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- This article refers to the traditional means of travel. For warp-based means, see Warping.
In every game from The Legend of Zelda series, Link embarks on a journey that takes him through several landmarks, which are usually separated one from another. Because of this, he has to constantly travel from place to place in order to succeed on his quest, and walking (or running) is the most primitive way to do so. However, in various games, there are tools and characters that will help him to navigate through the overworld more quickly, thus improving significantly the pacing of the adventure (and, in some cases, making it possible in the first place).
The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link[]
In The Legend of Zelda, Link finds the Raft in Level 3 in the First Quest. In the Second Quest, it is located in Level 4, notably past the room with the Triforce fragment. Once obatined, the raft allows Link to travel from a harbor to another, giving him access to new areas. This is because he is unable to swim, and one of the dungeons is located on an island.
In The Adventure of Link, the raft is located on Island Palace, and allows Link to travel between the two continents of Hyrule.
A Link to the Past[]
In A Link to the Past, after Link completes the Eastern Palace and collects the Pendant of Courage, he can visit Sahasrahla to receive the Pegasus Boots, which allow him to run quickly. This not only shortens the trips through all of Hyrule, but the fact that Link points forward with his Sword allows him to attack any enemy in the way. His speed gives him enough force to ambush trees and other objects, resulting in getting items.
Link's Awakening[]
The Pegasus Boots reappear in Link's Awakening, serving the same purpose as they did in A Link to the Past. In Link's Awakening, the Pegasus Boots can be used along with the Roc's Feather to jump even greater distances.
Link's Awakening is also the first game in which Mine Carts appear. Found in dungeons, Link can ride in them to access different parts of the dungeon.
Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask[]
Ocarina of Time is the first game where Epona makes her appearance. Adult Link can ride her after he rescues her from her imprisonment in Lon Lon Ranch. Afterwards, Link can play Epona's Song to travel across Hyrule. A carrot meter appears when he mounts Epona, decreasing each time he hit her. For each hit, Epona gets a speed boost.
Epona returns in Majora's Mask, where child Link can ride her after rescuing her in Romani Ranch. The mechanics behind her functionality are the same as in Ocarina of Time, and she's required for access to Great Bay and Ikana Canyon. However, her importance is significantly reduced due to the functionality of the Transformation masks. Goron Link is capable of curling at speeds much higher,. He can pass through otherwise damping roads like mountain slopes and cliffs. His only requirement is Magic, and enough space to charge his curling ability. Deku Link can use Deku Flowers to fly through the air, while Zora Link can swim through the waters and walk on the bottom.
Oracle of Seasons[]
In Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, Link will encounter three animal companions that will help him navigate terrain he could not traverse on his own. These include Ricky, a boxing kangaroo who can use his jumping abilities to jump up onto cliffs and over single holes, Dimitri, a friendly Dodongo with swimming abilities that help Link to cross rivers with strong currents and swim up waterfalls, and finally Moosh, a bear that can fly for short distances. While on Moosh's back, Link is able to fly across pitfalls.
Depending on how he obtained the Strange Flute, Link will befriend one of the three animals and obtain their flute, which allows him to call upon them whenever he is needed. As the game progresses, however, Link will obtain items that give him ability to jump, fly, and swim. These items are the Roc's Feather, Roc's Cape, and the Zora Flippers. Much like the Pegasus Boots, Pegasus Seeds can be used to boost Link's speed for a certain period of time, and can be used in combination with the Roc's Feather or Roc's Cape to achieve greater distances while jumping.
In Oracle of Ages, before Link obtains the Mermaid Suit that allows him to swim in deep waters. Link must use the Raft made by Rafton to travel to Crescent Island.
The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass[]
In both The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, the overworld is water-based instead of land-based. Because Link is unable to swim for too long in The Wind Waker and at all in Phantom Hourglass, he needs a vehicle in order to navigate from one island to another. In The Wind Waker, Link can sail the King of Red Lions after purchasing the Sail. Once he gets the Wind Waker, he will also be able to change the direction of the wind, giving him total freedom through the Great Sea.
In Phantom Hourglass, Link can sail the SS Linebeck. As soon as Link embarks upon it, he can travel with an infinite number of degrees of freedom through the World of the Ocean King, as he can draw any trajectory on the map for the ship to move according to it.
Four Swords Adventures[]
In Four Swords Adventures, the Links can ride four Eponas by finding carrots. The Eponas will allow the Links to jump over fences and run over enemies, but they will only last for a short time before disappearing. In addition, the Links can find the Pegasus Boots, which will allow them to dash quickly.
The Minish Cap[]
In The Minish Cap Cave of Flames dungeon, the mine carts are Link's main conveyance within the temple. They travel at a high velocity, and will sometimes require the completion of a puzzle in order to change the route of the tracks. The Pegasus Boots appear in The Minish Cap, helping Link dash quickly. They can be acquired after completing the Cave of Flames, as Link cannot cross the marshy areas of Castor Wilds without them.
Twilight Princess[]
In addition to Epona, Wolf Link is the first and most prominent way of transportation, as he can perform dashes while he runs, easing the navigation through the provinces of Hyrule. Also, with the help of Midna, he can make several consecutive leaps through steep spots to reach higher places. Wolf Link is also the only form who can walk through ropes, and navigate across the darkened fog in the Palace of Twilight.
The remaining two alternatives are somewhat less effective. There is a Kargarok in Lake Hylia who takes Wolf Link with it as long as Midna has it under her domain. This creature can be controlled with the Control Stick, and is called for a mandatory travel during the influence of the Twilight, then for a mandatory Tears of Light hunt during the same period, and finally for an optional minigame when Lanayru Province. After these moments, the Kargarok is no longer useful, as it will not move from this territory.
The Spinner allows Link to cross quicksands and fragile terrain, but only for a limited period of time. The reason for this is because the item loses its momentum if it is not being used within the metallic rails in some walls, where it indeed takes Link to newer places.
Spirit Tracks[]
Like the Great Sea and the World of the Ocean King, New Hyrule cannot be explored on foot. Instead, Link must rely on the Spirit Train in order to move from one station to another, and he can only drive the train through the available Spirit Tracks. Link can adjust the speed of the train anytime, as well as the trajectory. He can transport characters and delivery items with him to the proper destinations. Link must obey the signals placed in the tracks when having passengers, and avoid being hit by enemies when transporting items.
Skyward Sword[]
Skyward Sword presents a new form of transportation in the sky-based overworld. In order to travel from Skyloft to the different islands in The Sky, Link must use a dock to jump and call his Loftwing, otherwise he will fall and need rescue from the Skyloft Knights. Enemies may appear and shoot rocks or charge at Link's Loftwing, so he must charge at them using a normal charge or a Spiral Charge. As the story progresses, openings appear in the cloud barrier, allowing him to drop through to the world below. Through the aid of the Bird Statues, Link can land on any chosen point in one of the three provinces: Faron Woods, Eldin Volcano, and Lanayru Desert.
On the surface, however, Link must rely solely on his own legs and Stamina to move from one place to another. However, in certain areas within the Lanayru Province, such as the Lanayru Mine or the Lanayru Sand Sea, Link will have access to Timeshift Stones in order to operate mine carts or Skipper's motorboat, traveling through areas manipulated by time.
A Link Between Worlds[]
A Link Between Worlds also features the Pegasus Boots, which make Link dash quickly. They can be acquired after confronting the Shady Guy, who claims that the pace of the boots allowed him to steal whatever he liked. Additionally, after giving the stolen Smooth Gem back to the Queen Zora, she will reward Link with the Zora Flippers, enabling him to swim.