Malkapur is a stop on the Central Railway's Mumbai–Nagpur main line. Trains from Mumbai and Pune stop here daily — the Maharashtra Express, Azad Hind Express, and several Howrah-bound services all serve the route. From Mumbai the journey is around 9–10 hours; from Pune, about 7.
By road, Malkapur is on National Highway 6 between Akola and Jalgaon. Buses connect the town to Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, and Nagpur, but the train is more comfortable on the long routes.
To reach Lonar from Malkapur is around 100 km by road, three to four hours each way. There are state-transport buses, but most travellers hire a car or taxi for the day. Plan to leave very early; an overnight at Lonar saves a long return trip.