Nome Travel Forum

I'm planning a trip to Nome, next summer, and i'd like to have a means of transport. The problem is that i'm 19 and too young to really rent a car/truck. Usually you should be 21/25. To be honest, the rentals I have seen there are a little expensive anyway ($80+ per day), but I was wondering if anyone had any bright ideas? I wouldn't mind a quad, if the rental on them wasn't so bad and I could be insured, but obviously it's not ideal if I'm carrying luggage (including a tent) on the back. So, my options seem to be - ask the rental companies if they'll rent me a car even though i'm 19 ("i'll treat it well, honest!"), rent a quad and freeze, buy a car there or pay someone for the use of their car and obviously pay for the insurance whilst i'm driving.

I should probably set the scene. Like I said, i'm 19. I'm from the UK and will have a full UK license (for less than 1 year though). I'm planning to travel to Nome and stay for around 2-3 weeks. Camping - to save some money and it looks fun. I'm planning on spending a fair bit of time Gold Mining around Nome beach, maybe up the hills a bit too (wherever it's allowed without a permit). I'd like to see surrounding villages/towns in my own time and at my own pace though, so i guess what I'm asking is -

1: Is there any hope of renting a car/truck/quad that you know of?
2: Assuming soeone was stu.. kind* enough to lend me their car, would insurance be easy enough to get a hold of?
3: If I bought a car, would insurance be easy enough and would there be any other bureaucracy to deal with?
4: Do you live in Nome and want to lend me a car for 2-3 weeks next June/July? =D

Thanks, Andrew.

I meant gold panning ^ not gold mining, worry not, people of Nome :)

Thanks for your reply, I had a feeling someone would say that though :P Nothing's set in stone, so i'm still open to ideas. I definitely want to see Nome, but maybe 2-3 weeks would be a bit long. Gold panning is a must though. I'm thinking of spending a few days, maybe a week around Nome. Spending a little more time on the Alaska Marine Highway System and stopping off at random places. It's all getting a little bit crazy, to be honest, but it's fun thinking about it. I stopped midway through typing this to look at flights from the US to Japan. Originally, I wanted to see Nome and some other parts of Alaska. So, flight from the UK to Seattle (or somewhere else) on to Anchorage and then an internal to further flung parts of Alaska. Then I decided I'd come back via China and the trans-siberian. Now I've added Japan and a ferry to China or...hang on, maybe I could fit South Korea in there too.. :D

But, we'll see. I've had a poke around and I don't think I'd be stuck without a car. It'd save me money and worry the parents less, if anything.

My hunch, after spending a lot of time in Nome over the years, is that you can probably work something out with a local on an informal basis. Folks in Nome are a friendly bunch that enjoy fellow odd ducks. Hang out at the Board of Trade Bar for a few nights and you can probably find someone willing to help.
Locals aren't as friendly with the organized tour cattle drive types, but treat the independent traveller well. It is formidable country with dramatic weather shifts. Camping isn't the easiest - never seen so many bugs.

Thanks for the tip, but like Palo said, i'm underage in the USA, sadly, RickinDutch. I'm a male by the way, Palo_Verde :P I think my best plan of action is to hitch, walk and try the public transport/mass transit. I might miss some things, but this way I'll be able to talk to locals and gain some insight I wouldn't be able to, in a car by myself.
As you said, RickinDutch, the locals are more likely to give me some time as an independant traveller and I'd like to embrace that by asking them who they are, how they, or their families, ended up in Alaska.
I've heard of a company that fly from Anchorage to Petro-Pavlovsk, that could be interesting. Seeing the Russian Navy in their hometown and maybe dipping down to South Korea on a ferry. There's so many options, but so little time and money :)

Thanks for the tip, but like Palo said, i'm underage in the USA, sadly, RickinDutch. I'm a male by the way, Palo_Verde :P I think my best plan of action is to hitch, walk and try the public transport/mass transit. I might miss some things, but this way I'll be able to talk to locals and gain some insight I wouldn't be able to, in a car by myself.
As you said, RickinDutch, the locals are more likely to give me some time as an independant traveller and I'd like to embrace that by asking them who they are, how they, or their families, ended up in Alaska.
I've heard of a company that fly from Anchorage to Petro-Pavlovsk, that could be interesting. Seeing the Russian Navy in their hometown and maybe dipping down to South Korea on a ferry. There's so many options, but so little time and money :)

There is the issue of age. Woops.
Flight service between Alaska and Russia has been discontinued last I heard. Bering Air had flights between Nome and Magadan and other small towns. ALaska Air had flights between Anchorage and P-K. Both have discontinued those as the thrill of the opening of the Soviet Far East wore off and reality set in.
Had a friend needed to get to PK last year - flew all the way around the world the other way to get there. There is a regional Russian carrier that still has charter cargo flights between Alaska and Russia but I'm not sure who that is. Cyrillic alphabet not my cup of tea.
Good luck!

Andrew
Nome is a very small town, and you can easily walk anywhere you want to go. If you are striking out along the roads to Teller or Quartz lake, im sure you wont have much trouble hitching a ride. So I wouldnt worry that much about renting a vehicle. I doubt it would be worth the expense anyways.

If you are prepared for some weather and bugs, I think youll have the time of your life.

Mike