How Can You Reach Europe Without Flying?

[tumor]

Is there a way for person to get to Europe other than flying on a passenger jet?

 

[singleton]

Once upon a time there were these things called boats...

;)

 

[tribdog]

land bridges, continental drift, teleportation, fax, Fed Ex.

 

[Gokul43201]

If you're in certain parts of Asia, you could walk it...

 

[tumor]

I mean of course going from America(E.coast) to Europe.
You know why am I asking this question anyway?; because couple days ago there was that huge volcano eruption in Iceland and many flights to and from N.America were canceled or rerouted and that got me thinking what if aircrafts won't be able to fly at all to Europe. I have my parents( really old folks))living there, how am I going to get there?
PS I checked some time ago ticket price on a Queen Elizabeth sail from NY to London-prohibitive price

 

[Smurf]

Didn't some guy swim across the atlantic ocean? It took him weeks thought, he's swim for the day, then sleep on an anchored boat, then swim, rinse and repeat.

Seriously, you can take a boat, or fly in an airplane, or swim beside a boat, be dragged along behind the airplane in a parachut (probably not the healthiest), but that's about it

 

[Moonbear]

It's a shorter boat ride across the Bering Strait (or you can wait until it's frozen and walk most of it), then just walk the rest of the way. Bring your long underwear if you want to do that though, it gets a bit chilly up there...brrrrrrr.

Someone tried rowing across, but gave up and called for rescue after her navigation system shorted out and she got blown off course by two or three hurricanes...oh, and she dislocated a shoulder bobbing around in the last hurricane, so claimed she couldn't row anymore...wimp! She had a cabin in a self-righting boat, and while that might have sounded like a good idea, she clearly hadn't considered it would be akin to riding out the tumble cycle in a dryer during especially rough water conditions.

 

[tumor]

Bering strait is maybe 50-70km wide in winter one could walk across.But there is one small problem-polar bears.You going to look to them like nice little snack.
Even if I make it across strait, in siberia are man eating tigers and worst of them all (drunken russians )

 

[arildno]

A Viking ship captained by the Norwegian Ragnar Thorstvedt has made the journey.

tumor: If you ask him nicely, you might be able to loan his boat..

 

[tumor]

Yeah! why not ! How many days took them to cross Atlantic?

There is one option to cross Atlantic in quite comfortable way-GULF STREAM!
I would have to make raft, get some supplies and off I go, slowly but surely to Europe.
I can visit you in Norway Arlindo.

 

[arildno]

You're welcome, tumor!

But I have to warn you:
Most Norwegians regard Ragnar Thorstvedt to be a TRUE Viking; generous to friends, quick to laugh, but also quick to anger..

EDIT:
Oh, I see, you were planning to make your own raft, perhaps that's wiser, after all..

 

[Gokul43201]

Then you could speak to Heyerdahl for expert advise on raft-building...

 

[arildno]

Heyerdahl is dead.

 

[tumor]

Heyerdahl is dead.

When I was small kid I remeber watching on TV his journeys on a raft.
That raft was almost sinking!Man!
Back in my youth we had only 2 TV channels in my country,and almost whole day they were showing nature documentaries because they were obviously much cheaper buy than Hollywood movies.And Thor Heyerdal kon-tiki's expedition I watched maybe 20 times
He was reall Viking to me and still is,little eccentric at times but who is not?

 

[tribdog]

And what type of wood was Heyerdal's Kon-Tiki made out of? ~question from Trivial Pursuit the original edition.

 

[Gokul43201]

Heyerdahl is dead.

You never spoken to dead people ? No ?

C'mon folks...tell arildno that we all speak to dead people !

 

[meteor]

the spanish Kitin Muñoz tried to cross the Atlantic from Barcelona to Cartagena de Indias in a primitive boat. He parted in 2001, but don't ask me if he arrived, I don't have idea
http://www.modelismonaval.net/Reportajes/MataRangiIII/Ingles%20index.htm

 

[the number 42]

Richard Branson did it in a balloon a few years ago. A bit dangerous though.
http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/Team/RichardBranson/index.jsp

 

[Smurf]

You never spoken to dead people ? No ?

C'mon folks...tell arildno that we all speak to dead people !

I've never met anyone who couldn't speak to dead people.. weird.

 

[arildno]

You never spoken to dead people ? No ?

C'mon folks...tell arildno that we all speak to dead people !

Well, we Norwegians find such practices rather gross.
"Live and let live, die and leave dead" is a Norwegian proverb.

 

[tumor]

Sorry guys, but after this ellection and seeing what is going on in M.East my new proverb is; live or die what's the ****ing difference?

 

[Gokul43201]

Is there a way for person to get to Europe other than flying on a passenger jet?

Here's a few possibilities that no one's really tried, so we don't really know if they work :

1. catapult/slingshot/cannon

2. Buy and train a flock of large migratory birds, while at the same time fasting, to cut your weight in half. When ready, harness yourself to the legs of the birds (so that your 80 lb body weight shared by 100 birds, gives each of them less than a pound to carry), .

3. Proposition 2 with helium balloons to help the birds out more, and an umbrella to keep the droppings off you.

4. Buy and train a large team of gophers/rabbits/groundhogs/aardvarks (or other burrowing animal). Begin burrowing at your house. Stop when you reach required destination.

