Looking for a route from Alaska to Europe
 

Hello all! I am planning another excusion, this time to England via the Bering strait, and Alaska, originating in Calgary, Alberta. If anyone could provide links to, or has any info about the roads in the far east it would be greatly appreciated. Any info on flights from Anchorage to where i should begin the trip in Russia as well. Doesn't seem to be much info out there, although i know many people have done this.

Thanks in advance,
Jay Wright

Generally speaking not possible. This has been addressed in previous threads. It is physically impossible to cross the Bering Strait in anything except a snowmachine or light tracked vehicle, and then only in the middle of the winter; and very dangerous due to currents and broken ice. There are no continuous roads from the N. American road net to anywhere near the Bering Strait. It can be crossed in a boat in the summer but there is NO ferry service. There is no scheduled boat traffic from Alaska to the Russian Far East. There may be one Russian airline running flights from Anchorage to the Russian Far East at least in the summer, not too frequently.
I plan to get to the road from Chita to Magadan accordingly:
Drive from Anchorage (where I live) to Savannah, Georgia (about 5000 miles). Put Unimog on Wallenius Wilhelmsen ro-ro ship to Australia, via Panama Canal. Spend a year in Australia, then ship to SE Asia, go thru southern China, Tibet, Sinkiang, Outer Mongolia. Sounds a bit circuitous?

Charlie

Possibly worth checking out the Long Way Round book / DVD by Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman. They got a flight from far east Russia to Alaska. Mind you, they had the backing of a large support staff, BMW and a few others and very very deep pockets.
Oh, and I'm sure being famous has the ability to open a usually closed door.

:innocent:

Bering Straits
 

Crossing the Bering Straits on the ice between Alaska and Russia is not quite the impossible dream, nor just the provinvce of light vehicles. The Ford Motor Co tried a promotional drive from London to New York in 1993 which included driving across the winter ice in Ford Mavericks.

Sadly they failed in their ambition as the ice that winter was not considered sufficiently thick to support their adventure cars and they had to put them on a boat.

Fuller details can be found at BBC - h2g2 - Overland Challenge - Overview

There are no real roads/tracks northeast of Magadan but there are towns and always routes to them, even through the snow, created by the few people living there.

Famoulsy, an Englishman walking RTW from Tierra Del Fuego, walked across last year and was duly arrested in Russia for not reporting at a recognised Immigration Station to get his Entry Visa and Registration validated. He just kept walking instead of turning left at the shore! After some diplomatic wrangling he was allowed to continue west.

Since time could be recorded in some form, people and animals have crossed this ice in winter. So why not......

Sorry for getting technical, but most of the people and all the animals got across when sea level was 100 m. lower and there was a "land bridge". the only exception possibly being the Eskimos, who crossed by water after sea level rose. However, it is doubtful they were foolhardy enough to cross on the ice; they most likely used small boats, in the summer.

Charlie

They, like others before, used the Russian airlines. Unless the Russian airlines flights have resumed this year, 2005 was the last year from/to Alaska and north east Russia. Last year I made plans to fly with the Russian airlines and was assured by the shipping company that I would get a flight. After arriving in Anchorage and a week wait the news was that there would be no more flights from/to Anchorage and Russia north east.

siberia 2008
 

Hey Jay! i am planning a similar trip. did you have any luck finding a flight across? i am looking, but found nothing firm. please let me know any flight details you may have!
thanks! dan