STALKER 2 fast travel system explained

The STALKER 2 fast travel system uses Guides spread around the map, paid NPCs who can move you around the zone - but not for free, and even then there's other challenges and penalties involved. Not only that, but STALKER 2 doesn't have many guides at all, so it's worth understanding how to make use of the ones you do find.

How to fast travel in STALKER 2

Fast travel in STALKER 2 is only possible through Guides – special NPCs you can find at established settlements, such as Zalissya, the Chemical Plant, and the Slag Heap. They’re marked on the map with a green crosshair icon.

Approach and tell them that you’re “looking for a guide” and you’ll be presented with several locations that you’ve previously visited and have their own guides that you can be taken to, as well as the price in coupons for the trip – from my experience this is typically at least 1,500 coupons, so it’s not particularly cheap. Pick whichever destination you want to reach, then you’ll pay the fee and will be teleported there after a black loading screen.

It's a simple system but does have quite a few somewhat realistic limitations in that you must visit locations to unlock them as fast travel destinations, and you can’t fast travel from anywhere as you must physically speak to a Guide. Obviously, you’ll only find helpful Guides in non-hostile territory, which means they’re quite rare given how dangerous the Zone is, so don’t expect to have lots of options when it comes to fast travel in Stalker 2.

The first Guide you’ll come across is Uncle Lyonya in Zalissya, but you won’t be able to use his services until you’ve found other places to visit that he can take you to. For example, having pursued the Ward path after giving the Stalker 2 Ward Sensors to Captain Zotov, I later found a Guide called Toadstool just outside the Chemical Plant, letting me travel between the two settlements.

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