Ciudad Rodrigo is not on the main rail network. The easiest approach is by bus from Salamanca, with several services daily making the 90-minute journey. Buses arrive at a small station just outside the city walls, convenient for the Cathedral and the old town.
By car the drive from Salamanca takes about an hour on the A-62 motorway, which continues west into Portugal toward Guarda. Parking is available outside the city walls and also in the car park near the castle.
From the Portuguese border it is a short drive from Vilar Formoso, making Ciudad Rodrigo a natural stop on a journey between the two countries.