Looking for faster, or at least effortless, ways to get around? Look no further : here's a tutorial written just for you!
I don't feel like writing a big long introduction, so let's get to the point! We'll build the ideal transportation system on top of these four base ways to travel :

1. Walking / Sprinting. It's boring, takes forever, and you have to eat food and kill mobs. It's just not necessary! Well, except for short distances...

2. Boat. The traditional way of travel over water, which is wonderful. But if you were to play a hardcore multiplayer server, boats aren't always allowed!

3. Pigs. Doesn't really count as a way to travel since you can't control the pig.

4. Minecarts. Fast and easy, but you have to lay tracks and add boosters. It's also very ugly if set up wrong.

All those are good ways to travel, but you need something more interesting. Let's try :

1. Boat channels! All you have to do is make a 3 block wide channel from point A to point B, then fill it up with water. Now you can toss a boat into your channel and sail away. Ideas for usage : beside a street, under a street, subways, mineshafts, etc. Possibilities are endless!

2. Lilypadding. It's a resource-heavy, painstaking task, but it will get you across a river or ocean with ease. All you need is several stacks of lilypads and a body of water. Hold right click in front of you, on the water, and walk forward. You don't even have to swim. This is ideal for those multiplayer servers that don't allow boats. You might want to destroy your trail so that others can't follow you, though.

3. Pigback Tours. Are you and some friends playing together on a server? Want to go build a base, but are afraid of losing each other? Fear no more! All you need is a couple pigs with saddles and a bunch of wheat. Someone can run in front and lead the pigs while everyone else rides. Ideal for transporting people who go afk a lot.

4. The Superboat Machine: Make several dirt platforms, 3 by 3, in a row, each 10 blocks apart. Then place signs on all the blocks on top of the platforms except for the middle. Dump water in the middle and place a boat in each. Get into the boat at the front of the row and hold right click in front of you so you jump into the next boat. Continue to hold right click until you get to your destination. It's a little complicated, but I'm sure you will figure it out. :)

Annnddd....that's all I can think of right now. By the way, would you rather the next article be: "How to pick the perfect server staff" or "Constructing the ideal mushroom town" or "How to be Mysterious in Minecraft"?