Guide:Travel

Due to the huge variety in biomes and terrain, Terraria can present a challenge when a player wants to visit or return certain points on the map far from their spawn point. Here are some often-used methods.

Navigating Uneven Terrain
Because of the fact that the world's surface is not flat, it makes it quite difficult to travel from one side of the map to another in order to visit points of interest.

Terraforming
Players can flatten the uneven terrain by mining: you can flatten the top of small rises or to fill in small dips in the ground, tunnel through larger natural element like Mountains or Hills, and building bridges on chasms.

Early on, hammering the top of a two-block-tall pillar to the slanted variant allows for very steep climbs. If a hill has repeated two-block-tall jumps, hammer the top of each jump for easy climbing. Keep in mind that these slopes sap nearly all of a player's Hermes Boots sprint speed.

Sky Bridge
A Sky Bridge is a long bridge built high enough up, usually a single layer of blocks, Platforms, or Minecart Tracks. Besides the travel advantages, placing a skybridge over much of your world can let you intercept Fallen Stars for easier collection as well.

The various options for the material each offer different tradeoffs. Note that some of the block types will also establish the biome of the bridge, and if the bridge is too close to the ground, they may affect enemy spawns below. Conversely, if the bridge is too high, you can get Harpies (and in Hardmode, Wyverns). Even if the bridge is below the Sky Layer, these sky enemies can spawn above you. A skybridge can also make an effective boss arena, maximizing mobility in all directions and leaving a clear line of fire to the boss.


 * Using Platforms instead of blocks does not allow for farming, but you can drop down at any point.
 * Note that diagonal platforms will not intercept Falling Stars, so you may want to use blocks for any diagonal sections.
 * Dirt Blocks are easy to get, and allows your bridge to double as a farm.
 * Snow is almost as easy, and allows you to grow Boreal Wood. On the other hand, you will also get Ice Slimes.
 * Mud likewise allows for growing Rich Mahogany or Glowing Mushrooms. However, the resulting Jungle Biome or Mushroom biome can produce various dangerous enemies.
 * If the world is in Hardmode, Asphalt offers a speed boost even without special boots.
 * Ice is a simple substitute for Asphalt if the player has the Ice Skates.
 * An expensive option is to build a skybridge out of Active Stone Blocks. You would be able to turn it "on" and "off" with the flip of a Mechanism.
 * Minecart Tracks can be placed over blocks or platforms. This will allow much more rapid travel in a Minecart.
 * They also be placed without anything below them; they will not intercept Fallen Stars, and of course you can't walk or run on midair tracks, but this avoids enemies spawning on your bridge. Ropes or branching tracks can mark points of interest and provide exits to islands above or the ground below.

When using Minecart tracks, putting two Booster Tracks spaced apart on either side of an exit can allow for instant acceleration if starting from a point in the middle of the track.

Placing a roof over your bridge will protect from Harpies but not Wyverns; however, both are likely to follow you to the end of the roof.

Subway
A Subway is an underground tunnel that can be built by digging a long horizontal shaft. As with the Skybridge, Boots can be used to quickly travel through the subway, and Asphalt can be used as flooring.

For ease of returning to the surface from the subway, Junctions can be built at desired places on the map by mining branched shafts. Exiting it vertically can be made with a Rope or as a long Platforms stairway.

Subways can double as a barrier to prevent the spread of Evil or Hallowed biomes: in order to work as one, it must be at least 7 blocks tall, and must not contain any Corruptible soil.

Placing Minecart Tracks along a Subway would allow much faster travel speed. To build it, players would need to dig out a four block tall shaft to make room for the Minecart.

Minecarts
This is one of the simplest forms of travel, and you can use it easily. You can either make it underground, inside of your subway, or aboveground, on top of your skybridge.

Basics
There are currently 3 track components:
 * Minecart Track, made with Iron Bars and Wood at an Anvil.
 * Booster Track, purchased from the Mechanic for each. It's great for automatically slowing a Minecart when approaching a station and accelerating it when leaving. Direction of boost can be switched using Mechanisms or a Hammer;
 * Pressure Plate Track, made out of a regular Track segment, and a Pressure Plate.

Behavior
You can use your Hammer to the end tracks to change it's behavior:
 * Bumper: It reverses the travel direction.
 * Open: It's an unprotected track, causing to the Minecart to fall.
 * Closed: It stops the Minecart in place.

Additionally, holding down or  button will force the minecart to take the upper or lower path of a switch track regardless of the current state. This allows a branching rail network to be easily navigated early on.

Other Tips

 * Track can be laid in the air, and operates like Furniture. You can grapple to it, but normally you will pass through it.
 * When using the Smart Cursor and traveling in a Minecart at a slow pace (11 mph), you can extend the track you are on by continuously placing them in front of you.
 * Hitting a track with a Hammer will change its behavior and how it connects to other tracks.

