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Red Dead Redemption 2 fast travel: How to unlock fast travel and other ways of travelling quickly

How to get around the world quickly with Fast Travel in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Red Dead Redemption 2 fast travel is something you'll probably be asking about after your third or fourth long trek between destinations.

Though the game doesn't make a big song and dance about it, the good news is fast travel is in the game - though there is several caveats to how it works.

If you haven't unlocked fast travel yet, then there's other ways of getting round the map as well - allowing you to reach far-off destinations as soon as the game world opens up.

For more help, our Red Dead Redemption 2 walkthrough explains the requirements for fully completing the game's many story missions.

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[4K HDR] Red Dead Redemption 2 HDR Fix Tested! Plus Graphics 'Downgrade' Analysis

How to unlock fast travel in Red Dead Redemption 2

Fast travel won't be available to you when you start Chapter 2, and has to be unlocked by progressing through the story, and then unlocking a few camp upgrades.

First, play through to mission Money Lending and Other Sins. Hand in your first debt, and you'll learn about the Ledger, allowing you to upgrade your camp.

You want to specifically upgrade Lodgings. Once you have upgraded it once, you'll have the option to upgrade Arthur's tent. Do so, and you'll unlock fast travel.

Of course, it isn't a simple case of selecting somewhere on the map and going there. You have to go to Arthur's tent - specifically, round the back - and view the map. Then, you select a location you've been to before, and you'll appear there, with your main horse, after a transition sequence.

What this means is, even with this unlocked, you cannot decide to jump from somewhere out in the wilderness to another destination - you still have to do that at a camp.

However, if you are close to a specific location, you can travel around the map through other means...

Other ways to fast travel in Red Dead Redemption 2

Whether you've unlocked fast travel from your camp (as described above) or not, there are other ways of jumping round the map.

One is by using the stagecoach. This is an icon with a signpost on it, and is usually at most towns, ranches and other named locations on the map.

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Provided you've been to that location previously, you can pay to use the stagecoach to that destination.

By the way, if it looks like the Stagecoach is unavailable (there will be a 'lock' symbol on the icon) it means you're likely in a mission, have to pay a bounty or are currently riding your horse - fix these things and you should be good to go.

The other method is by train. At most larger settlements there is a envelope icon, which indicates a train station. This is not only a postmaster and a place to pay your Wanted bounties, but you can also buy a train ticket to far away destinations.

Unlike the stagecoach, you can take the train to any destination on the list right from the start of Chapter 2 (where the game begins to open up). Not only that, it's usually cheaper than the stagecoach - so if you're somewhere where you have the choice of both, grab the train.

Of course, though the train goes to more prominent locations and allows you to go there straight away, the stagecoach visits a lot of smaller ranches, so both come in handy.

Either way, both cost money, and since you'll be starting a lot of your trips from your camp, purchasing the camp upgrades to fast travel from there will be better in the long run.