Exchange students and staff
Mikkeli and Pieksämäki are small towns in Eastern Finland. Mikkeli is about 230 km and Pieksämäki about 300 km from Helsinki. The biggest international airport in Finland is Helsinki Airport and most flights arrive there.
The easiest way to get to Mikkeli or Pieksämäki is by train directly from the airport. You need to change trains once at Tikkurila station. You can check the timetables and buy the tickets online.
You can also rent a car from the airport where there are many car rental companies.
At the moment there are no bus connections directly from the airport. If you prefer travelling by bus (only to Mikkeli), you need to go to Helsinki city centre first and then take a bus to Mikkeli. It takes about 45 minutes by bus or train from the airport to Helsinki centre.
Accommodation
If you are coming to student exchange, staff exchange or as accompanying teacher to Esedu, our international office helps you with the accommodation arrangements, if you wish. Below are descriptions of the accommodation possibilities and links to their web pages.
For forestry students we have dormitories in Mikkeli, Salosaari and Pieksämäki, Kuusitie.
Dormitory web pages (only in Finnish)
Accommodation in Mikkeli
For longer exchange periods (a month or more), Mikkeli student housing (MOAS) apartments are the most affordable. They are situated all around the town.
They do have furnished flats as well. The application form on their website seems to be in Finnish, but you can change the language in the right end corner. The best location for the apartment would be either keskusta (city center) or Kalevankangas (at least there they do have furnished apartments). Solu meand shared apartment with own bedroom and shared kitchen/bathroom. If they are 2 students, they should rent a flat with 2 bedroom (2h solu). We will then provide them with blankets, sheets and basic kitchenware.
Hotel and hostel Marja is also an affordable option for longer stays close to the town centre. They have different types of rooms, form single rooms to family rooms with kitchens.
Gasthaus Mikkeli is a small, comfortable and affordable accommodation for all travelers. It is located 1,5 km from the town centre. The rooms vary from single rooms with toilet and shower in the hallway to family rooms with toilet, shower and own entrance.
For incoming teachers and staff we recommed hotel Uusikuu or one of the hotels in the town centre. Hotel Uusikuu in Raviradantie is an unexpensive option. The rooms are for 2-4 persons. You can either book online or ask our international office to help you with the booking.
There are two hotels in Mikkeli town centre, hotel Vaakuna and hotel Scandic.
Accommodation in Pieksämäki
New, cosy hotel in the centre, close to the college and railway station
Work placements
After agreeing on the mobility period and the length of it, our mobility coordinators contact the teachers of your study field at Esedu and send them your CVs and Cover letters. Our teachers find you a work placement that is suitable for your studies.
