[PW] Re: London to Berlin travel time before railways

[John Germain]

Multiples of Ghent to Aix?

Riding Post would be quickest, via the established routes, and the only way to guarantee
fresh mounts; *average* equine speed on unmetalled roads ca. 8mph?

A thought occurs: if an event was of sufficient importance and expected, the theoretical
limit of speed of transmission would be by beacons such as were established in Elizabethan
times as invasion warnings.

Hmm. That could deal with contrary winds cross-channel unless the Continong were cut off,
as per usual. A Gig in reasonable weather or a calm?

The established Posts from the coast to London a little earlier:

http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/text/chap_page.jsp?t_id=Defoe&c_id=26

were coming on apace but by no means good, but I would suspect Continental roads to be at
that level or worse by far!

Interesting question!

John Germain
Jersey
British Channel Islands
-----Original Message-----
From: project-wombat-open-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org
[mailto:project-wombat-open-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org] On Behalf Of Peter Macinnis
Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2006 4:35 AM
To: list at project-wombat.org
Subject: [PW] London to Berlin travel time before railways

This is for me, so please do not engage in over-exertion.  I need to
know how long it would take a traveller or a messenger to get from
Berlin to London in pre-steam transport, say around 1750 to 1820,
assuming no warfare or bad weather at the time.

I am seeking a comparison with the six minutes taken for a telegraphic
signal to advise Queen Victoria in Windsor of the birth of the future
Kaiser Wilhelm II, her grandson, in Berlin.

The messenger time (such as that of a King's Messenger) would be best,
but I suspect the only way this will show up is in Googling far cleverer
than mine, or in somebody knowing that X had an account of such a trip
in a journal.  Pointers in the right direction will do.

If needs must be, I will do some sums based on approximate road
distances and sea routes, but it would be nice to have real figures.
Casanova made the trip, but seems to have swanned around -- I am seeking
a diligent traveller's account.

in hope

--
   _--|\    Peter Macinnis       petermacinnis at ozemail.com.au
  /     \   Runner-up, Wallangumba submarine chess festival,
  \.--._*   unusually unreliable source on double negatives,
       v    http://members.ozemail.com.au/~macinnis/index.htm
_______________________________________________
Project Wombat
list at project-wombat.org
http://www.project-wombat.org/