Lancaster is on the West Coast Main Line, one of England's busiest rail routes, with direct trains to London Euston (just under 2.5 hours), Manchester (1 hour), Preston (20 minutes), and Carlisle (1 hour). Trains continue north to Glasgow. Lancaster station is a 10-minute walk from the castle and city centre.
The nearest large airport is Manchester, about an hour and twenty minutes by train with a change at Preston or direct on some services. Liverpool John Lennon and Leeds Bradford are possible alternatives for budget carriers, both around 90 minutes by public transport.
By road, the M6 motorway passes close to Lancaster (junctions 33 and 34). Driving from London takes around 3.5 hours. National Express runs coach services from London Victoria and other major cities; the journey from London takes around 5–6 hours.
Morecambe, 4 miles to the west, has its own station with direct trains to Leeds via the Bentham line, useful for approaching from Yorkshire.