Paarl is 50 kilometres northeast of Cape Town, easily reached by the N1 motorway. By car it takes about 45 minutes in ordinary traffic. The Huguenot railway station on the Cape Town to Wellington line serves Paarl, with Metrorail trains running regularly throughout the day; the journey takes about an hour from Cape Town. The station is centrally located, a short walk from Main Street.
Golden Arrow buses connect Paarl to Cape Town and are cheaper than the train but slower in traffic. There is no scheduled airport service directly to Paarl; most visitors fly into Cape Town International Airport and drive or arrange a transfer.