Chaves is in the far north of Portugal, about 80 kilometres north of Vila Real and 130 kilometres from Porto. There is no train service to Chaves — the line that once ran here was closed in 2009. Bus is the main public transport option, with several daily connections to Porto (around two and a half hours), Braga, and Vila Real operated by Rede Expressos and regional operators.
By car, Chaves is easily reached from Porto via the A24 motorway. The drive takes about an hour and a half. The town makes a convenient stop on a road trip between northern Portugal and Galicia in Spain, with the border just 12 kilometres away.