Jilin City is forty minutes from Changchun by high-speed train — the most convenient connection, and the one most visitors use. The train runs frequently throughout the day and is cheap. From Beijing the total journey time via Changchun is about four and a half hours.
The city also has direct rail connections to Harbin and other major northeastern cities. For Changbaishan, the train continues from Jilin City toward Baihe, making the city a natural stopping point on the route to the nature reserve.
Jilin City does not have its own major airport; Changchun's airport is the practical arrival point for air travellers, with the high-speed train completing the journey.