Ancenis lies on the main rail line between Nantes and Angers. Trains run roughly hourly in both directions; the journey to Nantes takes around 25 minutes and to Angers about 30 minutes. The station is a ten-minute walk from the old town.
By road, Ancenis sits on the N23, which connects Nantes to Angers along the Loire's north bank. The motorway (A11) passes to the north with a junction a few kilometres outside town.
Cyclists arriving on the Loire à Vélo route enter from either the east (Angers direction) or west (Nantes direction) on the signed levée path.