Kotka is about 135 kilometres east of Helsinki along the E18 motorway, making it a straightforward two-hour drive. By train, the nearest mainline station is Kouvola (about 60 km north), from which there are bus connections to Kotka. Direct bus services from Helsinki take approximately two hours and arrive at the Kotka bus terminal near the city centre.
Hamina, 15 kilometres further east along the coast, is served by the same route and makes a good combined visit — its 18th-century circular street plan and well-preserved old town complement Kotka's maritime focus well.