after Joensuu, take the road number 23, which turns left (towards Varkaus). In Varkaus: To go to Jyväskylä or Tampere, stay on the road number 23. To go to Helsinki, take the highway 5 towards south (towards Mikkeli).