Parakou sits 420 km north of Cotonou on Route Nationale 2 — the main artery through central Benin. The road is paved and in reasonable condition, and bush taxis and buses run the route throughout the day, taking around five to seven hours depending on stops and the vehicle. The ATAC bus company runs the most reliable scheduled services from Cotonou.
The rail link from Cotonou once made Parakou the northern terminus of Benin's railway, but passenger services have been intermittent for years and are currently not running. Verify the status if you're determined to travel by train. There is a small airport (Parakou Airport) that handles domestic flights from Cotonou; Air Côte d'Ivoire and occasionally other regional carriers serve the route, but schedules change frequently.
From Parakou, bush taxis and shared minibuses run north to Natitingou (about four hours), east toward the Nigerian border at Kandi, and west toward Djougou. The gare routière is the hub for all these departures.