Bahawalpur is well connected by rail. Pakistan Railways runs several trains daily on the Lahore–Karachi main line, with the station centrally located. From Lahore, the journey takes around four to five hours; from Karachi, around 12 hours. The Bahawalpur Express and Khyber Mail both stop here.
By road, Bahawalpur sits on the N5 highway and is accessible by bus and shared taxi from Lahore (about 450km), Multan (130km), and Rahim Yar Khan. The main inter-city bus terminal is near the railway station.
By air, Bahawalpur Airport has limited scheduled services. Multan International Airport, 130km north, is the most practical air option with connections to Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad.