Ottery St Mary is about 16 kilometres east of Exeter on the B3174. There is no railway station; the line that served the town closed in 1967. By bus, Stagecoach operates services from Exeter city centre (approximately 40 minutes) and there are connections to Honiton to the east.
By car from Exeter, the most direct route follows the B3174 east through the Otter Valley. The M5 motorway exits at junction 29 for the A30, which connects to the Ottery road. From London, the fastest route is the M5 south from junction 25 at Taunton. Ottery is a good stopping point on a drive through east Devon to Sidmouth or Lyme Regis.