Pathankot is one of the best-connected towns in the Punjab foothills. The main Pathankot Junction railway station (station code PTK) sits at the convergence of the broad-gauge line from Delhi and Amritsar, the metre-gauge Kangra Valley Railway to Jogindernagar, and the line to Jammu. From Delhi, several overnight trains reach Pathankot in six to eight hours — the Himachal Express and the Shan-e-Punjab Express are popular choices. From Amritsar the journey takes around two hours.
The Kangra Valley Railway is a narrow-gauge gem in its own right, threading through the Kangra Valley past Baijnath and into the deep hills; take it to reach Dharamsala without backtracking to the plains.
Pathankot Airport (IATA: IXP) handles regional flights, though services are limited and the airport is mainly used for air force operations. Most travellers arrive by train. There is also a Pathankot Cantonment station, closer to the bus stand and the military area, which handles some express trains.
By road, Pathankot is on National Highway 44 (the Delhi–Srinagar corridor). Buses run frequently to Dalhousie (three hours), Chamba (four hours), Dharamsala (three to four hours), Jammu, and Amritsar. The inter-state bus terminal is close to the railway station.