Ávila is 90 kilometres northwest of Madrid and is well served by train and road. Renfe operates frequent trains from Madrid Chamartín and Atocha, with journey times of 1h15–1h30 on the faster services. The train station is a 15-minute walk from the old town gates (or a short taxi ride). By car, the AP-6 motorway from Madrid takes about 90 minutes depending on traffic. There is also a regular bus service from Madrid's Estación Sur.
From Salamanca, Ávila is 98 kilometres east on the N-501 road (no direct motorway); trains connect the two cities in about 1h30. From Segovia, the journey by road is about 70 kilometres through the Sierra de Guadarrama; there is no direct train, but the bus takes about 1h30.