Palenque has its own international airport (IATA: PQM), a small facility a few kilometres north of town. It handles limited service, and most travellers arrive overland. Buses from Mexico City (14–15 hours), Mérida (6 hours), San Cristóbal de las Casas (5 hours), and Villahermosa (2 hours) connect Palenque to the main ADO network. The bus station is at the edge of the town centre, walkable or a short taxi ride from the hotels.
A new railway option opened in the early 2020s: the Tren Maya stops at Pakal-Ná station on the edge of Palenque, with connections running east to Cancún and the Yucatán peninsula. The station is about 3 kilometres north of the town centre; taxis and colectivos run the gap.
Palenque is about 150 kilometres from Villahermosa, which has more frequent flights and bus connections if you need them. Shared taxis (colectivos) between Palenque and Villahermosa run regularly and cost less than the bus.