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Praying while travelling (Qasr)
Allah made prayer easier for travellers: four-rak'ah prayers (Dhuhr, Asr, Isha) are shortened to two. Fajr and Maghrib are never shortened.
Who counts as a traveller?
Someone who sets out on a journey of roughly 80–90 km (about 50–55 miles) or more. The schools give slightly different figures: about 81 km for the majority, about 88–90 km for Hanafis. Shortening starts once you leave your town.
How long can you shorten?
While travelling, and at your destination unless you intend to stay longer than 15 days (Hanafi) or 4 days (Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali). Beyond that you pray in full.
Combining prayers
The Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali schools allow a traveller to combine Dhuhr with Asr and Maghrib with Isha, in the time of either. The Hanafi school allows combining only at Arafah and Muzdalifah during Hajj; otherwise each prayer is prayed in its own time, shortened.
Before you set off
Say the travel dua (Powerful Dua for Travel). Mood & Dua calculates prayer times wherever you are, so you can see Dhuhr and Asr in your destination's time zone.
Questions
Is shortening prayer optional?
For Hanafis it is required: praying four rak'ahs while travelling is disliked. For the other schools it is a recommended concession.
Do I shorten Maghrib?
No. Maghrib stays three rak'ahs and Fajr stays two.