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Introduction
Hello, and welcome to the Guide for travelling around Vana'diel. As any adventurer with more than a few scratches on his armor can tell you, the world is a very large place, and it can take quite a bit of time to get around. Thankfully, there are a few tricks you can use to get from point A to point B faster and easier than walking.
This guide is by no means truly comprehensive, and players occasionally discover new and convenient ways to travel around Vana'diel. As these methods are discovered and tested, they will hopefully be added here, providing players with a list of transportation options that will, with a little luck, become quite comprehensive.
The Quon Continent
Sometimes referred to as "the mainland", the Quon continent is the home continent of adventurers the world over. The Quon continent is home to the three main cities - Windurst, Bastok, and San d'Oria, as well as the central city of Jeuno and various other towns and settlements, such as Norg, Kazham, and Rabao.
An adventurer will spend a good portion of their careers, at least early on, in the areas of the Quon continent. As such, transportation around these areas becomes a concern for adventurers very quickly, and transportation around Quon never truly ceases being an issue, even after an adventurer moves on to continue their careers in Aht Urhgan, as adventurers frequently find themselves travelling around the lands their careers first began on.
Transportation around Quon is acomplished primarily with three primary methods - Teleportation, Warp, and Chocobos, with other methods being used as need justifies.
Teleport Spells
Without a doubt, the primary method of transportation around Quon is through the use of white-magic teleport spells. There are six teleport spells - three "basic" spells (Teleport-Holla, Teleport-Dem, and Teleport-Mea) and three "advanced" spells (Teleport-Altep, Teleport-Yhoat, and Teleport-Vahzl)
Teleport Destinations
The three basic spells take you to Crags located in central areas on the Quon continent that are a few zones away from each of the three starter towns. Teleport-Holla teleports adventurers to the rolling hills of the La Theine Plateau, Teleport-Dem teleports adventurers to the mountainous regions of Konschtat Highlands, and Teleport-Mea teleports adventurers to the dusty area of Tahrongi Canyon.
The advanced teleport spells take you to Telepoints located in "Outlands" areas on the Quon continent. Teleport-Altep teleports adventurers to the sandy dunes of the Eastern Altepa Desert, Teleport-Yhoat takes adventurers to the rainforests of Yhoator Jungle, and Teleport-Vahzl will teleport adventurers to the frigid region of Xarcabard.
Regardless of the teleport used, an adventurer will need to posses a Gate Crystal. These key items are attained by touching the Telepoints located at each of the areas. Once a character touches a Telepoint, they will have the key item until the day they retire. It is important to note that the character must touch the intact telepoint - the Shattered Telepoints and Dimensional Portals located at the Crags are used for different quests.
Using Teleports
Teleports themselves can be attained in a couple of different ways. The first, and most commonly used, method is through the white mage teleport spells. White mages can teleport themselves and their parties, but any individual not capable of teleporting themselves can Shout for a Teleport. An available white mage in the area may invite the adventurer for the purpose of teleporting them - usually for a gil reward offered by the adventurer needing a teleport. Such white mages are commonly called a "Tele-Taxi", taking adventurers to their destination for a certain fee. The cost of a Tele-taxi can vary greatly, usually depending on the number of white mages offering teleport services, and the time of day an adventurer looks for a teleport; during "off times", with few white mages in an area, tele-taxis can run for drastically more than normal. If you are shouting for a teleport, make sure that you are not in party so that the white mage can invite you, or ask a white mage to tell you if they can provide a teleport, so that you may invite them.
It is important to note that White Mages are not required to teleport anyone, and although rewards for teleports are often enough motivation for an available white mage to teleport, they are not in any way obligated to teleport adventurers if they do not want. It is considered common courtesy to ask for teleports through Say or Shout channels, and it is generally rude to request a teleport through Tell channels, unless the white mage is actively advertising teleports and asking for Tells.
The second option available to adventurers is to use an appropriate enchanted ring. The rings are: Mea Ring, Dem Ring, Holla Ring, Altep Ring, Vahzl Ring, and Yhoat Ring. All of them are level 65, and have 10 charges.
Warping
Warp is the spell or effect that returns an adventurer to their designated Home Point. An adventurer may set their Home Point in a few ways: when changing a job and exiting a mog house, an adventurer is given the option to set their Home Point at the mog house; an adventurer may touch one of the Home Point crystals in every city, or they may talk to an Outpost guard to have their Home Point set at the Outpost. Once a Home Point is set, any Warp effect will send the adventurer to that location.
The Types of Warp, and Their Uses
Perhaps the most pervasive form of Warp is the Black Mage spell Warp. This spell will return the caster to their Home Point, but cannot be targeted on anyone except the caster. This spell is commonly referred to as D1 (From the Japanese name for the spell, "Dezone").
Warp II is functionally identical to Warp, except that it can target party members as well as the caster. Warp II also costs slightly more MP to cast. Although it isn't common practice, it is possible for an adventurer to shout for a Warp II, and offer a gil reward for it, much like requesting a "tele-taxi". Many people commonly refer to Warp II as D2, again referring to the Japanese name for the spell.
There are also some items that have the Warp enchantment on it. Most commonly used are the Warp Cudgel and the Conquest Point item Scroll of Instant Warp. These items are functionally identical to Warp when used. It is important to note that any enchanted equipment, such as the Warp Cudgel, must be equipped to be used, so an adventurer must take care to ensure they can equip the item before they rely upon that item's warp.
Finally, there is the option of a "Blood Warp" - that is, purposefully dying so as to return to one's Home Point. Generally, it is best to Blood Warp using a low level job so that experience loss is reduced (anything below level 5 won't experience experience point loss). Another option is to use the Ninja two-hour, Mijin Gakure.
