How long does it take to get from Moat Cailin to Mole Town on horseback?

Question

Question says it all. How long does it take to get from Moat Cailin to Mole Town on horseback?

Assumptions:

• No battles are going on, but the land is not peaceful.
• You need to not attract too much attention, but you're not a wanted man.
• You're rich (horse changes an option?)
• You're riding with either 1 or 2 companions, no more.
• It's early winter.

Answer 1

Judging from this map is approximately +/- 1,000 miles from Moat Cailin to Castle Black and Mole's Town is just to the south.

You might be able to get 100 miles per day out the best horses, if you have access to them.

and I am sure Littlefinger had such access.

This would put the journey at around 10 days, maybe a fortnight if we assume a bit slower pace. Changing mounts would always be an option too if one travels on the King's Road.

This is reasonable if Littlefinger left when he heard Sansa had escaped, and not when he 100% proof she made it to Castle Black. The fighting in the North has died down since the Red Wedding. Stannis' defeat was the last major battle.

A rider making the trip would not have to worry about standing armies. (just have to avoid Winterfell), but I doubt Littlefinger rode alone.

Even with a few guards the 100 mile/day pace could be kept.

Answer 2

In Catelyn POV in the first book we know that Lady Catelyn reached from Kings Landing to the Trident crossroads in 14 days. We learn the location at (p 277):

"It was dark when they reached it, at the crossroads north of the confluence of the Trident."

And the time it takes at (p 280):

"We left Kings Landing a fortnight ago, Catelyn replied, answering the safest of his questions."

In a weird way, Lady Catelyn and Ser Rodrik perfectly fits your definition. It appears the distance between Moat Cailin and Mole Town is about 2.5 times that of Kings Landing and the Crossroad Inn.

We also know that (p 278):

"For the past week, travelers thick as flies upon the Kingsroad; knights and free riders, singers with their harps and drums, heavy wagons laden hops or corn or casks of honey, traders and craftsmen and whores and all of them moving south."

Assumptions:

1. Catelyn Stark is not a great rider.
2. They travel at the end of the summer/beginning of the autumn. It is faster than winter.
3. The roads being crowded reduces the speed.
4. The roads are in a better condition than they are in the North, simply because they are used much more often.

The assumptions 1 and 3 reduces speed while 2 and 4 increases the speed. However I tend to believe that "thick as flies" implies that effect of 3 is greater than others, so they traveled slower than someone might travel in early winter from Moat Cailin to Mole Town.

So my answer would be 20-25 days. (Page numbers may vary, depending on the edition.)

Answer 3

The tongue-in-cheek answer: Exactly one week,

if your horse is equipped with David & Dan's magical jetpack,

and only 6 days if you're Nordic!