Safranbolu has no train station and no direct bus connections from most major cities. The nearest train station and main bus hub is Karabük, about 10 kilometres away, which has regular bus and dolmuş (shared minibus) connections to Safranbolu's old town. From Ankara, buses take about 3-4 hours; from Istanbul, 4-5 hours. Buses from both cities typically go to Karabük rather than Safranbolu directly.
By car, Safranbolu is 200 kilometres from Ankara and about 400 kilometres from Istanbul, via the D-750 and TEM highways. The drive from Ankara takes about 2.5 hours on good roads. The town has car parks near the old bazaar for day visitors, though the lanes inside the historic district are too narrow for most vehicles.