TRAVELLING TO JOENSUU, FINLAND -INFORMATION also about Teneriffe and Corfu

First: Erasmus+ studies are always a permission to arrive Finland, even during this covid-19 pandemic situation.

Now, from 21st June 2021, tourism, studying and working trips are all allowed to Finland from EU countries. Anyway, you need your vaccine certificate, covid-19 certificate (you had virus inside 6 months) or covid-test result. You perhaps must take other test after 72 hours arriving the country. No quarentine.

From Romania, Iceland, Poland, Hungary, Malta, Vatican and San Marino travelling is now free without any covid documents. There can be more these "Green countries" in beginning of June.

City of Joensuu locates about 450 kilometers to North-East from Helsinki and it is a capital city of North Karelia region with more than 75 000 inhabitants. City website:
http://www.joensuu.fi/en/web/english

Courses in Teneriffe, Spain will be organized in city of Playa de las Americas. Nearest airport is Reina Sofia (Teneriffe South). Because island is not so big, you can also land in North airport and take a bus there or rent a car.

In Corfu (greek Κέρκυρα), Greece, courses (Healthy teachers - healthy school and Modern school leadership, both courses starting in Corfu 2023) will take place in Corfu city, not far from Corfu international airport. Corfu airport code CFU.

ACCOMODATION SUGGESTION IN 2021, JOENSUU

In Joensuu everything is near if you live in city center. Good hotels near course place are example Sokos hotel Vaakuna, Scandic hotel Joensuu, hotel Lietsu and hotel Green star, www.greenstar.fi. Opposite to course place you can find also ISLO hostel, rooms are also with small kitchen. In Joensuu there are also very good airbnb apartments.


From Helsinki you can reach city of Joensuu normally by three different ways:

1. by airplane
- Joensuu (airport code JOE) locates 450 km from Helsinki(airport code HEL) to North-East.Daily flights between Helsinki-Joensuu is operated by Amapola airplane company https://www.amapola.nu/?___store=en&___from_store=... .
Airport of Joensuu is about 10 km from Joensuu center, busses and taxi cars are very quick going to city center after flight.


- Ryanair is flying to Lappeenranta (city 230 km from Joensuu, Very good train connection to Joensuu. They fly also to Tampere sometimes.

Ask your travel agency, if you can fly to Joensuu example by Air France tickets etc. Helsinki airport locates in city of Vantaa, so airport name is Helsinki-Vantaa. 2021 they have flights mainly in summer time.

- To Lappeenranta (city 230 km from Joensuu by train). Check the cities from Ryanair website. From Lappeenranta it is easy to take a train to Joensuu (two hours).

- To Tampere (city 450 km from Joensuu by train) planes leave from Bremen (Germany) now. Also train connection to Joensuu.
Remember to check these flights from Ryanair.com website. From Tampere or Lappeenranta it is quite easy to take a train to Joensuu. Lappeenranta is closer to Joensuu (230 km) than Tampere or Helsinki. Some of these flights are available only in summer time. www.ryanair.com . Corona situation can change things... From Lappeenranta you can take train to Joensuu.

2. by train

Cheapest and perhaps now also the best way now between Helsinki-Joensuu-Helsinki.

Finnish trains are very comfortable and not very expensive if you buy your ticket in time. Finnish national railway company, VR, website is www.vr.fi (they serve also in English). Cheaper "saver" train tickets are sold earliest 60 days before trip and I think latest about two weeks before your trip, if discount tickets are still available. In trains you can find restaurants and free wifi.

Cheapest "Saver" tickets are about 25 €/one way. (Basic tickets are about from 41 euros to 56 euros /one way.)

You can take local train from Helsinki-Vantaa airport to Tikkurila or Helsinki railway station and jump to Joensuu train. Or you can take a Finnair bus from Helsinki airport to Helsinki main railway station. Local train from airport is included into you train ticket to Joensuu. Or if you use example Ryanair to Lappeenranta, there is 230 km from Lappeenranta to Joensuu by train, bus or rented car.

If you want, you can also take also a train from Joensuu or Helsinki to Russian metropol St. Petersburg, before or after you visit. Of course you normally need a visa to Russia if you are EU citizen. Electric VISA to Russia for EU citizens is available in 2021.

Traveling by train to St. Petersburg from Joensuu or Helsinki takes about 4- hours. Travelling to Russia is still closed because of COVID-19 situation. Getting better with UEFA EURO2021 football.

3. by bus

Also one way is to travel between Helsinki-Joensuu. Busses are ok to travel and tickets and timetables you can find from portal www.matkahuolto.fi (also in English).
From internet you can buy these bus tickets in lower price earliest 32 days before trip. Bought from a bus, ticket is little more expencive. Credit cards are not always accepted in matkahuolto busses, so prepare with cash.

Also low fare bus company, Onnibus, operates between Helsinki-Joensuu-Helsinki. This

Onnibus company website you find here! Cheap rate in one way can be normally example 15 euros (or cheaper) between Helsinki-Joensuu, depends how "early bird" rate you get. Onnibus does not accept cash, so you have to pay it by debit/credit card even in a bus. From airport you have to take train or bus to Helsinki center bus station (Kamppi shopping center, near Helsinki railway station) to get in the Onnibus going to Joensuu. Changes with timetables are now more possible, so check and follow them.