Arcos de Valdevez is about 100 kilometres north of Braga and 90 kilometres north of Viana do Castelo. The quickest route by car from the south is the A27 motorway from Viana do Castelo, which terminates near Ponte da Barca; from there it is a short drive north along the N202. The journey from Porto takes roughly 90 minutes.
Bus connections link Arcos to Viana do Castelo and Ponte da Barca. There is no direct rail connection — the nearest train station is at Viana do Castelo, from which buses run north.