TARDIS travel times?

[Bacl]

How long does it take to travel in the TARDIS? Does the TARDIS instantly go from any point in space and time to any other point in space and time? Or, does it take longer to get to some places than others?

New Who always seemed to act as though the travel times were instant, but this could easily be explained away as "time passed during the cutaway."

Most memorable in my mind is the Doctor Who telemovie, which open with the 7th Doctor traveling to Gallifrey. We get shots of the TARDIS speeding through time and space, while the Doctor sits and reads a book. Monitors over the console flash destination times much akin to an airport waiting room. I rather liked this feel.

I have seen very little original Who. Any answers there? What do people think?

 

[Marc]

Don't think about it - your head will explode

There's never been any sort of consistency though it may of been addressed on screen but I can't recall when.

 

[The Badger]

As I recall the series has been rather inconsistent with travel times. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes instantaneous. Usually speed of plot.

Personally I'd speculate that in principle a Tardis can travel instantly, but in practice it can be affected by local conditions, power reserves, how precisely the controls are set etc.

Also, I think the Doctor may deliberately allow journeys to go on for longer than need be. It gives him a chance to catch up on his reading!

 

[DWF]

The TARDIS as with all other fictional ships move at the speed of plot.

 

[JoeFromEarth]

The TARDIS is supposed to be piloted by 6(?) people. As the Doctor got used to piloting it by himself or with his companion, perhaps he figured out ways to pilot it more efficiently, or added upgrades (perhaps a reason the interior changes throughout the decades?)

 

[Haggis and tatties]

The Tardis probably does travel from one point to another instantly, but inside the tardis its perceved as taking some time between each journey.

Of course the most obvious explanation is that if the Tardis took only a instant to travel from one point to another the writers would have lost a lot of handy exposition time in their stories.

So on one hand its from point of view of the travellers inside the tardis and from another its a writer thing.

 

[Blamo]

I think it just goes as fast as the Doctor wants it too.

travelling faster seem to be more turbulent while longer journeys tend to be calm.

 

[Stevil2001]

I just watched "Aliens of London" today-- it takes the TARDIS ages just to get from the Powell Estate to Albion Hospital, and it's quite the turbulent journey to boot! This just two episodes after the TARDIS zipped to the year 5.5/apple/26 in about fifteen seconds.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

I'll explain later.

Mark

 

[Bacl]

I just watched "Aliens of London" today-- it takes the TARDIS ages just to get from the Powell Estate to Albion Hospital, and it's quite the turbulent journey to boot! This just two episodes after the TARDIS zipped to the year 5.5/apple/26 in about fifteen seconds.

Perhaps travel through time is fast, but travel through space is tough.

 

[Cky]

Well, the Eighth Doctor claimed it would take "10 minutes" to get to Gallifrey (250 million light years I think he said).

 

[matthunter]

Well, in practical terms it doesn't really matter... since the TARDIS is a time machine, it can travel halfway across the galaxy and arrive at its destination either the same time it left, 10 million years early or next Tuesday.

As for the perceptions of the occupants, some journeys do seem to take longer, but I'm guessing this is merely the Doctor being kind to his companions - they need more sleep than he does so why not slow things down and let them grab some kip while the TARDIS travels between Metebelis III and Earth? When he takes solo journeys, it seems faster - still not instantaneous, but then he needs some time to operate the controls.

 

[The]

I think it just goes as fast as the Doctor wants it too.

travelling faster seem to be more turbulent while longer journeys tend to be calm.

Agreed!

I'll explain later.

You win.

 

[Bacl]

As for the perceptions of the occupants, some journeys do seem to take longer, but I'm guessing this is merely the Doctor being kind to his companions - they need more sleep than he does so why not slow things down and let them grab some kip while the TARDIS travels between Metebelis III and Earth?

Should I even ask if the companions get their own bedroom in the Tardis?

 

[DWF]

As for the perceptions of the occupants, some journeys do seem to take longer, but I'm guessing this is merely the Doctor being kind to his companions - they need more sleep than he does so why not slow things down and let them grab some kip while the TARDIS travels between Metebelis III and Earth?

Should I even ask if the companions get their own bedroom in the Tardis?

Yes the various companions over the years have had their own rooms.

 

[matthunter]

Yes the various companions over the years have had their own rooms.

Well, Tegan and Nyssa shared a bedroom... indulge your fantasies, chaps.

 

[The]

^As if I've needed an invitation since the age of thirteen...

 

[Blamo]

Should I even ask if the companions get their own bedroom in the Tardis?

Yup even Romana 2 has one, with a bed. Why is the bed so special? The Doctor is never shown to have a room or a bed, nor is the Master or any other Time Lord/Lady (as far as I can remember). That bed therefore isn't used for sleeping on.

Well, Tegan and Nyssa shared a bedroom... indulge your fantasies, chaps.

Pfft those aren't fantasies, that's what actually happened between episodes.

 

[Mitty]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the length of the journey is never fixed in relation to it's distance in space or time. So it was possible to travel millions of light years in space and billions of years in time in only a couple of minutes, or it could be possible to travel only a few minutes and a very small distance and have the trip take weeks.

 

[Captain Crow]

From the Third Doctor story "The Time Monster" episode 4
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP0PioVuiZw[/yt]