Mailly-le-Château is a small village and you can walk anywhere in the upper village in five minutes. Getting between the upper village and the canalside takes around 15 minutes on foot, down a steep lane.
On foot is the natural mode within the village. The cliff path and the lane to the canal are the two main routes. Walking to neighbouring villages along the canal towpath is easy and flat — Merry-sur-Yonne is about 4 km south, Châtel-Censoir 7 km.
By bicycle the towpath opens up the entire Canal du Nivernais corridor. Bikes can be hired at Auxerre and at some canal-hire operators. There are no hire facilities in Mailly-le-Château itself.
By car you will need one to reach Auxerre, Vézelay, or the Caves at Arcy-sur-Cure. Parking in the upper village is limited; there is more space near the canal.
There are no buses serving the village.