Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Fast Travel Options

Master fast travel in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. This guide covers available methods to speed up your journeys across Liberty City's streets.

Fast Travel Options

Navigating the sprawling streets of Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars can be time-consuming, especially when you're trying to quickly get to a mission objective, a drug dealing hotspot, or simply escape the heat. Fortunately, the game offers several methods for fast travel, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Mastering these will significantly improve your efficiency and overall gameplay experience.

Taxi Services

The most straightforward and readily available fast travel method is utilizing Liberty City's extensive taxi network. Taxis are a reliable way to get across the city without the hassle of driving or attracting unwanted attention.

  • How to Hail a Taxi:
    1. Locate a yellow taxi cab on the street. They are common in all districts.
    2. Stand on the sidewalk and tap the "Hail Taxi" icon that appears on your touchscreen when a taxi is nearby. Alternatively, you can press the designated button (refer to your in-game controls menu for the specific button mapping on your platform).
    3. Once the taxi stops, Huang will automatically enter the vehicle.
  • Setting Your Destination:
    1. After entering the taxi, the map will appear on your touchscreen.
    2. Tap on any location on the map to set it as your destination. This can be a mission marker, a safehouse, a drug dealing contact, or any other point of interest.
    3. Confirm your destination. The taxi driver will then proceed to drive you there.
  • Cost and Time:
    • Taxi fares are relatively cheap, usually ranging from a few dollars to a couple of hundred, depending on the distance.
    • The journey is instantaneous. Once you confirm your destination, a brief loading screen will appear, and you'll arrive at your chosen location. This makes taxis the fastest method for point-to-point travel.
  • Limitations:
    • You cannot hail a taxi if you are currently wanted by the police (have a wanted level). You must lose your wanted level first.
    • Taxis cannot take you to areas that are not yet unlocked in the game's progression.

Subway System (Train Stations)

While not as instantaneous as taxis, the subway system offers a cost-effective and immersive way to travel between major districts. It's particularly useful for longer journeys across different boroughs.

  • Locating Subway Stations:
    • Subway stations are marked on your map with a distinctive "M" icon.
    • Key stations are found in areas like Algonquin (e.g., Star Junction, Middle Park), Bohan (e.g., Northern Gardens), Dukes (e.g., East Island City), and Broker (e.g., Hove Beach).
  • Using the Subway:
    1. Drive or walk to a subway station entrance.
    2. Enter the station and proceed to the platform.
    3. Locate the subway train. Huang will automatically board the train when it arrives.
    4. Once inside, the subway map will appear on your touchscreen. Tap on your desired destination station.
    5. The train will then travel to your chosen stop. This involves a short animation of the train moving, followed by your arrival.
  • Cost and Time:
    • Subway fares are generally cheaper than taxis, often a flat rate regardless of distance.
    • Travel time is longer than taxis due to the animation, but still significantly faster than driving across the city manually.
  • Advantages:
    • Can be used even with a low wanted level, though it's still advisable to lose the police before entering a station.
    • Offers a different perspective of Liberty City's underground network.

Safehouses

While not a direct fast travel method in the traditional sense, your safehouses act as crucial respawn points and allow you to quickly return to a familiar location after being busted or wasted. They also serve as a base of operations for saving your game and managing your inventory.

  • Safehouse Locations:
    • Your primary safehouse is located in Dukes, accessible early in the game.
    • Additional safehouses become available as you progress through the storyline and complete specific missions. These include locations in Bohan and Algonquin.
  • Functionality:
    • If you are busted by the police, you will respawn outside the nearest unlocked safehouse.
    • If you are wasted (killed), you will respawn outside the nearest unlocked safehouse.
    • You can manually travel to any unlocked safehouse to save your game by interacting with the laptop inside.
  • Strategic Use:

    Consider the proximity of your safehouses when planning missions or drug runs. Having a safehouse nearby can save you valuable time if things go south and you need to quickly get back into action.

Vehicle Spawns (Garage)

Your safehouses also feature a garage where you can store and retrieve vehicles. While not a fast travel method to other locations, it's a quick way to acquire your preferred mode of transport without having to steal one off the street.

  • Storing Vehicles:
    • Drive any vehicle you wish to keep into the garage at your safehouse.
    • The game will prompt you to save the vehicle. You can store up to two vehicles per safehouse.
  • Retrieving Vehicles:
    • Approach the garage door at your safehouse.
    • Interact with the garage to select and retrieve a stored vehicle. This allows you to instantly access a powerful or customized car without searching for it.