By train is the most practical option for most visitors. Mannheim Hauptbahnhof is a major junction on the Frankfurt–Basel and Frankfurt–Paris lines, with frequent ICE services. Frankfurt is 35 minutes away; Stuttgart is 35 minutes; Paris is about 3 hours on the TGV via the Strasbourg route. Heidelberg is a 12-minute S-Bahn ride away.
By air the nearest major airports are Frankfurt (FRA), about 70 km north, and Stuttgart (STR), about 90 km south. Both are well connected to Mannheim by train. Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport is smaller and closer (about 50 km) but has fewer connections.
By car Mannheim sits at the intersection of the A6 (east–west) and A656 motorways, with good connections in all directions. Parking in the city centre is metered and can be expensive; several multi-storey car parks operate near the main station and the palace.