Nagapattinam is 340 km south of Chennai and 85 km east of Thanjavur.
By rail: The town is on the metre-gauge branch line from Thanjavur, with onward connections to Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, and Madurai. The journey from Thanjavur takes about two hours.
By road: The East Coast Road (ECR) runs north to Chennai; buses connect frequently to Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, and other Tamil Nadu towns. Local buses also run to Velankanni (12 km) and Nagore (5 km).