Kollam town is walkable from the railway station to the lake and old port area. Auto-rickshaws are plentiful and cheap for longer distances. The KSRTC bus stand is near the town centre and connects to surrounding villages.
For the backwaters, the main ferry terminal (KSWTD) is on the lakefront. The backwater public ferry to Alappuzha leaves at 10:30am daily and takes about eight hours. Shorter lake trips and houseboat rentals can be arranged through the ferry terminal or local agents.