Transport speeds

Summary

Mode	Speed	Daily range		Sustainable duration
Man on foot	3–4 mph	15–25 mi	24–40 km	Weeks to months
Horseback	4–30 mph	30–70 mi	48–112 km	Days to weeks
Wagon	~2 mph	10–20 mi	16–32 km	Weeks
Sailing ship	3–8 knots	60–150 nm	110–275 km	Weeks to months

Man on Foot

Speed: ~3–4 mph (5–6.5 km/h)

Daily Distance: 15–25 miles (24–40 km)

Sustainable Duration: Weeks to months, assuming rest days

Notes: Trained messengers (like royal couriers or pilgrims) might manage 30+ miles on good roads. Terrain, load, and weather greatly affect speed.

Man on Horseback

Speed:

• Walk: 4–5 mph (6–8 km/h)
• Trot/Gallop (short bursts): Up to 25–30 mph (40–48 km/h)

Daily Distance:

• Normal travel: 30–40 miles (48–64 km)
• Hard push (military courier or urgent dispatch): 50–70 miles (80–112 km), with horse changes

Sustainable Duration:

• With horse changes (relay): Several days
• Same horse: 2–3 days at hard push, longer at 30–40 miles/day

Notes: Elite couriers (like Genghis Khan’s Yam system or Roman Cursus Publicus) used relay stations to cover 100+ miles/day.

Wagon (Ox- or Horse-Drawn)

Speed: ~2 mph (3 km/h)

Daily Distance: 10–20 miles (16–32 km)

Sustainable Duration: Weeks, but requires frequent maintenance and rest for animals

Notes: Terrain greatly affects wagons; rough roads or mountains slow them significantly. Horse-drawn wagons are faster but tire more easily than oxen.

Sailing Ship

Speed: 3–8 knots (3.5–9 mph / 5.5–14.5 km/h), depending on wind and ship type

Daily Distance:

• Average medieval ship: 60–100 nautical miles/day (110–185 km)
• With favourable wind: Up to 150+ nm/day (275+ km)

Sustainable Duration: Weeks to months, depending on supplies

Notes: Coastal navigation was common. Open-sea travel depended on weather, currents, and sailing skill. Cogs and caravels were typical ships later in the medieval period.

Fishing boat (Fabra’s)

Rowing

Rowing

Header text	Header text	Header text	Header text
Pace/effort	Speed (knots)	Speed (mph/kph)	Notes
Sustained/Cruising	2-3 knots	2.3-3.5 mph (3.7-5.6 km/h)	This is the speed the fishermen could maintain for several hours on calm water without exhausting themselves. This is the best average to use for travel time
Example	Example	Example	Example
Example	Example	Example	Example

Max Effort/Sprint 3.5 - 4 knots 4.0 - 4.6 mph (6.5 - 7.4 km/h) Possible for short bursts (5-10 minutes) when escaping danger, racing to a known fishing spot, or desperately manoeuvring in an emergency. They would be exhausted afterward. Against Wind/Chop 1 knot or less 1.1 mph or less (2 km/h or less) Any significant headwind or strong current would drop the rowing speed dramatically. Sometimes, simply holding position is the best they can do.

Sailing Condition Boat Speed (Knots) Boat Speed (mph / km/h) Notes Ideal Conditions (Reaching) 4 - 6 knots 4.6 - 6.9 mph (7.4 - 11 km/h) A moderate breeze (Force 3-4 on the Beaufort Scale) coming from the side (reaching). This is the fastest, most comfortable, and most efficient point of sail for a boat of this type. Favourable (Downwind) 3 - 5 knots 3.5 - 5.8 mph (5.5 - 9.2 km/h) A wind pushing the boat directly from behind. The boat is heavy and can't outrun the waves, limiting the top speed. Light Wind 1 - 2 knots 1.1 - 2.3 mph (2 - 3.7 km/h) When the wind is light, the sail can still make slow, steady progress, but the crew will likely start rowing to supplement the speed. Upwind (Tacking) 1 - 3 knots (Speed Made Good) 1.1 - 3.5 mph (2 - 5.6 km/h) A lug-rigged boat is not great at sailing directly against the wind. It must tack (sail zig-zag) to make slow progress into a headwind. A top speed of 3 knots is its actual forward progress toward the destination, even if the boat is moving 4-5 knots through the water. Maximum Burst 7 - 8 knots 8 - 9.2 mph (13 - 15 km/h) Possible for brief periods when surfing down a large wave in a strong gale, but the boat would be hard to control and the crew would be highly stressed.