Editing track intersections
When two tracks intersect it is possible to switch branch by using your Hammer. Hammering or signaling an intersection repeatedly will cycle through the possible branches of the intersection. Hammering an intersection to the same amount of branches plus one will eventually disconnects the track. This way it is possible to have a 4 leg junctions.

Signaling a switch with Wires will require the same amount of branches of switches to cycle through the intersection. So if the intersection is connecting two possible track directions it will require only two signals to cycle all the possible states. Signalling with wire will not eventually disconnect an intersection.

Track Pressure Plates

 * Pressure plates only work on horizontal track, and will cause a cart to derail if they are laid on a diagonal section.
 * If you must make a passage detector for diagonal track, use a platform and a regular grey or brown pressure plate. Place the platform in the air next to the track on the side the player will pass by, and put the pressure plate on top of the platform.

Safe Rail Stations
You can make a safe track section that leaves a house by putting it in its own room with a door, and making a pressure plate activated actuated wall segment. The door to the room will prevent the minecart from making an adjacent room unsuitable.

Stop and Go Lights
Using colored torches you can make pressure plate activated signal lights. By turning off lights as you build them you can make switch state indicators. You can also trigger lights by having them connected to a track pressure plate system. By using one set of track pressure plates for switch cycling, and another set of pressure plates for directional indications it will be possible to make lights that indicate the travel direction.

Making a rail system compliant switch with green and yellow lights
Make a platform 3 blocks long, put a lever on it, and a green and yellow torch. Connect the green torch to the lever, and turn it off. Then connect both torches back up. Now you have a switch that alternates between a green or yellow light. On rail systems green means the switch is selected for straight ahead, and yellow means the divergent track is selected. Connect your switch body to the track switch with the track switch in the matching state. If the straight head track is selected, switch the switch body to the green light, and then connect it. The opposite if the divergent track is selected.

Making a directional switch toggle track section to force a switch select direction from a certain direction
In order to make a toggle switch that flip flops between tracks you must match the number of toggles on a track switch to the number of times a mine cart passes. So if you have a two position track switch, you must toggle it once for each change of direction. If you make a pressure plate that the cart passes over and then a bumper, you end up passing over the pressure plate twice if the cart is moving slowly, and you merely switch the track back again. However, if the cart is fast enough, it will only toggle the pressure plate once, allowing you to toggle the track back after. 

Jumps
To make a jump, hammer an upwards facing track to not have a bumper or stop. Test the track at speed, and then mine out blocks appropriately so you can fly along. Put landing tracks at the appropriate place. It's possible to also use Platforms to land on.

Escalators

 * Make a diagonal line of wood platforms, and hammer each one. They will turn into stairs. Paint them grey, and use a background that goes up diagonally with the stairs. Unlike a line of diagonal platforms, a player will walk up a stair automatically. NPCs will also walk up automatically so they can be guided.

Hell Bridge
A Hell Bridge is a path constructed in the The Underworld. it can be used as a farm to for gather Fireblossoms if the bridge is made out of Ash Blocks or Blinkroots if the bridge is made out of Dirt Blocks, or Souls if made with Corruptible Stone Blocks.

This bridge also allows a player to fight the Wall of Flesh without falling in lava or getting stuck in uneven terrain. It also makes it easier to obtain enemy drops.

Hellevator
A Hellevator is a vertical shaft of mined blocks, that generally extends all the way from the surface to the Underworld.

Early on, you can make a line of Rope on one side and placing the Torches on the other. The speed of sliding down the rope is equal to that of falling.

Another alternative to using platforms or ropes is to use minecarts. If they are placed with the open end of the Minecart Track into the Hellevator and with a few Minecart Tracks at the bottom of the hellevator then this will prevent all fall damage, as when in a Minecart falling on Minecart Track does not make you take fall damage. This avoids many of the problems with a hellevator.

Similar to the Subway, the Hellevator can also be incorporated as part of a player's defenses against the spread of Evil or Hallow biomes.

In versions, holding a Portal Gun while traveling downwards in a hellevator cuts the travel time by 67%.

Avoiding Obstacles
As you tunnel downward, a variety of obstacles may impede your progress. Here are some ways to overcome them and carry on quickly.


 * Enemies: Most enemies will not bother you if the shaft is sealed and it's small enough. There are some exceptions, notably Worms and Casters.


 * Caverns: There are caverns scattered everywhere: when you run into one, check if it's safe to fall below. Make sure to wall the hellevator to prevent enemies to get inside it.


 * Water: See Digging through Water.


 * Lava: See Digging through Lava.

