Distance, Speed and Time

[Butterfly]

So, I've been trying to work out how long it would take to get from point a to b, over a variety of methods from walking, sailing, to wagon, to messenger rider. I've come up with this table... (it's all in miles and averages per day).

Distance per day
Sail

​

220 miles (not stopping at night)
Walk

​

20 miles
Ride

​

40 miles
Fast ride/ messenger

​

60 miles
wagon/fully armoured knight

​

20 miles
marching army 20 miles

Do they look right? or are they under or over estimated?
What else should I take into account?

 

[Reaver]

Are these rates under ideal traveling conditions? You may want to consider how rough seas, terrain, weather would affect these times. How large is your world? Is the gravity like Earth's? How long is a day?

Just from my 15 years in the U.S. Marines and Army, the average combat-loaded soldier (70 to 100 lbs of body armor, weapon and ammo) can march about 4 mph under ideal conditions. I've done what they call "forced marches" that push you beyond your limits and have marched 100 miles in 24 hours (we did get intermittent 5 minute breaks to hydrate, change socks, and eat).

Hope this helps.

 

[MineOwnKing]

For sailing, you need to factor in current (with or against) and wind direction. If you are tacking into the wind then your speed may vary.

For walking I would say this: If I walked 20 miles yesterday, will I really have the energy to do it again today or the next?

Also important is the terrain and season of the year.

If you're trying to make a map then I would just go with what you have.

 

[CupofJoe]

I'd see these more as one day values, than long-haul. I think 40 miles a day for a horse is a little optimistic, 30 miles might be more obtainable day after day. They don't walk that much faster than humans...
And I'm sure that I've read more than once that a marching army might only travel 12 miles a day and some times a lot less if security has to be taken into account.
Terrain, weather, preparedness, threats, food and water come top of my list of thing that will modify distance travelled. And Morale!
Like Reaver I have done 100 miles in 24 hours but I was all but dead for a week afterwards. We were competing against other teams [and came in 3rd!]. Those that took lots of 5 min breaks did best, those that took longer few rests did much worse.

 

[KC Trae Becker]

I believe the accepted average walking speed is 3 mph. Unless your person is a hiker or in good shape I'd drop 20 miles/day down to 15, even 10 if traveling with less fit people, children or older people. Traveling with young children or the elderly might require transport.

 

[DeathtoTrite]

ORBIS: The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World

This is a very useful tool. It gives you travel times between two points in the Roman Empire at its height and allows you to pick season, methods of travel, etc.

 

[skip.knox]

This has been talked over here, and there are a number of references on the Net. You will find there is a huge range in any mode of transportation. The practical consequence is that you can have your characters move at just about any speed the story requires, though obviously you'll want to know about top-end limits.

Seventy pounds at 4mph. Marius' Mules!

 

[Russ]

I was about to comment that all your numbers were pretty conservative and then remembered you are talking miles not kilometers.

I would echo a couple of the comments above that effectively say "your mileage may vary." Rates will be very different based on age, culture, terrain, training, food, etc.

The Zulu army was said to run 50 miles and fight a battle at the end of it. I sure can't do that!

 

[Reaver]

Seventy pounds at 4mph. Marius' Mules!

Thank you for the compliment! Of course, this was in my younger days and before all my combat-related injuries. There's NO WAY I'd attempt that now.

 

[skip.knox]

Thank you for the compliment! Of course, this was in my younger days and before all my combat-related injuries. There's NO WAY I'd attempt that now.

There's a reason why our soldiers are mostly in their twenties and thirties! The same was true for the Romans--twenty campaigns generally got you retired by your forties or so. Still time to go enjoy that farm.

 

[Butterfly]

Originally Posted by Reaver Are these rates under ideal traveling conditions? You may want to consider how rough seas, terrain, weather would affect these times.

