Ferry

A Ferry or a Taxi is a person who agrees to transport lower-level characters to map locations that those characters have not yet unlocked. This is distinct from a Runner, who will take people to areas of the game they could physically reach, but which cross difficult terrain with powerful monsters. A ferry, by contrast, simply creates a party with the other characters in it, then map travels to the location in question. The entire party, including the "locked" characters, end up in the new location.

The term "ferry" is used equally for the service and the person providing the service. This is different from the usual English usage where it cannot apply to individuals.

Note that ferries only work in certain areas of the game. In most cases, if a player has not unlocked a location and the party leader tries to map travel there, the other player will simply be booted out of the party.

Elite Factions Missions
A ferry can be a member of an alliance that controls Cavalon or House zu Heltzer who agrees to transport people from outside the controlling alliance to the Elite Mission outposts from the respective capitals. The member of the controlling alliance, who has direct access to the restricted areas, teams up with the players from outside the alliance desiring to be transported, and enters the Elite Mission staging area. This transports everyone in the party, including the outside members. Prior to the addition of Passage Scrolls in the April 19th, 2007 update, ferrying was the primary way of accessing the Factions Elite Missions.

Some alliances ferry people for a fee; others do it for free or tips. ArenaNet has made their position on ferrying fees known in a forum posting on guildwarsguru.com. They believe it is up to the alliances that control the cities to charge for ferrying or not, as they see fit.

For other ways of accessing Elite Missions, see the Elite Mission article.

Ferries in Elona
The Consulate Docks mission town is a short, peaceful walk from Kamadan, but it is not accessible to players who have not completed the quest called The Time is Nigh. The Consulate Docks employ the best armorer in Istan, so low-level characters often ask to be ferried there so they can purchase high-quality armor from him. Once inside the Docks, Ferries with the Terror in Tyria or Plague in Cantha quests may then offer ferry services to those respective regions for players who have not progressed far enough to unlock the quests on their own.


 * Characters wishing to provide ferry services can accept the quest The Time is Nigh, serve as a ferry for other characters, abandon the quest before accepting the quest reward, and then re-take the quest as many times as they like. It is a bit time-consuming, since the character had to listen to a tedious speech by Kormir in Churrhir Fields each time he or she wanted to serve as a ferry, but it offers a chance to make a bit of money on ferry fees and/or tips.


 * It was thought that, in December of 2006, ArenaNet closed this loophole, meaning that most characters could only ferry other characters once; and that if the quest was abandoned after arriving at the docks, one would not be able to take it again (and would lose out on the quest reward); but as of January 12, 2007, at least Canthan and Tyrian characters are still able to repeat ferry. Update: Elona characters can still repeat ferry.


 * A unique method to reach Tyria from Elona is to go through the Warrior's Isle Guild Hall to the Canthan Ferry Captain at the other end. At Kamadan, speak to the Canthan Ambassador and ask him to show you the list of Guild Halls available to browse. If you pick the Warrior's Isle and have party members, they will map travel with you to the hall. Once there, head southwest to the docked ship and speak with the Canthan Ferry Captain. At the bottom of his list of destinations, choose "Take me back to Lion's Arch". This teleports the entire party to Lion's Arch.