The nearest railway station with regular service is at Viana do Castelo, about 45 km west, on the line between Porto and the Spanish border. From Viana, Rede Expressos and AV Minho buses run several times a day to Ponte da Barca via Ponte de Lima. Direct buses also link Ponte da Barca to Braga and Porto.
By road, the N101 runs from Braga via Ponte de Lima to Ponte da Barca; the drive from Porto is about ninety minutes, from Braga forty. The town is also a sensible base on the route into the Peneda-Gerês National Park — the western entry road to Soajo and Lindoso climbs east from here.