Chocobos
One of the most recognisable creatures in all of Vana'diel, the friendly yet powerful Chocobo has provided the residents of Vana'diel with a reliable mount and work animal for centuries. Today, the Chocobo is still widely used for transportation because of its speed, temperment, and resilience. There are a number of places for adventurers to rent chocobos to ride, and with the introduction of chocobo raising, adventurers can even raise their own chocobo for personal use.
Gaining Access to Chocobo Riding
Not just anyone can ride a chocobo. It is a skill that must be developed, and because of the recent concerns for the health and well-being of chocobos, only licenced riders are allowed to rent chocobos for personal use. Although there is no standardized test for a chocobo rider licence, it is generally said that the rider must show a heartfelt concern and care for the animal, and that a competant trainer must agree that the rider is ready to be licenced. Adventurers often talk to the Upper Jeuno based chocobo breeder and trainer Brutus about their chocobo licence, and he almost always has some sort of activity for an adventurer to demonstrate his or her concern.
After an adventurer obtains their Chocobo License, they can talk to any Chocobo Renter, located at stables in the major cities and at various points throughout Vana'diel, to rent and ride a chocobo - assuming that the adventurer has the gil to rent a mount. Generally speaking, the cheapest chocobo rentals are at the three main kindom stables, located in Windurst Woods, Bastok Mines, and Southern San d'Oria. Jeuno stables tend to cost a little more, as do the outland renters.
Of course, if an adventurer has his or her licence, and their own chocobo to call, they can always call for their chocobo to ride, instead of renting one.
When to Ride Chocobos
Generally speaking, if an adventurer is going to be running any sort of distance, a chocobo will get them there faster. Chocobos also add the convenience of removing any worry of aggro - as long as a traveler remains in the saddle, they don't have to worry about aggressive monsters attacking them. However, chocobos aren't able to travel everywhere. Dungeons, caves, and buildings are all places that chocobos can't go. Beastmen bases are also off-limits to chocobos for safety reasons.
This still gives chocobos a wide range to work in, though, and with a thirty minute ride time for any adventurer over level 20, a chocobo can take an adventurer over a very long distance. Even with short distances, a chocobo can save time and worry. It's up to the individual adventurer, of course, but it is important to keep in mind how convenient a chocobo may be when on a journey, and decide whether or not a chocobo will be worth riding.
Combining Chocobos with Other Transportation
Chocobos can often mesh with other forms of transportation to make traveling even easier. For example, an adventurer heading to the port town of Selbina can use a Teleport-Dem to arrive in Konschtat Highlands, and then rent a chocobo from the local Chocobo Renter to ride through Konschtat Highlands and Valkurm Dunes to his destination.
Of course, this convenience can also be somewhat confusing, and ultimately result in an adventurer losing time. Let's say, for example, that an adventurer needed to get to The Sanctuary of Zi'Tah. They could use a Teleport-Mea and then ride from that crag, but if they're already in Jeuno, they could make similiar time without teleporting, instead simply riding from Jeuno, saving some gil, both by not having to pay for a teleport and the potentially cheaper city chocobo, and the inconvenience of finding a teleport, which may not always be easy.
In these cases, it is important to consider one's destination relative to various landmarks. Just because the teleport is available doesn't mean it's the fastest option - a city may, in fact, be closer, and it might save time and gil to ride. In the same vein, though, a crag may put the adventurer closer to their destination, and in the case of the teleports that take adventurers to Yhoator Jungle and Altepa Desert, the time saved for destinations in those zones is fairly obvious.
The same kind of thought goes for cities, as well. Windurst, San d'Oria, and Bastok are all close to various landmarks and important areas, and oftentimes, if an adventurer can start their journey from the appropriate city, it will drastically shorten their journey time, although the time that is taken to get to the city must also be factored in - waiting eight minutes for an Airship, only to fly for another couple of minutes is a long time that could be spent already travelling. As it was said before, the adventurer must take these considerations in mind when selecting how to combine forms of transportation with chocobos.
Outposts
Each of the three nations, in a peaceful exercise of imperial power, participates in Conquest. Every week, the results of the Conquest are tallied, and control of the area is given to the nation with the highest ranking - which, occasionally, ends up being the beastmen.
Whenever a nation controls an area, they are given control of the regional outpost. This grants adventurers from the nation certain perks, one of which is Outpost Teleportation.
Gaining Access to Outpost Teleports
Gaining access to an outpost teleport can be very simple, or very frustrating. The requirement is straightforward - the adventurer must be of a certain level, and must complete a supply run to the outpost, as issued by a city-based Conquest Overseer. Once an adventurer takes the supplies to the outpost they requested and speaks with the officer on duty there, the quest is considered complete, and the adventurer can teleport to that outpost and to their home nation from that outpost.
How Outpost Teleports Work
Outpost Teleports work like two-way streets, taking adventurers from their city of allegiance to the outpost of their choice, and vice versa. There are seventeen outposts (and one special case in Oldton Movalpolos) in the world, and many of them are fairly isolated from other forms of transportation, making the ability to teleport to them very useful.
To teleport to an outpost from a home city, an adventurer need only speak to the appropriate officer in their nation of allegiance (Conrad for Bastok, Jeanvirgaud for San d'Oria, and Rottata for Windurst). Once they pay the fee, the adventurer will be teleported to the outpost. This option is available regardless of control of the area, although the price of the teleport can vary depending on who controls the region.
If a region is controlled by one of the three nations, an adventurer can speak with the Outpost Vendor to recieve a teleport back to their nation of allegiance, again at a fee. This option is not available if beastmen control the area, however, so adventurers must plan accordingly.
Finally, if an adventurer has done the supply quest to a region's outpost, and their nation of allegiance controls the area, they can use a Homing Ring or Return Ring to teleport from anywhere in the region to the region's outpost.