Chirala is on the main Chennai–Kolkata railway line, served by numerous express and passenger trains in both directions. The railway station is centrally located and most trains stop here, making it straightforward to arrive from Vijayawada (around 3 hours), Chennai (4–5 hours), or Hyderabad (changing at Guntur or Vijayawada). Trains from Ongole to the south stop at both Chirala and Vetapalem.
By road, Chirala is on National Highway 16 (the old NH 5), which runs along the coast between Chennai and Kolkata. Buses from Vijayawada and Guntur run frequently throughout the day. The nearest airports are Vijayawada (about 100 km north) and Tirupati (about 200 km south).