Moving to Finland (Lohja)

Armin · Post by **Armin** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 4:39 pm

Moving to Finland (Lohja)

I am currently working in Germany. I have a job offer from a company in Lohja (not far away from Helsinki). I was wondering if the area is well-developed (schools, job opportunities for my spouse or at least finish language classes) or is it better to live in Helsinki.
Is it true that most of the official business can be done in English? Please advise!

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maria_rn · Post by **maria_rn** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 6:52 pm

http://www.kaupunki.lohja.fi/matkailupa ... ?kieli=826

maria_rn · Post by **maria_rn** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 7:02 pm

About Finnish language courses in Lohja: http://www.hiidenopisto.fi/lohja/lohja2.htm#kielet

dave071061 · Post by **dave071061** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:02 am

I've just moved to Lohja from Espoo, and it's a nice place, Only 40 mins from Helsinki by car now the motorway is open, so you could live there and your other half could still work in Helsinki or Espoo.

Houses and Apartments are much cheaper than Helsinki/Espoo, But without Finnish you would be lucky to get work in the area, But as you will see from this board it is difficult even in Helsinki,

Armin · Post by **Armin** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:15 am

I am new in the forum. Thanks a lot for the links and information. I very much appreciate your help. Is there any international school (primary school) or at least a school with emphasis on English or German in the area?

sinikettu · Post by **sinikettu** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 12:56 pm

Armin wrote:I am new in the forum. Thanks a lot for the links and information. I very much appreciate your help. Is there any international school (primary school) or at least a school with emphasis on English or German in the area?

No -- but a bit to the south west of Lohja...Swedish starts to take over from Finnish. Lots of Swedish schools that do push English into kids at an early age.

International schools are only in the big cites..Espoo has some..I only know one German school and that is in central Helsinki.
Although Lohja is a pleasant enough place and quite modern.. it is not a City....just nice lake side town.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 2:01 pm

Armin wrote:or at least a school

I'd be content with that to start with in "Nirgendwoberg".

Armin · Post by **Armin** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:16 pm

Thanks a lot for replies guys. How much a 2 or 3 bedroom flat costs in Lohja (i mean for rent)?
Is it easy to find a fully furnished flat? Back in England it was easy to rent a furnished flat but then in Germany i found it not so easy:) What a bout Finland?

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:13 pm

A flat, pretty easy, if there is one available. Furnished...

What you need to do is ask/demand of your employer/hr department to organize it. A flat rented "by a company" is a prerequisite, as you don't have credit history (nor 4 months rent worth to shell out when you need to be buying furniture)

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:25 pm

dave071061 wrote:I've just moved to Lohja from Espoo, and it's a nice place, Only 40 mins from Helsinki by car now the motorway is open, so you could live there and your other half could still work in Helsinki or Espoo.

Ok, so it's only 40 mins on a Saturday morning if you want to go in for a shop but I'm not sure I would want to commute that far on a daily basis (and petrol is around 1.35 a litre....) . The traffic around Helsinki can be busy during rush hour. It takes me 40 mins to get from Olari (Espoo) to Hakaniemi (centre Helsinki) on a Friday morning (after the rush hour). If your wife is not working then I think she would be MUCH happier in Helsinki/Espoo than in Lohja, unless she enjoys watching daytime TV

Doesn't the Hki-Turku train stop in Lohja????

I can give you more info on schools in Espoo & Helsinki if you need it. But in order to school your kids in Espoo/Helsinki you must be resident there. It is not (usually) possible to live in, say Kirkkoniemi, and send your kids to school in Espoo.

Krisztina · Post by **Krisztina** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:17 am

penelope wrote: Doesn't the Hki-Turku train stop in Lohja????

no...

sinikettu · Post by **sinikettu** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:28 am

I dont think there is even a railway station in Lohja..
But there is a express bus connection.

Penelope is correct commuting into Helsinki or even Espoo from Lohja is a pain in the rush hour...and in the winter...horrible...but if the work is in Lohja...commuting the other way is much easier...no where near the same traffic...because you are going against the traffic flow.

nomad_alien · Post by **nomad_alien** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 12:14 pm

I live in Klaukkala which is closer to Lohja than any other places mentioned here. Yes, there is a train going to Lohja from Espoo I think.
I'm lucky because I got the Tampere highway to drive to work and it very seldom takes me more than 45min to get from home to downtown Helsinki where I work. Using public transport from anywhere outside ring1 will take you the same amount in time commuting.....but at leats you can read a book!

As for living out there.....do not count on using any english/german whatever language excpet Finnish. My personal experience is that after ring3 very few people can or is willing to speak english, so yes, life will be harder out there from a language point of view....unless your significant other like mine is a Finn

sinikettu · Post by **sinikettu** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 12:27 pm

nomad_alien wrote:I live in Klaukkala which is closer to Lohja than any other places mentioned here. Yes, there is a train going to Lohja from Espoo I think.

The Lohja railway station closed about 15 years ago...there is still a line...but it is only used nowdays to transport timber and pulp to/from a paper mill.
The nearest passenger stations are Karjaa or Kirkkonummi.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:43 pm

nomad_alien wrote:I live in Klaukkala

I have my summer cottage there

meet you in the Lidl queue...

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