# Would you drive from London to New York? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 25, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948 "2015-03-25T16:39:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/1 "2015-03-25T16:39:55Z")
Was reading [this](http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/24/travel/trans-siberian-road/index.html) CNN article about a (fantasy) road proposal from Russia that would connect the US via Alaska to eastern Russia, then traverse Russia via an (fantasy proposed) road system that follows the trans-Siberian rail line (which is actually real in this case :p). Feel free to read the article, but the question is, would any 'dopers actually drive this, just for the hell of it? My thoughts are that it would be a seriously cool trip in my car, but my main concerns would be what services would be available for things like gas, food, lodging and potential repairs for folks using the road? What currency would be used and what kinds of legal red tape and customs would be needed to actually do this drive? I think that if all of that were worked out, and there actually was infrastructure and some way to work out the legal and monetary and customs issues that I’d do it, assuming I would still be young enough and fit enough to make the trip of course. What do you all think? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/2 "2015-03-25T16:41:26Z")
HELL YES. Save on airfare, for one thing! I have gotten better about it but I still resent that I have to put aside hundreds of dollars in airfare just to have a vacation! For a few hour flight! ETA: I would much rather have a Transatlantic road. I really don’t have a lot of interest in visiting Russia,. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/3 "2015-03-25T16:45:42Z")
Long ass bridges (or tunnels) make that a giant “NOPE” for me. Even just considering weather and the isolated conditions in Russia, I don’t see how it’s realistically feasible, though. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/4 "2015-03-25T17:09:14Z")
On the one hand, when I first learned of the Pan American Highway, I wanted to drive it. I suspect, however, it wouldn’t be the safest trip. On the other hand, that route is kinda out of the way. What is it - 20000 miles? Even if the route was all US Interstate quality, that’s a haul. On the third hand, if they made a tunnel from London to NYC, that might be doable. A transatlantic tunnel? Hurrah! ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/5 "2015-03-25T17:17:29Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > HELL YES. Save on airfare, for one thing! I have gotten better about it but I still resent that I have to put aside hundreds of dollars in airfare just to have a vacation! For a few hour flight! > > ETA: I would much rather have a Transatlantic road. I really don’t have a lot of interest in visiting Russia,. Ummm. Its gonna cost you quite a bit in food, lodging, and gasoline. Plus wear and tear on your car. Not to mention 300 HOURS of driving give or take. Some people probably get crappy Masters Degrees with comparable effort. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/6 "2015-03-25T17:34:58Z")
A bridge between Siberia & Alaska would be cool, but I can’t imagine driving all the way across Russia. That’s a long ass boring drive. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/7 "2015-03-25T17:36:39Z")
Maybe a Stuckies every hundred miles or so would make it tolerable? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/8 "2015-03-25T17:41:17Z")
Russia needs a Musk Hyperloop running east to west. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/9 "2015-03-25T17:49:41Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > HELL YES. Save on airfare, for one thing! Let’s think about that. London to New York is about 3400 miles, assuming our bridge is a straight shot across a great circle. A reasonable car gets about 30mpg on the highway. That’s 113 gallons of fuel to get across. Even at very cheap current American gas prices of around $2.50 a gallon, you’re looking at nearly $300 in gas alone just for the one-way trip. That doesn’t include three or four days worth of food and supplies you’ll need for the trip. Of course, Bob’s Middle of the Atlantic Gas Station & Snack Emporium can probably charge a hefty premium given that there’s little competition in the middle of the high seas. I can find cheapo one-way airfares for $500 and that gets me there in one day, and I don’t have to drive the airplane. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/10 "2015-03-25T17:50:39Z")
I would be worried about Atlantic storms with 80 foot waves. Other than that, no problem. I’d probably gripe about the cost of gas and food when they got you by the …uh, wrists, but I’d still do it. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/11 "2015-03-25T17:55:16Z")
