Travel

Wizards have a number of ways to travel in addition to conventional muggle travel which is most often relegated to muggles. In the UK the most common and accessibly forms of travel are Floo Powder using the Floo Network to reach any place in Europe, broom riding for short-distance travel and cupboard or ships (with a passport granted by the Ministry of Magic)for international travel.

1. Floo Powder - this will move wizards through the Floo network in the UK. This is monitored by the Ministry.

It is safe to say that every Wizard Home and Pureblood Wizard Home has access to the Floo Network in their own home. Muggle households cannot be attached to the Floo Network. Major locations such as Diagon Alley also have access to the Floo Network and private households and establishments in wizarding cities such as Hogsmeade are also connected to the Floo Network.

There is a book that is delivered annually to wizarding households and establishments called the Purple Pages, a lavender-hued soft-cover book that is about 100 pages in length bound in twine that lists all of the present locations attached to the Floo Network. For a location to become connected to the Floo Network they must submit a variety of bureaucratic forms to the Ministry of Magic including the name of the location with proper pronunciation. No two locations can share an exact name but many locations are similar.

There are Floo networks located all over the world. Due to the incredible size and the maintenance necessary to keep the networks clean and working and due to international regulation Floo Networks are limited to their continent using the seven continent model:

1. Asia
2. Africa
3. Europe
4. North America
5. South America
6. Australia/Oceania
7. Antarctica

The exception being Antarctica, due to their very low population they do not have a Floo Network.

It is notable that multiple Ministries of Magic can be found in Europe and Asia, in 2010 and 2014 respectively a collective agreement for shared Floo Networks was agreed upon as a cooperative effort to ease the rigors of transport and also to reduce the monopoly that the MacMillan family [see below] has gained over international travel. Meaning in 2010 the collective continent of Europe decided to share their vast floo network. In 2014 Asia did the same with the collective continent of Asia. There is no means of floo travel between continents, so someone cannot travel by floo from London to Tokyo for instance but they can travel from New Delhi, India to Tokyo, Japan.

Hogwarts, like all schools of magic is connected to the floo network, however the fireplaces are warded and under lock and key.

2. Cupboards - this goes between two places. They are rather uncommon because they are a family secret of the MacMillan family and a rather recent invention. They are however one of the primary means of travel overseas to other networks due to their relative ease in use and speed despite the fact that they are only good for short-term, long-distance travel.

Considered to be security threats, there are no known cupboards in the Ministry of Magic or in Hogwarts. However, these are a means of trans-Atlantic Travel at international transport centers. There are two dozen transport centers that use cupboards to connect one another in the world, owned by the Macmillan Family. The London location is also connected to the Floo Network under the name "Macmillan London Center."

Locations include:

• London, Great Britain, Europe
• Andorra la Vella, Andorra, Europe
• Sofia, Bulgaria, Europe
• Berlin, Germany, Europe
• Rome, Italy, Europe
• Vaduz, Liechtenstein, Europe
• Oslo, Norway, Europe
• Madrid, Spain, Europe
• Paris, France, Europe
• Vancouver, Canada, North America
• New York City, New York, North America
• São Paulo, Brazil, South America
• Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America
• Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Africa
• Antananarivo, Madagascar, Africa
• Beijing, China, Asia
• Dhaka, Bangladesh, Asia
• New Delhi, India, Asia
• Tehran, Iran, Asia
• Tokyo, Japan, Asia
• Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Asia
• Islamabad, Pakistan, Asia
• Wellington, New Zealand, Australia/Oceana
• Canberra, Australia/Oceana

The term "Macmillan [insert above listed city] Center" is how they are accessed via the Floo Network in that continent's city to be accessed with the continent via the floo network. Travel is instant but the cupboards are not particularly sizable so travel with more than a carry-on piece of luggage is not considered viable. This works for brief business trips but it is not a viable option for long-term travel.

Travel can be pricy as the MacMillan family has developed a monopoly over international travel. As such in 2010 and 2014 many of the continental Floo Networks were consolidated. However, their monopoly does not extent to long-term travel due to the limited space in the cupboards.

3. Ships - There are two types of ships used for transportation. The first being the Diver and the second being the Mist Glider.

The Diver is seen with a conventional ship with great towering sails and mast, they sink into the water at one location and then rise again at a secondary location. This process is common when transporting a large group of people between locations that have a large body of water that have excessive luggage. The process usually takes about three hours to magically travel from one place to another where time passes normally for those on the ship.

