Esslingen is 13 kilometres east of Stuttgart and extremely easy to reach by public transport. S-Bahn line S1 runs directly from Stuttgart city centre (Hauptbahnhof and Stadtmitte) to Esslingen (Neckar) station every ten minutes during the day, with a journey time of around 20 minutes. The same line continues east to Plochingen. Esslingen is fully integrated into the Stuttgart VVS transport network, so tickets bought in Stuttgart are valid for the whole journey.
By car, Esslingen is just off the B10 federal highway, with good road connections to Stuttgart and the A8 motorway. Parking in the old town is limited; the best options are the car parks on the edge of the historic centre near the Neckar. The train is more convenient for a day trip from Stuttgart.
Direct connections also run from Tübingen and Reutlingen. Esslingen is served by long-distance coaches from several operators, though the S-Bahn is almost always faster and more frequent from Stuttgart.