Saint Gallen is on the main railway line between Zurich and Bregenz. Direct trains from Zurich take about 75 minutes; from Bern the journey takes around 2.5 hours with a change at Zurich. The station is a 10-minute walk from the abbey precinct. Bus services connect with the Appenzell region and the surrounding canton.
By car, Saint Gallen sits on the A1 motorway between Zurich and the Austrian border. The old town has parking on its periphery but the centre is largely pedestrianised. Lake Constance and the Bodensee ferry services are about 20 km north.