Amtrak's Saluki and Illini trains run between Chicago and Carbondale, with two round trips daily. The journey from Chicago Union Station takes around five and a half hours; the trains pass through Champaign-Urbana, Mattoon, and several other downstate Illinois stops. The Carbondale station is in the town centre.
By car, Carbondale is about 100 miles southeast of St. Louis and can be reached via I-57 south from Chicago (about 330 miles). The nearest commercial airport is St. Louis Lambert International (about 100 miles west) or Southern Illinois Airport in Murphysboro, about 15 miles west, which handles charter and cargo traffic. Most visitors drive or take the train.