Transport and travel in Equestria · 7:23pm Jun 9th, 2020

What modes of locomotion are available play a massive role in shaping both society and everyday life. Just consider where you've gone in the past year and how, or from how far afield some of the things you bought at your local store originated.

And of course travel is a big thing in most fiction too - I'd wager more episodes of FIM than not take our heroines outside Ponyville, and not just on foot but via a broad range of conveyances. Some of these modes of travel overlap with those we use in our own lives, while others do not - and understanding the similarites and diffrences can help us understand Equestria.

Land

On hoof - certainly the most obvious method for able-bodied creatures of most species, at least over short distances. Less practical if one wants to get somewhere far away quickly (although ponies will probably do better in this regard than a human) or bring more cargo than the contents of one's saddlebags or passengers larger than a foal.
Skates/Scooter - personal wheels allow greater speed than hooves, but fare worse on rough or slippery surfaces. Are Equestrian roads smooth enough to use them safely?
Wagon/Carriage - an obvious advancement, allowing the transport of passengers and cargo in larger amounts as long as the puller(s) are strong enough. Alternating shifts is also possible. I expect more ponies than not own a wagon or two, even if small and little-used, and they are rentable as well - large cities even have taxi services. Upper-end models might even be enchanted to reduce weight (thus increasing speed) and enhance comfort.
Automobiles - the closest we've seen to cars are soapbox racers, slow-moving parade floats and the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 (whose adjectives do not apply to it as a vehicle). I suspect enchanted clockwork is the main motive force, with demand for such vehicles not being high enough to spur innovations in fossil fuels.
Locomotives - the current pre-eminent form of long-distance travel in Equestria for passengers and presumably freight. A relatively young but growing technology that has revolutionised the country, for the first time allowing casual day-tripping for even the middle classes and making modern ponies more likely to travel to distant places than ever before. The leading operating company is the "Friendship Express", easily recongnised by it's rather unique design (perhaps it was drawn up by the company president's young children?)

Sea and air travel to come!

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