Considering how much the airlines have made me detest flying recently, and how much I truly enjoy driving, yes, I’d do it. Such a long journey in a tunnel would be a little depressing, but if they could somehow alternate above ground with below ground, it would probably be pretty cool. Still and all, I’d rather see them do a bullet train type arrangement where you could load up your car and have it when you go there. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/12 "2015-03-25T18:09:50Z")
I know there’s wear and tear on the car and gas. But the difference is, 1. I am probably going to put that mileage and wear and tear on my car eventually anyway 2. there’s two of us. 3. That way the traveling becomes part of the vacation 4. I love flying. I don’t like everything about flying. The car is my own personal space. 5. Hey! Maybe google cars would be a help here! ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/13 "2015-03-25T18:09:54Z")
Sure. I have a fascination with covering long distances over land, and I have no aversion to hard travel. I’d rather be on a train, or even a bus, however. Then I could string it together as a series of overnight trips, and spend my days sightseeing. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/14 "2015-03-25T18:24:06Z")
**mika** , you’re crazy. 🙂 You can cover about 1,000 miles a day by car under the absolute best circumstances (say, driving only on superhighways after a zombie apocalypse.) You’re talking about a journey of three weeks, minimum. Maybe two if you sleep in shifts and drive almost constantly. > [@friedo](#): > > Let’s think about that. London to New York is about 3400 miles, assuming our bridge is a straight shot across a great circle. A reasonable car gets about 30mpg on the highway. That’s 113 gallons of fuel to get across. Even at very cheap current American gas prices of around $2.50 a gallon, you’re looking at nearly $300 in gas alone just for the one-way trip. That doesn’t include three or four days worth of food and supplies you’ll need for the trip. Of course, Bob’s Middle of the Atlantic Gas Station & Snack Emporium can probably charge a hefty premium given that there’s little competition in the middle of the high seas. I can find cheapo one-way airfares for $500 and that gets me there in one day, and I don’t have to drive the airplane. We’re talking about going the long way around: London to Paris via ferry/Chunnel, then driving across Eurasia to the proposed Alaska bridge, then through Canada down to NY. I think that’d be about 18,000 miles as the crow flies (and obviously much more since you can’t drive as the crow flies.) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/15 "2015-03-25T18:26:52Z")
That’s better than flying as the crow drives. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/16 "2015-03-25T18:29:16Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > **mika** , you’re crazy. 🙂 You can cover about 1,000 miles a day by car under the absolute best circumstances (say, driving only on superhighways after a zombie apocalypse.) You’re talking about a journey of three weeks, minimum. Maybe two if you sleep in shifts and drive almost constantly. > We’re talking about going the long way around: London to Paris via ferry/Chunnel, then driving across Eurasia to the proposed Alaska bridge, then through Canada down to NY. > > I think that’d be about 18,000 miles as the crow flies (and obviously much more since you can’t drive as the crow flies.) Yeah I think the long way around is kind of crazy, though you could still do it with a camper and take like a month off (or be retired). That would almost be fun. Unfortunately we have to work for a living. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/17 "2015-03-25T18:33:15Z")
Why would anyone want to drive from London to New York? New York to London, now that’s a different story. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/18 "2015-03-25T19:01:05Z")
Wasn’t this one of Lyndon LaRouche’s top priorities for his crazy followers? [Ah yes,](http://www.schillerinstitute.org/russia/rus_eal_chronology.html) it is. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/19 "2015-03-25T19:04:10Z")
Can’t wait to explain to the office IT people why I’m clicking on links to pages with terms like “Anglo-American financier oligarchy” in them. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e79b87/32.png) [@The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Joker_and_the_Thief)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948/20 "2015-03-25T19:30:59Z")
Why wait? The Bering Strait freezes over in the winter. You can already\* drive from New York to Fairbanks, through the tundra for hundreds of miles, over the frozen Bering Strait, through Siberia, Russia, Europe, and then through the Chunnel service tunnel to reach London (I consider the Eurotunnel cheating). In fact, if you’re really ambitious, you could start in Tierra Del Fuego and drive north, and you’d only have to navigate the Darién Gap. \*No one has ever done this before, and the Bering Strait has only been successfully crossed twice, and even then by foot. But it’s not definitively impossible. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-drive-from-london-to-new-york/715948.md?page=2)