Cirebon sits on the main Jakarta–Surabaya rail corridor, which makes it one of the easier stops to reach on Java. Frequent trains run from Jakarta (Gambir station) in around 2.5 to 3 hours; from Bandung the journey takes about 2 hours; from Yogyakarta around 4 hours. Note that Cirebon has two stations — Cirebon and Cirebon Prujakan — and different services stop at one or the other. Check which station your train uses before booking, as they are a few kilometres apart.
By road, the Cipali toll road connects Jakarta to Cirebon in around 2.5 hours in normal traffic. The Trans-Java highway continues east from Cirebon toward Semarang and beyond. Long-distance buses also serve the city from Jakarta, Bandung, and Yogyakarta, though the train is faster and more comfortable for most journeys.