Copán Ruinas is about 180 km west of San Pedro Sula, Honduras's second city and main transport hub. Direct buses from San Pedro Sula to Copán Ruinas take approximately 3 hours; several companies operate the route, including Hedman Alas (first-class) and local buses from the Gran Central terminal.
From Guatemala, the most common crossing is at El Florido on the Guatemalan side, which connects to Chiquimula and Río Hondo on the main Guatemalan route east. Minibuses shuttle between the border and Copán Ruinas (about 30 minutes). The Guatemalan town of Flores/Petén, near Tikal, is a full-day journey from Copán by various combinations of shuttle and bus.
There is no airport at Copán Ruinas. San Pedro Sula's Villeda Morales Airport has international connections to Miami, Houston, Atlanta, and other US hubs. Tegucigalpa's Toncontín Airport is about 4 hours away by road. Most independent travellers arrive either from San Pedro Sula or via the El Florido crossing from Guatemala.