Avoiding Fall Damage
Depending on how the end of the shaft is reached, fall damage may be a problem. Here are some ways to prepare for it.
 * Fall damage can be averted using a small Water or Honey pool, at least 2 tiles deep, just above the Underworld.
 * If water is "leaked" into a Hellevator from far above the landing zone, the water will settle at the bottom and won't immediately evaporate. Once it is disturbed (by taking/adding a bucket of water) the pool will then "update" and begin evaporating.
 * Pink Slime Blocks negate fall damage and do not need to be repositioned like cobwebs, nor do they risk evaporating like water.
 * The Lucky Horseshoe, Obsidian Horseshoe or Wings can be equipped to eliminate fall damage.
 * The Grappling Hook, Cloud in a Bottle, Flying Carpet, or Rocket Boots can be engaged just before landing, though this requires that the player pay close attention to their location during the fall. A Depth Meter is useful for noting when you will be approaching it.
 * You can also use a Featherfall Potion to negate fall damage, provided your fall is not too long.
 * The Cobalt Shield or Obsidian Shield will prevent knockback by any enemies who find their way into the shaft through side entrances. Getting hit by an enemy can result in an unexpected and nearly immediate death if there's room to the opposite side.

Skylift
A skylift is a tower-like construct, used to get to Space.

There are five types of skylifts:
 * Ladder: A skylift built with Platforms.
 * Rope: A skylift built with Rope. A player climbs the rope.
 * Teleporter: A skylift built with two Teleporters linked via Mechanisms. Player stands on the Teleporter, triggers the switch, and is instantaneously transported to the other one.
 * Hoik: A skylift constructed by using Hammered and Actuated blocks.
 * A Stair elevator - A skylift constructed from stairs (platforms) placed above each other.

Teleporters
The Teleporter can be the fastest means of travel in any direction. However, placing the wires and teleporters may take a bit of time. To use, wire together two teleporters with a switch, a lever, or a pressure plate on both ends. Stand on a teleporter, trigger it, and watch as you are instantly transported between the two teleporters. Note that there'sa distance limit, which means that 2 teleporters won't work because the distance is way too long. An amazingly overcomplicated sounding way to move quickly is to use a series of anywhere from 6-20 teleporters and have little "Junctions" every 2000 blocks so you can go through one teleporter, move 3 blocks, go through another, etc. You can also use multiple wires and create "Stations" that let you flick a switch, go to a teleporter, flick another switch, and go to the next one. It would require about 1/2 as many teleporters, but would require more switches, and, if you're not good with wiring, multiple wire colors & wrenches.
 * note: on the PC version, as of 1.2.3, Teleporters will function normally regardless of distance, provided the two are linked by wire.
 * As of Update 1.3.1, The Grand Design, Multicolor wrench, and Actuator wand could help you a lot while making this. The Grand Design is very, very useful as it's range covers the whole screen, all you will have to do is to get Lucky Horseshoe and fall all the way down, while having a lot of wires and a hellevator. You just need to keep falling as The Grand Design can still place wires even if you are falling, and when you get to hell, release the use key, and place down your teleporter, and a switch.

Hoik
Hoiks are exploits in which uses half blocks for fast travel. This occurs when a character sprite shares space with a sloped block: The character is immediately displaced a couple of tiles in a predictable direction.

By chaining these glitches together with a line of strategically placed shaped blocks, entities can be moved rapidly in any direction. It becomes easy to achieve horizontal travel at 60 or 120 tiles per second and vertical travel at 180 tiles per second provided by legitimate means (aside from Teleporters or the Portal Gun).

Using Portal Gun
The Portal Gun is a 100% drop from the Moon Lord. With it, you can easily travel around your world.

By using teleporters and portals placed in the right place, you can reach speeds of +3000 mph. (See Terraria T-MEC forums). Although noteworthy, this speed requires 40 minutes of acceleration, therefore this method is not a viable means of transportation.

Wings and Ice Rod
While flying with wings, an Ice Rod can be used while gliding, as touching its ice block will reset the wings' flight. This is especially useful when flying between the surface and space, as neither surface nor space enemies will be present to attack you. This method also mitigates land obstacles such as hills, water lakes or holes. This is an easy way to travel from edge to edge or find Floating Islands.

All Wings and Ice Rod are acquired in Hardmode, but they can be used in pre-Hardmode worlds to find Floating Islands, Living Trees, Ocean chests, etc.

Magic Mirror Transporter Rooms
Construct a bedroom and set your spawn point. Place down a Weighted Pressure Plate and wire it to an Actuator in a wall of the room. When you step on the pressure plate, your set spawn point will be temporarily invalidated, and you will effectively have a second Magic Mirror destination. Since these rooms are easy to construct, they can be used as waypoints, allowing you to teleport home (at the world spawn point) to offload loot and resupply, then teleport back to your set spawn point to resume exploration.

As a low-tech alternative: a bomb that drops a pile of sand to reseal the room can be built at exceedingly early stages of the game.