Ships require a large, deep body of water such as a lake, sea or ocean. Due to their size and their obvious presence, ships are often used between wizard-based communities that exist near large bodies of water. For instance Durmstrang and Hogwarts both have large bodies of water near their schools and a ship can easily travel between these locations without drawing the attention of muggles. However, it is not possible to do this with Beauxbatons Academy of Magic because they do not have a major body of water nearby nor is this possible in London despite having large bodies of water nearby because of the large population of muggles.

There is an alterative form of the Ship, known as a Mist Glider. Muggles know them as "ghost ships" or rather ships they see emerge from a mist out of seemingly nowhere. This is usually done several miles out to sea to maintain secrecy, however errors happen. As a mist seems to consume the ship, making it almost invisible as it moves at a speed faster than what is possible on a muggle seafaring vessel. Allowing the ship to move quickly over large distances in a matter of hours rather than days. They take on a regular appearance several miles from their destination. A transatlantic journey by Mist Glider takes about 5 days, a little more than one-third of the time it would take for a conventional muggle vessel to make the same journey.

This only works in oceans or seas due to the massive distance required for travel.

Timing Assistance: It takes about 3 hours for a Diver to make a trip but it can only make the dive between isolated bodies of water, making its use very limited. A Mist Glider is about three times the speed of a muggle cruise ship.

4. Brooms - Used for personal transportation often locally, brooms can be ridden over long distances with difficulty in terms of rider endurance and the general perils of long-term travel. A rider can only carry a limited amount of luggage with them so this is impractical for long trips. Each broom is intended to carry one person although some have space for two or even a family, it is again impractical for carrying large groups of people for an extended period of time. The largest brooms are most certainly the brooms more common in northern and eastern Europe as well as northern Asia where trees are sometimes employed as a means of flight, something that Koldovstoretz is well known for in fact. Brooms are however the cheapest and most private form of travel. Where the floo system is monitored by the respective Ministry that oversees the floo network, traveling by ship or cupboard requires a passport as well as substantial funds, a broom is yours once bought and only needs to be maintained, you are not actively monitored on your broom and can go and do as you well please on your broom.

Timing Assistance: Consider this to be the speed of a car moving at 35 miles per hour or 55 kilometers per hour "as the crow flies" to a location if you are looking to determine how long it would take to travel there without stopping. As the crow flies is a term for moving straight to a location. So while by car something may be 30 miles away because there are turns or dips, if you were to take a straight line rules from point A to B the distance is likely shorter, perhaps 21 miles. At 35mph it will take 0.6 hours to travel 21 miles, or 36 minutes.

5. Trains - A common means of public transportation, they can be found in most major muggle cities (such as London). These trains cannot traverse major bodies of water (such as an ocean) but are a popular means of transport due to their relatively universal accessibility to both muggleborn wizards and wizardborn wizards attending school as well as their ability to facilitate the transport of luggage. Train rides are commonly only a few hours but the further the location the longer it will take to travel. It takes about three hours to ride the train from the London station to Hogsmeade however it would be about a ten hour journey from London to Moscow.

Every capital city having a wizarding train connected to the Wizards Railway, a rather unofficial term for a set of rails throughout countries. The United States being a collective of states has a train connected in the capital city of every state with the exception of New York as the rain station is in New York City. In Canada, Australia, China and New Zealand there is a train station in each providence. In Russia, there is a train station in each oblast (there are 46).

It is rather simple universally for wizards to identify the wizarding line because it is always 9 3/4, a necessity so wizards are able to find their train without removing the illusion and breaking the statute of secrecy.

Time assistance: Divide the driving time by 3 for the time it would take to travel between locations. So if you google that it takes 21 hours to drive from point A to point B, it would take only 7 hours via Train.

6. Motor cars/ Motor bikes - Uncommon since this is illegal to produce, some families with means have found ways of skirting the rules here.

These are rather limited in their use because they move at about the speed of a flying broom. They often seat riders more comfortably but are illegal so they cannot be observed in wizarding communities and due to the statute of secrecy they cannot be seen in muggle communities.

A car/motorbike is defined as a muggle artifact. It is considered to be illegal to enchant a car under British Ministry law. There are a limited number of known private vehicles that are enchanted.

Timing Assistance: These drive at the speed of a vehicle but often the routes are longer and more scenic" to avoid detection.

7. Flying Carpet - Uncommon since this has been illegal for a number of years, old flying carpets can be still found in the possession of old families that have taken good care of the carpet.

These carpets are not particularly easy to ride, contrary to media claims but they do carry multiple people (2-3) with ease or a small compliment of luggage making them superior in some ways to brooms. Magic carpets have a higher skill level to use.

The speed is the same as brooms but they are not nearly as nimble (there is a reason Quidditch is not played on flying carpet).

