How long did it take for a diplomat to travel between Berlin and Vienna in the 1770's?

Question

I was reading the Wikipedia entry for [the War of the Bavarian Succession](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Bavarian_Succession), and it said (my emphasis): > For some historians, the War of the Bavarian Succession was the last > of the old-style Cabinet Wars (Kabinettskriege) of the Ancien Régime > in which troops maneuvered while **diplomats traveled between capitals > to resolve their monarchs' complaints**. I am curious about the emphasized information, how long did it take to travel, for example between Berlin and Vienna for a diplomat? What mode of travel was likely taken by a diplomat? It seems to be a high-ranking position, so maybe they took the convenient (but not fastest) mode of transportation. I imagine it was very difficult to conduct diplomacy when it takes days (or weeks?) to send diplomats and get feedback.

Answer 1

According to my research, the most direct route between Berlin and Vienna is a distance of 421 miles. Again, according the information I uncovered, a person riding a horse at a comfortable rate for the animal will cover 32 miles riding a maximum of 8 hours a day. Of course, one could push the horse, riding at a faster rate and for a longer time (and one could then switch to a fresh horse at intervals). However, relying on the aforementioned rate, it would take a little over 13 days to travel from Berlin to Vienna.

If, instead, a diplomat traveled by a horse drawn coach (which would be more likely), according the figures I found, a coach could cover an average of between 60 and 70 miles a day. This means that it would take between 6 and 7 days for a diplomat to travel from Berlin to Vienna.

Now, either by horse or coach, the figures offered above represent the number of days it would take under ideal circumstance. Variables, such as the weather, the conditions of the roads, and unforeseen circumstances (a broken wheel on the coach, a washed out bridge, etc...) would invariably add a day or two the estimate.