The Trans-Mongolian Railway is the classic way to arrive in Erlian. Train K23 from Beijing departs at 11:22 and arrives at Erlian the following morning, about twelve hours later; the train continues to Ulaanbaatar and ultimately Moscow. The same train arrives from Ulaanbaatar heading south. Erlian is also served by regular long-distance buses from Zhangjiakou (about five hours), Hohhot (about seven hours), and Beijing. The bus journey from Beijing's Sihui terminal is cheaper than the train and about the same duration.
There is no airport in Erlian; the nearest airports are at Hohhot (Baita International, about 450 kilometres southwest) and Xilinhot (about 350 kilometres east). Car hire is impractical for most foreign visitors due to Chinese licensing requirements; taxis within the small town are inexpensive and guesthouses can arrange cars for the border crossing or steppe tours.