Magical Methods of Transportation and Their Muggle Equivalents
There are plenty of ways to get around the wizarding world. In fact, there are so many that it’s often hard to understand why witches and wizards need more than one way to travel. However, if you look at it a little closer, you’ll soon see that their methods of transportation are just as diverse as ours. Not everything is great for everyone. Here are four wizarding methods of transportation and their Muggle equivalents.
Apparition – Car
The main method of transportation seen throughout the wizarding world is Apparition. It makes sense – who else wouldn’t want to simply disappear from a spot and appear somewhere else? Apparating seems to be the equivalent of driving for Muggles. Think about it: It’s one of the most commonly used methods of transportation, you need to take lessons and get a permit to do it yourself, and some people can get nauseous while traveling this way. In fact, if you’re not paying attention, you can even get into a pretty nasty accident with both of these methods. Of course, the cars of the Muggle world also get stuck in traffic and pollute the environment, something wizards don’t have to deal with when Apparating… lucky them!
Broomstick – Bicycle
Compared to Apparition, riding a broomstick can be done by a much larger majority of people since you don’t need a permit for it. However, even if most people can fly, not many of them are great at it. That sounds quite a lot like Muggle cycling. Bicycles are also a nice way to stay in shape, and wizards have their own sport using broomsticks. Although most people use them for short rides, some like to travel long distances as a way to test their endurance. Although you may get a lot less sweaty traveling by broomstick than by bike, we’d say the resemblance is pretty clear.
Floo Network – Subway
Whether you call it the underground, the metro, or the tube, using the subway network is a great way to get around a lot of cities. The Floo network seems to work in a similar way. Instead of stations, you’ve got fireplaces; if you’re not careful, you might accidentally get off at the wrong one. It’s a fairly cheap way to get around, and quite a lot of people seem to use it. Of course, with Floo powder, you can cover far longer distances than on a subway train, but who knows what the future holds? Maybe one day, we’ll have an intercity subway network to take us from England to Scotland.
Portkey – Long-Distance Bus
Sometimes, Apparition is a no-go, you don’t have your broomstick, and there is no fireplace connected to the Floo network. That’s when a Portkey is your way to go. Just like long-distance buses, a Portkey can bring multiple people to and from any location. Following a rigid schedule, both methods of transportation seem to be used often when it comes to special events and unique travels. To top it all off, they can both take the appearance of dirty, mundane objects a lot of times.
What do you think of these connections? Do you agree with each traveling method’s equivalent, or would you have arranged it differently? Let us know in the comments!
