I only started playing Skyrim a few days ago.. am I missing something?

When you are in the map, you can click on a city or place you have already been to and unless you are in combat you should be able to fast travel. Also, at each major city there should be someone sitting in a horse and cart just outside who for a very small amount of gold (roughly 20 if I remember correctly) will take you to any of the major strongholds. You only need to use the horse and carts to get to a city once and then as it is discovered on your map, fast travel there is enabled.

I hope I helped and don't give up on the game yet, it's REALLY fun

 

I would also like to add that alot of the appeal of these games is the exploration. Allow the world of the game to immerse you and you will get alot more out of those long walks.

 

@Krisibelle covered the basics. It should also be of note that most of the best RPGs can be time consuming.

 

You should get a horse \ just use the map to move around the map instantly. Also you should remember that adventuring is part of the fun

 

Some call it the walking simulator fast travel does exist, as well horse traveling, but to be honest if you're at the beginning and are already bored of it maybe this game is not for you...
The game relies on exploration, and you're going to miss a lot of stuff if you constantly fast travel.

 

You have fast travel available in the game, which means, that, after you discover a location, you can always instantly travel back to it. And also, they give you a horse really early in the game, which also helps get to locations faster.

 

The game's inviting you to just wander around in-between the objectives they're giving you, I think. You can find many nifty locations that the game won't directly tell you about.
Also, as the other guys said, you can fast travel once a location is discovered.

 

I'm beating a dead horse here but I loved Skyrim so don't give up. It can take ages to get between places if you just walk but you find such cool stuff! I love going into caves, like this one magical meadow in a cave and the boss you defeat there is a Spriggan. It was a nice cave. Don't give up! You'll fall in love with it if you like this type of game at all.

 

You can fast travel in the game, so it doesn't take too long to reach stuff. But part of the game is to venture out and admire the beautiful wastelands, so try to enjoy it!

 

Fast travelling is something that always took me out of the game. I preferred to walk across the map, and that's what I always did. I like RPG's to be realistic, and if it's time-consuming, so what? That's what it's all about! Exploration and discovering fun little easter eggs.

 

1. That long walk is only necessary the first time.
2. You can fast travel after that.
3. You can take a horse.
4. You can pay that guy to transport you to a major city.
5. Take detours. The point is not to complete the game its to explore that world.

 

It's kinda fun rambling around the place though. That's one of the reasons I loved the game when I first got it. You never know when you might run into a group of bandits or wild animals, or even someone who'll give you a random quest. Plus, watching the scenery is a huge plus

 

At some times, I think that not a lot of people realize that most of us play this game for exactly that reason. I am tired of games where everything is fast travel... what is the point of evening building a world if you just skip over it? Who wants to play a game where every quest has the quest objective within 1 second of the quest giver.

 

It took my girlfriend a year and a half to finally convince me just to simply watch her play. (I had heard mixed things, and I was completely sick of hearing all the "inside" jokes from the game)
After finally watching her play, and understanding the jokes floating around, I decided to try it out myself.
It's hard at first, but if you tough out the frustration, it's a game you'll come to love.
Also, I'd suggest not sticking to the roads when you're headed to a quest, and exploring places like the random bandit camps you'll discover.

 

Getting into this game was honestly one of the most incredible gaming experiences I've ever had. It absolutely blew me away.

 

Exploration is a key part to this game, hopefully you've stuck with it and learned how to play it after 6 months. It's a truly great game!

 

This is a great metaphor for life, lol. You're so focused on what you assume you have to do that you missed the shortcuts And on top of that, you don't enjoy the ride if you're too focused on the objectives. Life is like 99% the ride and 1% the objective, gotta have fun steering

 

Yeah, the whole point of the game is finding new places and meeting new people. There are certain quests which I haven't even triggered yet and I don't even know how to trigger, but that's the most fun part of the game.

 

Yeah, exactly. If you ever get the chance, look up "Jailer of Love" and "Absolute Virtue" from FFXI...these were bosses that were in the game for years and nobody could beat them without exploiting them. Years. They had to nerf Love and eventually Absolute virtue as well, and let's not talk about the 18 hour pandemonium warden fight that people eventually just gave up on after vomiting and losing their ability to focus because of the all the BS surrounding the fight, lol. A game has to have that or I think they're wimps now, hardcore is the only core