For the casual, time limited and or heavy anima users:

Every city has an aetheryte close by, traveling remains quick.

A typical login day... City Aetheryte > Landmark Aetheryte > Nodes, or reverse.

This also effectively promotes running and for a very important purpose, not a time sink.

Is 2 to 3 minutes (at the most!) really a time sink though?

Could you imagine how more lively and populated the world would feel after seeing a group of adventurers heading to the nearest aetheryte?

I really haven't heard why this isn't a very good compromise.