Alappuzha is 84 km north of Thiruvananthapuram and 60 km south of Kochi. There is no airport; the nearest is Kochi International Airport (about 75 km by road).
By train: Alappuzha railway station is on the main coastal line between Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam (Kochi). Several express and passenger trains stop here daily; the journey from Kochi takes about 1.5 hours, from Thiruvananthapuram around 2.5 hours.
By bus: Regular government and private buses connect Alappuzha to Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, and Kollam. The KSRTC bus stand is near the town centre.
By ferry: The eight-hour public ferry from Kollam to Alappuzha is the most scenic way to arrive and one of Kerala's great journeys. Ferries run once daily.