Well I was going for a middle of the scale in regards with weather and terrain conditions, nothing seriously challenging the travelling (at the moment). I looked at the the timescales I already had and decided they were far too long, so I narrowed them down a bit, brought the locations closer together to bring it into a more realistic time frame. I have it down to ten days and twenty miles a day, on a hundred mile journey by wagon with a mountain or two in the way, but pretty good roads.

How large is your world? Is the gravity like Earth's? How long is a day?

Pretty much the same as earth.

Just from my 15 years in the U.S. Marines and Army, the average combat-loaded soldier (70 to 100 lbs of body armor, weapon and ammo) can march about 4 mph under ideal conditions. I've done what they call "forced marches" that push you beyond your limits and have marched 100 miles in 24 hours (we did get intermittent 5 minute breaks to hydrate, change socks, and eat).

Hope this helps.

Helps a lot.

 

[Butterfly]

For sailing, you need to factor in current (with or against) and wind direction. If you are tacking into the wind then your speed may vary.

It's likely going to be a galleon type ship with four masts, but no cannons.

On a thought, what if I had banks of oars... would that make the ship potentially faster or slower than using wind and sails?

If you're trying to make a map then I would just go with what you have.

Map is done, I'm focusing on the timeline and editing of (what I hope is) the final draft while trying to get all the events to run as smoothly and consistently as I can. I have 4 POVs, that are separated by some distance for much of the book. I did spot a mistake towards the end where I had one character travel a few hundred miles in one night so I had to fix that. It made me realise I needed to think about distance and travelling times more than I previously had to avoid things like that.

 

[Butterfly]

Originally Posted by Cupofjoe I'd see these more as one day values, than long-haul. I think 40 miles a day for a horse is a little optimistic, 30 miles might be more obtainable day after day. They don't walk that much faster than humans...
And I'm sure that I've read more than once that a marching army might only travel 12 miles a day and some times a lot less if security has to be taken into account.
Terrain, weather, preparedness, threats, food and water come top of my list of thing that will modify distance travelled. And Morale!

Great points. Makes me think I should look at adding a greater variety of weathers as I edit and how they affect my characters. Brings to mind a great point in the story where the weather could really slow down a group of desperate travellers looking for help while escaping some nastys.

Like Reaver I have done 100 miles in 24 hours but I was all but dead for a week afterwards. We were competing against other teams [and came in 3rd!]. Those that took lots of 5 min breaks did best, those that took longer few rests did much worse.

Wow to both of you. I can't imagine even attempting a hundred mile trek in one day.

 

[Butterfly]

I believe the accepted average walking speed is 3 mph. Unless your person is a hiker or in good shape I'd drop 20 miles/day down to 15, even 10 if traveling with less fit people, children or older people. Traveling with young children or the elderly might require transport.

They are pretty fit, but there will be injuries at times, a few life threatening... maybe I should add a few subcategories to the table.

 

[Butterfly]

ORBIS: The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World

This is a very useful tool. It gives you travel times between two points in the Roman Empire at its height and allows you to pick season, methods of travel, etc.

Looks like a good map. i seem to be having trouble using it though. Will have to spend some time looking at it.

 

[MineOwnKing]

It's likely going to be a galleon type ship with four masts, but no cannons.

On a thought, what if I had banks of oars... would that make the ship potentially faster or slower than using wind and sails?



Map is done, I'm focusing on the timeline and editing of (what I hope is) the final draft while trying to get all the events to run as smoothly and consistently as I can. I have 4 POVs, that are separated by some distance for much of the book. I did spot a mistake towards the end where I had one character travel a few hundred miles in one night so I had to fix that. It made me realise I needed to think about distance and travelling times more than I previously had to avoid things like that.

There are always exceptions to the rule when making generalizations based on history.

I would think that a very large vessel that also has oars would probably be intended for somewhat short distances such as areas in the Mediterranean sea or in the Scandinavian fjords.

Oars take up a lot of room, room that could be used to store food, extra canvas, ropes, etc.

Timeline is tricky, it's easier if your cities are farther apart because then you can just refer to what season it is rather than give specifics which the reader may or may not care about.