Okay this is a weird scenario but I’m going to have to go through it in a few years so thats why I’m asking. I’m hoping to study in Russia for my PhD in the future (I’m still in my undergrad so there’s quite a bit of time before then) but I don’t really want to fly over the Atlantic.

This is such a weird fear but when I go I want to bring my dogs with me, they’re a bit bigger which means they’d be forced into the luggage area, which sucks for very long flights (I’ve read too many horror stories). So I thought, hey, what if I just do a quick flight over the Bering strait into Siberia and then just take the train to Moscow? Sure, it’d be way longer but at least my dogs wouldn’t be stuck in cargo while flying over the ocean (I mean, what if we crashed? I may survive but its a death sentence for them). I’m even willing to take a boat (I have a huge fear of boats and thalassophobia) across the strait or pacific if it means I can keep my dogs close in the event of a disaster.

Unfortunately, when I looked at travel plans no passenger boats or planes are allowed over the strait, what?! I guess it may be due to governments hating each other but, damn, this really screws up my plans. Are there any other reason why we can’t travel via the strait? Will this rule ever change in the future? Also, even without the strait, every travel option wants to take me over the Atlantic/North Pole eastward and avoid going west at all costs, why is this?

Also, the only way I’d be able to take the Bering strait was if I smuggled myself and the dogs on a cargo ship, which is a hilarious image but I’m not willing to do that lol

  • FishLake
    7·
    9 months ago

    Also, even without the strait, every travel option wants to take me over the Atlantic/North Pole westward and avoid going east at all costs, why is this?

    It’s often a much shorter distance to fly a transpolar route than a straight line on a map. This is because earth is a sphere.

    • SpaceDogsOP
      1·
      9 months ago

      See that’s interesting because people said traveling over the North Pole was longer due to the curve… also I just realized I got my east and west mixed up…

    • SpaceDogsOP
      3·
      9 months ago

      But what about me and my needs?? /s

      In all seriousness that really sucks, besides my want to a more convenient travel plan, the Bering strait just seems like a good thing overall and would be beneficial in general.

      Maybe if I appeal to the Russian government super hard they’ll make an exception just for me lol

      It’s such a bummer that both the US and Canada have such shit relations with Russia…

  • ComradeSalad
    61·
    9 months ago

    There’s no demand for flights like that, so no airline bothers to fly it. How many people would be transiting Vancouver Vladivostok regularly?

    Also you say that long flights worry you. But that in itself is a massive flight. You are still crossing the entire North Pacific.

    Also boats are not allowed because it is to dangerous. Icebergs, ice flows, and the lack of any nearby coast guard or naval presence would be a death trap, there is very little maritime traffic in that region unless it specially needs to be there for a very important reason.

    • SpaceDogsOP
      1·
      9 months ago

      There’s no demand for flights like that, so no airline bothers to fly it.

      Yeah that makes sense, I figured it’d be worth a shot anyway…

      I was assuming the flight would be shorter due to the distance on the map looking shorter, specifically where Alaska and Siberia “meet” but I guess I was wrong. I should’ve specified it’s more about flying over the ocean for longer than just the flight itself but having a shorter flight altogether is “better.” Again, I thought flying over that part of the North Pacific would grant me less time over the water.

      The boat thing makes sense too, and cargo ships are built differently I assume so there’s that difference… well if anything flying over the pole might be my best option. Thank you for the comment, it did help me out quite a bit!

    • SpaceDogsOP
      3·
      9 months ago

      Russian/American puppies 😭 They should really make a movie about this. I don’t know if this will help either but it’s a nice story and I’m glad you shared it (even though some of the pups passed…). Maybe it will help me in the near future, who knows.

    • SpaceDogsOP
      2·
      9 months ago

      It seems like such a simple and easy travel route but our governments make it needlessly difficult… I don’t want to travel the Atlantic! I refuse it!