By plane
Mandalay International Airport, a gleaming modern facility, serves the area with flights to most places in Myanmar and some international flights. Air Mandalay used to provide a service, twice a week, flying from Chiang Mai, Thailand, however, it was suspended in 2008 and, whilst rumours persist, the service has not yet restarted. There are also 3 flights weekly to and from Kunming on MU2029 for about RMB2000 one way.
Air Asia is starting a direct flight from Bangkok, from 04th October 2012 onward with 4 flights per week.
The airport is far from the city, 45km on a modern highway with a few hiccups. Expect to pay US$8 to central Mandalay, US$6 from central Mandalay, and US$30 to/from Pyin U Lwin.
By train
From Yangon There are several trains daily from Yangon. While the tracks are old and, in some cases, the carriages may be old, the fifteen hour journey is quite pleasant. Note that in Fall of 2006 all trains were rescheduled to travel during the day so that trains do not cross Pyinmana in the dark but at least one train the privately managed Dagon Mann Express now runs overnight. Fares range from about US$15 ordinary class/hard seat to US$50 Air Conditioned Sleeper on the Dagon Mann Express.
From Lashio, Hsipaw, and Pwin U Lwin There are two trains daily from Pyin U Lwin US$4/$2 and one from Lashio via Hsipaw and Pwin U Lwin US$9/3 from Hsipaw. These trains are slow, crowded, but fascinating. The Pyin U Lwin - Hsipaw section includes the famous Gokteik Viaduct, a feat of Raj ingenuity and American construction!.
From Myitkyina This twenty-four hour journey is on old rolling stock and even older tracks so expect it to be bumpy!
By bus
From Yangon There is a night bus with air-con there are 5 options, 5PM, 6PM, 7PM, 9PM and 930PM departure, 10400k, 8.5-9 hours running into Mandalay. Almost certainly the cheapest option for getting between the two main cities in Myanmar.
From Inle Lake, Kalaw or Mid-Eastern Towns There are buses available along this route, either a day minibus 5AM departure, 9000k, 9 hours or a night bus with air-con 6PM departure. The minibus in the day takes a slightly shorter route than the larger and some say more comfortable full-sized night bus. Expect windy and bumpy roads, stops for picking up and putting down passengers, and, if you are lucky, a search of the bus by un-uniformed and just-bribed police officers.
From the Highway Bus Station you can either take a taxi or pick-up into town. Taxis are overly expensive quoting prices as high as 2000k per person or 6000k for the car, and often bargain in a mob fashion except they all offer the same price and try and gang-up on you. A far cheaper option is to simply walk out of the bus station yards to the West, and find one of the pick-ups which just ran a load of people to the station from town 500k per person - they are normally more than happy to help and there is no commission issues to worry about.