Path of Exile 2 drops you into a huge, dangerous map where travel time matters. I’ve played long enough to see how a few small habits save hours. Move smarter, not just faster.
Why bother with fast travel? Because every minute you spend running is time not spending killing, crafting, or selling. In my experience, the right waypoint, a pocket of portal scrolls, and a well-chosen movement skill cut grind time sharply. You’ll see the results in loot per hour.
🗺️ Waypoints: find them first
Waypoints must be discovered on foot. Activate each one you find. That’s the rule. It’s fast, takes seconds, and stops tons of backtracking later (trust me).
Here’s why: activated waypoints let you jump directly to town or other zones, so you can reset maps, trade, or repair gear without re-running entire areas. We found that activating the doorway near an objective is the highest ROI for exploration time.
⚡ Portal scrolls — balance is key
Portal scrolls make two-way town trips. Carrying too many clutters your inventory. Carrying too few leaves you stranded. I keep 25–35 in most sessions; during heavy mapping I bump that toward 40.
| Source | How often | When to look |
|---|---|---|
| Monster drops | Common | All zones |
| Vendors (trade/sell) | Available | Always check |
| Map rewards | Moderate | Endgame maps |
Controversial take: hoarding 200 portals is useless for most players and actually slows your decision-making. Some will disagree loudly, but I’ve seen the clutter cost more time than it saves.
đź’Ž Movement skills and shortcuts
Movement skills are the real speed tool. Dash, Shield Charge, Flame Dash — they’re familiar, and they matter. I link my main movement to quick keys so I don’t fumble. You want one fast, reliable skill for long corridors and one for tricky jumps.
- Main movement: fast and repeatable (bind it).
- Gap closer: short bursts for dodging or skipping rooms.
- Utility: situational—stealth, cleanses, or phase moves.
Watch this: in several zones there are destructible walls and elevation tricks that shave route length. Learn them. They feel like secrets at first, then become second nature. Oddly enough, some “hidden” paths were easier than following the map marker.
🎯 Route planning that actually works
Before you run, glance at the overlay map. Plan exits and stash points. That tiny habit stops aimless wandering. Ask yourself: where will I portal back from? If you don’t know, you’ll waste time.
Practical setup tips (short):
- Run along walls in unknown maps.
- Place portals before boss pulls.
- Bind movement to keys you can hit without thinking.
Hideouts help. Put your Map Device, a stash tab, and a vendor close together. Two hideout layouts works best: one compact for quick maps; one with everything for crafting. To be fair, customizing hideouts takes minutes but pays off every hour.
“Place your Map Device where you naturally portal to.” — a simple rule I use daily.
One counterintuitive idea: sometimes skipping a waypoint activation until you clear a key room makes your run faster (fewer accidental town trips). There are exceptions (hardcore mode, for example), so don’t treat that as universal.
Small habits with big returns
I’ve noticed players waste time on two things: inventory micromanagement and poor keybinds. Solve those and you’ll shave minutes every run. Seriously!
Code snippet — a tiny macro I use (replace keys to taste):
// Bind example (conceptual)
Keybind Q = MovementSkill;
Keybind F = UsePortalScroll;
Keybind Tab = OpenOverlayMap;
Why this works: quick keys reduce decision lag, and fewer keystrokes equals fewer mistakes. It’s basic ergonomics applied to PoE 2.
Quick warnings: never burn your last portal in Hardcore without a plan. Also, some zone mechanics (I’m thinking certain 2025 map modifiers) break usual shortcuts. There are exceptions, depends on your map pool.
Surprisingly, improving travel isn’t about mastering one secret. It’s about layering small choices: waypoint habit, portal balance, movement priority, and a tidy hideout. Put those together and you’ll spend more time on the fun parts—fighting and crafting—than on walking.
Want specific help for a zone? Tell me which map you run and we’ll sketch a route. Between us, I still miss a shortcut sometimes — humans, right? — but practice fixes that.
— Mira (she/her), exile who likes fast runs and messy stumbles.
