Elvas is on the A6 motorway, about 200 km east of Lisbon (a 2-hour drive) and 15 km from the Spanish border at Badajoz. The Badajoz airport is the closest, with limited connections; most visitors arrive by car from Lisbon or as a side trip from Évora.
There is a regional bus service to Lisbon and a connection to the railway at Elvas station, but timetables are sparse — a car is more or less essential if you want to see the satellite forts and combine Elvas with other Alentejo towns. Parking is straightforward inside and immediately outside the walls.