Ultimate Guide: Unleashing the Power of Carriages in Skyrim

Oblivion was the first Elder Scrolls game to incorporate map-based fast travel. In this game, players could immediately visit every regional capital once they escaped from prison. However, the Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim presented a more challenging map exploration experience. Although it initially reveals each hold capital at the beginning of the game, players cannot fast travel to these locations until they personally visit them.

Nonetheless, Skyrim addresses this issue by reintroducing a feature from Morrowind: transportation. Outside all major hold capitals, players can encounter carriage drivers who offer to take them to any other capital instantly, for a small fee. The only difficulty is that some players may be unfamiliar with the locations of these carriages or how to utilize them.

Where to Find Carriages

Carriage drivers do not park outside every capital in the game. Instead, they can only be found outside the five large capitals that have their own distinct internal area. These capitals include Whiterun, Windhelm, Markarth, Riften, and Solitude.

Furthermore, all of these five cities have a designated stables area located near the main entrance, where the carriages can always be found in close proximity. While the drivers may vary in each location, they all charge the same fees: 20 gold to travel to another major capital, and 50 gold to visit the four minor capitals of Dawnstar, Falkreath, Morthal, and Winterhold.

Players with the Hearthfire DLC have the option to hire personal carriage drivers. With each of the three homesteads having its own carriage, players can have these drivers take them to a customized list of destinations rather than the usual hold capitals.

How to Enter a Carriage

Using a carriage in the game may not be as straightforward as expected. Firstly, players need to approach the carriage driver and request a desired destination. Once the driver agrees, players should end the conversation and proceed to the rear of the carriage. Here, an interaction point will be visible, allowing the Dragonborn to board the carriage. The game screen will fade to black, and players will then find themselves magically transported to their chosen capital.

Carriages are only available in the major capitals, so traveling to a minor capital is a one-way journey. Luckily, players always have the option to fast-travel back to the stables in a major capital, and unlike most non-playable characters (NPCs), carriage drivers are always ready to travel, 24/7. Players need to walk to at least one major capital (not necessarily Whiterun), but after that, they can use carriages to unlock fast travel points for all the hold capitals, at a cost of only 280 gold in total.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is currently available on PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.