The young migrant worker from China was aiming for his home in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province, after setting off from Rizhao - over 1,700km away.
But he was stopped by traffic police 500km off course, in the central Chinese province of Anhui.
When they found out, the police paid for a train ticket to get him home.
The man had set off from Rizhao, in Shandong province, in December.
A report from the People's Online Daily said the man had been living in internet cafes and was low on funds.