5. Mail yourself to someone in Europe. That was you'll only travel in a cargo plane. (somewhat similar plan has been succesfully executed in past)

6. (This one actually works very often) Join the Navy !

 

[tumor]

3. Proposition 2 with helium balloons to help the birds out more, and an umbrella to keep the droppings off you.

Incredible!balloons of course! why I did not thought of that! I would make one small adjustment.
Why not just hover in the air in one spot for hours while Earth is rotating underneath,this way I would find my self in europe.

 

[arildno]

"Why not just hover in the air in one spot for hours while Earth is rotating underneath,this way I would find my self in europe."

It's a bit more complicated than that, since the air is also rotating with the earth..

 

[matthyaouw]

2. Buy and train a flock of large migratory birds, while at the same time fasting, to cut your weight in half. When ready, harness yourself to the legs of the birds (so that your 80 lb body weight shared by 100 birds, gives each of them less than a pound to carry), .

Hmm... Interesting... I'll have to research this.
The timescales involved may prove difficult for the birds under such stress... I wonder if you could tell me- What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

 

[tumor]

Yes, air is pushing me also, so maybe I would need geese to hold me in place.Gokul43201 was right, i would have to get some birds or propeller.

 

[arildno]

I would go for albatrosses; they've got a nice temper.
That's rather important, or what?

 

[tribdog]

i'd go with hummingbirds. That's flying first class.

 

[arildno]

The problem with humming birds, is that suddenly decide to hover, and refuse to move forwards.

That's why they're called the "mules of the air" (Norwegian proverb)

 

[tumor]

HaH! I have got even better, cheaper and animal friendly way, I'm going to eat beans and stick my ass in the opposite direction and use as a kind of rocket engine

 

[arildno]

You are NOT welcome in Norway if that is to be your means of transportation.
It's bad enough that the Icelanders pester us with layers of ash these days, we certainly won't put up with some farty Americans.

Fart off to France instead..

 

[Moonbear]

2. Buy and train a flock of large migratory birds, while at the same time fasting, to cut your weight in half. When ready, harness yourself to the legs of the birds (so that your 80 lb body weight shared by 100 birds, gives each of them less than a pound to carry), .

That works until they decide to take a break in the middle of the ocean and they are better at floating around than you are. Did you calculate in the added weight of the water once you've been dunked in the ocean?

 

[arildno]

That works until they decide to take a break in the middle of the ocean and they are better at floating around than you are. Did you calculate in the added weight of the water once you've been dunked in the ocean?

That's not relevant, since the birds are gaining a lot of strength by eating fish during their lunch-break

 

[Gokul43201]

Hmm... Interesting... I'll have to research this.
The timescales involved may prove difficult for the birds under such stress... I wonder if you could tell me- What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

That depends on whether its an African swallow or a European one.

Anyways, all I know is that in order to maintain air-speed velocity, the swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second.

 

[tumor]

France?..why not, they have good wine, hot women, but I'm going to have to brush up on my French Au revoir!

 

[Gokul43201]

That's not relevant, since the birds are gaining a lot of strength by eating fish during their lunch-break

Actually, you could do the fishing for them, while flying over the ocean...that way they won't need the break (unless you feel like a bath).

How much additional weight is a fishing line and some worms ?

 

[Gonzolo]

Is there a way for person to get to Europe other than flying on a passenger jet?

It is definately the simplest, and cheapest way, but the next most common and practical ways across the Atlantic IMO are :

- Container ships : some accept passengers (from 4 to 20) for around 100-300$ a night (about 6-12 days to Europe I believe).
- Cruise ship (Queen Mary 2 etc.)
- Charter or private airplane/jet
- Personnal sailboat/yacht

I don't think walking across the Berring Straight and Siberia is very common... But there is an active Trans-Siberian railroad. And I believe a few passenger boats go to Greenland from Canada, perhaps even to Russia, across the Arctic, but I am not sure.

 

[tumor]

Gonzolo?.. how many people go into one container?

 

[Gonzolo]

Gonzolo?.. how many people go into one container?

Only a few, if you plan on breathing O2 for the entire trip ...

Actually, there are beds (dorms or rooms, I am not sure) and you eat at the cafeteria with employees. I have never done it but have looked into it. You apparently need books to pass the time, as there is not much to do (not aloud to work). Understandingly, it is quite a select few who enjoy this type of travel.

 

[Gokul43201]

And not just container ships...I think most bulk carriers will take a few passengers.

 

[tumor]

Do you have more info or link about going on ship to europe? it is not bad idea.

 

[meteor]

One obvious option, though difficult, is to dry the Atlantic ocean and then do the journey walking. But how to dry it? Well, perhaps manipulating the weather... After all is postulated that Mars had seas in the past...

 

[Gonzolo]

I seem to have kept this site in my favorites :

http://www.freightercruises.com/

But many other companies offer the service.

 

[tribdog]

You could go to City Hall and petition to have your town renamed Europe. Then you could go to Europe and still sleep in your own bed.

 

[tumor]

If I go to the City Hall and ask to rename my city Europe, they going to throw me into the insane asylum.! Not very good idea Man!

 

[tribdog]

is the Insane Asylum in Europe?