Xanthi is on the main rail line from Thessaloniki to the Turkish border, which makes it one of the easiest cities in Thrace to reach by train. Several services daily connect Xanthi to Thessaloniki (around 2.5 hours) and to Alexandroupolis (about 1 hour east). The train station is in the lower town, a short walk from the centre.
By road, Xanthi is about 230 km east of Thessaloniki on the Egnatia Odos motorway. KTEL buses connect to Thessaloniki, Kavala (45 minutes west), and Alexandroupolis. There is no commercial airport in Xanthi; the nearest is at Kavala (Alexander the Great Airport) or Alexandroupolis.