Piacenza is on the main Milan–Bologna railway line and is well-served by regional and inter-city trains. From Milan (Centrale or Rogoredo), journey time is about 1 hour. From Parma about 30 minutes; from Bologna about 1 hour 15 minutes. High-speed trains stop at Piacenza on the Milan–Bologna route.
By car, Piacenza is at the junction of the A1 motorway (Milan–Bologna) and the A21 (Piacenza–Brescia–Cremona). The city is 67 km from Milan, 95 km from Parma, and 170 km from Bologna.