Carpets were defined as muggle artifacts in terms of enchanting making them illegal to enchant for flight. They were not always illegal so there are a number of old wizarding families that might have a very old enchanted carpet, however this carpet would be from about the great-great-great grandfather era for most of our student players. It would be very rare. It is actually not technically illegal to use one, just to make one. Flying carpets were uncommon in Europe but they were more common in Asian countries which is why games such as quidditch were met with reticence decades ago. Over the years, the other Ministries including those in Asia have taken on similar laws same law regarding the enchanting of muggle artifacts. However flying carpets exist to this day in Asian counties due to the love of tradition and honor for their culture felt in many Asian countries, so while their carpets may be aged they are kept in good condition and have been passed down in families. However these carpets are carefully cared for and preserved, it is relatively common for a pureblooded youth in Asia to say "my father has our family carpet and only brings it out for special occasions."

Timing Assistance: Consider this to be the speed of a car moving at 35 miles per hour or 55 kilometers per hour "as the crow flies" to a location if you are looking to determine how long it would take to travel there without stopping. As the crow flies is a term for moving straight to a location. So while by car something may be 30 miles away because there are turns or dips, if you were to take a straight line rules from point A to B the distance is likely shorter, perhaps 21 miles. At 35mph it will take 0.6 hours to travel 21 miles, or 36 minutes.

7. Apparation - a skill many skilled wizards have that comes with hazards. Even the most skilled wizards do not commonly take others with them for the fear of splinching in transit when there are safer alternatives but when time is of the essence even parents will employ this method with great reticence.

Generally parents would not be using apparation on their kid to bring them to another location (invalidating the players that get this ability) because it is dangerous. We do not care if your parents can apparation as dNPCs but they are not taking you with them (basically giving you apparation without the ability).

Travel is usually near-instant, but there is a limit to travel. There is no specific miles given as a range of apparation, but there are two factors, Distance is directly proportional to wizard's power and experience. Familiarity of place you are going to apparation to - because you need to focus hard on destination. This is an equation in terms of miles 40 per 1 point wisdom or 64 kilometers per 1 point of wisdom.

8 - Flying Carriages - often driven by a team of flying creatures, this often results in a long, leisurely ride often done by people with means and with time to spare.

These move at the pace of a flying broom but because they are driven by living creatures, rest is often needed. This is one of the slowest forms of transportation. It takes about 13 hours to drive from France to London.

This is known to be a very comfortable, even luxurious way to travel. The scenic view and the smooth ride, motion sickness is rare in comparison with other methods and they can accommodate a surprisingly large amount of luggage.

Timing Assistance: If you refer to how long it would take via a vehicle to drive from point A to point B (never over a massive body of water such as an ocean or a sea, but a small lake is viable) and add 2 hours per every 4 traveled. So if it takes 9 hours to travel from London to France, add 2 hours for every 4 in flight (the animals need rest) to come to your conclusion. So it would be 9 + 4 = 13.

9 - Transportation by a Flying Creature - this is a lot of broom riding, not intended for long distances (animal cruelty) but also requires a component of taming and access that is often relegated to very few people. Also due to the statute of secrecy, this is only done in wizard-populated or very isolated populations.

This is one of the slowest forms of transportation. It takes about 14 hours to drive from France to London.

Timing Assistance: If you refer to how long it would take via a vehicle to drive from point A to point B (never over a massive body of water such as an ocean or a sea, but a small lake is viable) and add 2 hours per every 4 traveled. So if it takes 9 hours to travel from London to France, add 2 hours for every 4 in flight (the animals need rest) to come to your conclusion. So it would be 9 + 4 = 13.

10. Port Key

Considered to be muggle artifacts, due to their innocuous nature through the 1990s they are commonly charmed by wizards for easier travels between two locations. A port key requires the same wizard to enchant an item in both locations, so they have to be physically present to place the items. The danger however is the fact that these port keys look like mundane items that just about anyone can touch without knowing.

A few incidents, such as the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts that resulted in the death of Cedric Diggory as well as a few breaches in the statute of secrecy as a pair of muggles were transported to a The Weird Sisters concert when they picked up what appeared to be a displaced cup when they were collecting litter and another pair that ended up at the World Quidditch Tournament in 2001. Since then the Ministry has placed higher penalties on breeching this law, so port keys have become exceedingly rare.

However, travel is fast (instant). While large amounts of luggage cannot be carried with each trip, multiple trips can be made. It is cheaper than using a ship or a cupboard and there is enhanced privacy during these trips. However, since you had to be in both places to cast the charm, and most port keys travel between rather distant locations, there is likely a papertrail of your initial placement.

Please note that these timings are APROXIMATE. My google trip might have a slightly different answer than yours. This is just for the sake of consistency in answering the question "about how long."