How do wizards travel?

[ascendingflame.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking about that a lot. I mean... obviously there are quite a number of possibilities but up to now I've not come across one that I'd really WANT to use.

- We know about broomsticks - highly inefficent, they're slow and uncomfortable and you get cold and wet travelling long distances with them.
- There is the possibility of Apparating but it seems to be quite difficult and not all witches and wizards seem to be able to do it really well. AND you have to be of a certain age, so if a family wants to go somewhere, Apparating would not be possible.
- There's floo powder which is obviously not a good choice because you get dirty and the possibility that you come out at a wrong fireplace seems to be high.
- I can't imagine that anyone would go with the Knight Bus if they had another possibility. I mean, obviously it's a rough ride and I'd totally get sick there or soaked in hot chocolate or tea.
- I seem to remember that Arthur Weasley once got cars from the ministry. So do wizards go by cars as well? (Please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm too lazy to look it up in the books now.)
- And there's the Hogwarts Express - so are there much more trains? And are they all hidden? Or do wizards just take Muggle trains? (I'd think that a pureblooded wizard wouldn't do that.) Or busses for that matter?
- There are the coaches that take the kids from Hogwarts train station to Hogwarts, so do wizards take coaches? Or do they even own them?

What do you think? What would be the most "natural" way for a wizard to travel?


PS: Please read "witch or wizard" for every time I wrote "wizard".


Julia // Slytherin

Comments

[queenweasley.livejournal.com]

I think it's natural for most adult wizards to Apparate, considering how much emphasis is placed on Apparating in the books. It seems like most everyone can do it, even if not particularly well.

I'm not sure about wizarding families having cars, either - most of them seem to be sort of lost when it comes to Muggle inventions (although they do have busses and trains...). Maybe they have cars if they live in a mostly-Muggle area, or if they marry a Muggle, or something like that?

[ascendingflame.livejournal.com]

The problem I have with Apparating... imagine you're living in in say Sussex with your family and you want to visit your sister and her family in Edinburgh. How do you get their if you have children who cannot Apparate yet? How do you travel? Do you take a train or a bus or if you are a rich family would you have your own magical means of transportation and what would it be?

I'd guess it's not really a problem to use Muggle transport... but I'm guessing that pureblood families wouldn't do that. So what do they do instead?

[perrie.livejournal.com]

I guess you could always set up a Portkey? By the sound of it though, according to Fudge, the Ministry would have to verify it.

I reckon Apparating or Floo is the most popular option though. Isn't the Burrow in Dorset or something? Least, I think thats where the Lexicon has it being. They flooed all the way to Surrey, which is actually quite a long way to go.

[semirose.livejournal.com]

Lexicon says Devon, and they even have a map showing how far it is from Surrey. It does look like quite a ways.

Plus, if there is a certain distacne you can floo, then there are probably like check points or something where you can get out and then go back in.

[perrie.livejournal.com]

Devon! I knew it began with D. Well, Devon and Dorset aren't that far apart anyway. It's about...six to eight hours drive from Surrey.

And yeah, maybe they do have check points, good idea. They'd have to make sure they get the right fireplace though, right? Could be embarrassing to end up in the wrong house!

[limeyo.livejournal.com]

I always thought of Apparating as a near equivalent to driving a car -- you have to be a certain age and take a test and all that. It's dangerous, but you're careful and manage the risks. You wouldn't (and couldn't)Apparate with a family, though, so that's what Floo Powder is for (hook up a fireplace like Arthur Weasley did in Book 4 and you're on your way). I'm pretty sure that it's not quite as dangerous as Harry found it to be; it was his first time. The other children didn't seem to have any problem. Just make sure you have a good chimney sweep first, eh?

Lime, Gryffindor

[semirose.livejournal.com]

ha, great minds think alike ;), if only I could be that concise.

[semirose.livejournal.com]

Well, there are always portkeys, but I'm not sure how frequently they would be used since you have to key them to a certain place (I think). But obviously there are different kinds, and there may be some we haven't heard of. A kind that is two way and you need a password to use would be useful for places that you go to everyday, for example one that goes from home to work. But they hardly seem practical.

Stan of the Knight Bus said it was for a stranded witch or wizard, so I don't think that would be used frequently, and while there might be another network of trains, I don't think it would be a popular means of transportation.

I would think that the main means of transportation would be floo if you're under age, and apparating if you are of age. I mean the fact that the Weasly's keep floo powder right by the fire place and the fact that Molly comments on how they are getting low in book 2 suggests that it's used frequently. Although maybe it's there because they use it is a means of communication as well. But still, I mean they have this whole Floo Network set up, and they have the Ministry maintaining it, so it must be used frequently. And really, once you know how to use it the chances of going to the wrong place are slim, and wizards can just say a quick spell (of their parents can) and be clean.

Alright, lots of babble trying to justify myself, so in conclusion, I think floo and apparating. Using muggle references, apparating would be driving, something you can only do once your of age and have passed a test, and floo is like public transportation, something that anyone can use. Sorry, I didn't mean for it to be that long.

[pikacharma.livejournal.com]

Wasn't it mentioned in one of the books that wizarding families liked to use flying carpets for family transpertation vehicles before the ministry ruled carpets to be muggle artifacts?

My guess is that many still do something like that. It seems the ministry is rather selective in who they go after for such things, and any family in good standing with the ministry could probably get away with it. There are probably similar "getto rigs" for poorer wizarding families as well.

[faequeentitania.livejournal.com]

OMG, I soooo *heart* your icon!

[caitlen.livejournal.com]

OMG I love your icon!!!!

[treehorse.livejournal.com]

I'm going to say that besides the average working wizard, wizarding-folk don't travel much at all.

I've always had the impression that JKR created wizarding Europe as sort of old fashioned. When travel was hard, long or inconvenient, people just didn't.

As you stated, there are no real, quick, convenient wizarding ways to travel, so why would any of the wizarind families travel (especially if they're of the owrking class, such as the Weasleys)?

Just my thoughts :).

[shakiracrazy.livejournal.com]

Well, humans have their downsides to travel.

Airplanes- delayed flights, storms, and sometimes some people can't afford it.

Trains- Probably my perferred form of travel, because you can walk and relax, but it is sometimes a bumpy ride.

Cars- cramped with tons of stuff and other people, and there are many who get motions sick.

boats- There are definately those people who get sea sick from the constant rocking of the boat, and then there are storms and it's slow.

Really, wizards have a superior form of transportation. It may not be more pleasant, but it's just as pleasant as our ways of transportation and it's faster. Less suffering ;) And I wouldn't call brooms slow... look at the firebolts O.O

[theropicus.livejournal.com]

Apparating seems to be the most "natural" way of travel, about on par with the way most Muggles drive places. And if you have children, you would probably Floo places. Only it would seem that neither Apparation nor Floo would work over extremely long distances... because if that were the case, then couldn't students live at home and simple Floo to and from Hogwarts everyday? As for the Knight Bus.... it seems to be for those wizards who can't Apparate but are also unable to Floo (either because they don't have a fireplace or because they don't fancy standing in a fire). Broomsticks seem to be very unlikely all around just because there's a great chance of being seen by Muggles.

Actually, the one I always wondered about was long-distance travel - like across oceans and such. In GoF the students from Beauxbatons come in a coach drawn by flying horses while the Durmstrang peeps came in an obviously magic ship. We know that traveling long distances must be more complicated than simply hopping around the British isles simply because the Weasleys are only able to visit Bill in Egypt after Arthur wins some money from the Daily Prophet contest.

...and I've just realized that I've been rambling. Ah, well. My two cents. Or knuts. Your choice.