- Must visit
Ashmolean Museum
The University of Oxford’s world-famous museum of art and archaeology, known for collections ranging from Ancient Egypt to European painting. A top cultural stop in the city.
Cheapest price
$20
Average price
$65
Fastest journey
5 h 15 m
Average duration
5 h 16 m
Buses per day
20
Distance
136 km
The best way to find a cheap bus ticket from Cardiff to Oxford is to book your journey as far in advance as possible and to avoid traveling at rush hour.
The average ticket from Cardiff to Oxford will cost around $65 if you buy it on the day, but the cheapest tickets can be found for only $20.
It's difficult to get from Cardiff to Oxford without transferring at least once.
FlixBus · FlixBus
FlixBus · FlixBus
NX111 · NX160
NX509 · OLOXT
NX507 · OLOXT
NX201 · TAOXF
NX201 · TAOXF
NX201 · TAOXF
NX201 · TAOXF
NX201 · TAOXFOmio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Cardiff to Oxford among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from $17. For those with little time consider booking a train which can get you there in 2h 7m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.0 - 0.1kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $17, and a train costs an average of $63.
Distance: 84 miles (136 km)
| Bus | Most popular Train | Driving |
|---|---|---|
$33 Average price Cheapest | $72 Average price | $38 Average price (fuel + tolls) |
4h 42m Average total duration 4h 12m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 2h 37m Average total duration Fastest 2h 7m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 2h 12m Average total duration (door-to-door) |
0.1 - 0.3kg CO2 emissions | 0.0 - 0.1kg CO2 emissions Lowest | - CO2 emissions |
![]() Most popular bus company | ![]() Most popular train company | Your own car or car rental |
Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options |
Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.
This is compared to other travel options from Cardiff to Oxford:
A bus is $39 (€32) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cardiff to Oxford costing on average $72 (€59).
Other travel options to Oxford take longer:
Bus takes on average 4h 12m.
You'll arrive about {timeSavings} sooner ({durationInMinutes} by bus vs {drivingDurationInMinutes} by car) and save roughly {savingsAmount} compared to fuel and tolls ({cheapestPrice} vs {drivingPriceInCents}). You also skip the drive itself — no traffic stress, no parking, and you can use the time to work, nap, or catch up on a series with the onboard Wi-Fi.
Direct coaches are operated by {directProviders}.
Driving is still worth considering if you're travelling with bulky luggage, need flexibility on departure times, or plan to stop along the way.
| Operator | Departure Time | Arrival Time | Duration | Departure days | Cheapest price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Operator National Express | Departure Time 01:40AM | Arrival Time 07:20AM | Duration 5h40 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $66 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 03:25AM | Arrival Time 08:40AM | Duration 5h15 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $62 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 04:30AM | Arrival Time 10:20AM | Duration 5h50 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $62 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 05:25AM | Arrival Time 10:40AM | Duration 5h15 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $66 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 06:25AM | Arrival Time 12:20PM | Duration 5h55 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $77 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 07:20AM | Arrival Time 12:40PM | Duration 5h20 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $71 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 08:30AM | Arrival Time 02:20PM | Duration 5h50 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $66 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 08:50AM | Arrival Time 02:25PM | Duration 5h35 | Departure days Mon | Cheapest price $32 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 09:00AM | Arrival Time 02:25PM | Duration 5h25 | Departure days Mon | Cheapest price $28 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 09:25AM | Arrival Time 02:40PM | Duration 5h15 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $77 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 09:50AM | Arrival Time 03:20PM | Duration 5h30 | Departure days Fri, Sun | Cheapest price $36 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 10:40AM | Arrival Time 04:30PM | Duration 5h50 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $77 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 11:40AM | Arrival Time 04:55PM | Duration 5h15 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $83 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 12:35PM | Arrival Time 06:25PM | Duration 5h50 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $83 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 12:45PM | Arrival Time 05:50PM | Duration 5h05 | Departure days Mon, Sun | Cheapest price $38 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 12:50PM | Arrival Time 06:50PM | Duration 6h00 | Departure days Mon, Sat | Cheapest price $46 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 01:35PM | Arrival Time 07:05PM | Duration 5h30 | Departure days Fri | Cheapest price $36 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 01:40PM | Arrival Time 07:05PM | Duration 5h25 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu | Cheapest price $32 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 01:45PM | Arrival Time 06:50PM | Duration 5h05 | Departure days Mon, Sat, Sun | Cheapest price $32 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 02:35PM | Arrival Time 08:05PM | Duration 5h30 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $77 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 02:55PM | Arrival Time 09:15PM | Duration 6h20 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $66 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 03:00PM | Arrival Time 12:20AM | Duration 9h20 | Departure days Sat, Sun | Cheapest price $29 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 04:00PM | Arrival Time 01:20AM | Duration 9h20 | Departure days Mon, Sat, Sun | Cheapest price $23 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 04:30PM | Arrival Time 10:25PM | Duration 5h55 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $66 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 04:40PM | Arrival Time 10:20PM | Duration 5h40 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Fri | Cheapest price $25 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 04:45PM | Arrival Time 11:22PM | Duration 6h37 | Departure days Fri, Sat | Cheapest price $45 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 05:20PM | Arrival Time 12:20AM | Duration 7h00 | Departure days Mon, Sat, Sun | Cheapest price $17 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 05:30PM | Arrival Time 11:53PM | Duration 6h23 | Departure days Fri | Cheapest price $45 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 06:00PM | Arrival Time 12:32AM | Duration 6h32 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu | Cheapest price $43 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 06:20PM | Arrival Time 01:20AM | Duration 7h00 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Fri | Cheapest price $20 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 06:45PM | Arrival Time 12:50AM | Duration 6h05 | Departure days Mon, Fri | Cheapest price $41 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 07:15PM | Arrival Time 01:29AM | Duration 6h14 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu | Cheapest price $42 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 07:45PM | Arrival Time 01:56AM | Duration 6h11 | Departure days Fri, Sat, Sun | Cheapest price $45 |
Operator National Express | Departure Time 11:40PM | Arrival Time 05:25AM | Duration 5h45 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $77 |
The table below shows live departures for Cardiff to Oxford buses for today, Monday, June 1. You can also manually refresh the results below to see updated bus journeys.
| Provider | Departs | Duration | Arrives | Transfers | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 4:00 PM Cardiff | 9h20 | 1:20 AM Oxford | 0 transfersDirect | |
![]() | 5:20 PM Cardiff | 7h00 | 12:20 AM Oxford | 0 transfersDirect | |
![]() | 6:45 PM Cardiff | 6h05 | 12:50 AM Oxford | 0 transfersDirect | |
| Tuesday, June 2 | |||||
NX201 · TAOXF | Delayed 1:35 PM 1:40 AMCardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h40 | 5:00 PM 5:00 PMOxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX201 · TAOXF | Delayed 1:35 PM 3:25 AMCardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h15 | 5:00 PM 5:00 PMOxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX202 · TAOXF | Delayed 5:25 AM 4:30 AMCardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h50 | 5:00 PM 5:00 PMOxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX201 · TAOXF | Delayed 1:35 PM 5:25 AMCardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h15 | 5:00 PM 5:00 PMOxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX202 · TAOXF | Delayed 6:25 AM Cardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h55 | 5:00 PM 5:00 PMOxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX201 · TAOXF | Delayed 1:35 PM 7:20 AMCardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h20 | 5:00 PM 5:00 PMOxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX202 · TAOXF | Delayed 8:30 AM Cardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h50 | 5:00 PM 5:00 PMOxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX201 · TAOXF | Delayed 1:35 PM 9:25 AMCardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h15 | 5:00 PM 5:00 PMOxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX202 · TAOXF | Delayed 10:40 AM Cardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h50 | 5:00 PM 5:00 PMOxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX201 · TAOXF | Delayed 1:35 PM 11:40 AMCardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h15 | 5:00 PM 5:00 PMOxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX202 · TAOXF | On time 12:35 PM Cardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h50 | 6:25 PM Oxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX111 · NX160 | 1:40 PM Cardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h25 | 7:05 PM Oxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX201 · TAOXF | On time 2:35 PM Cardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h30 | 8:05 PM Oxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX202 · TAOXF | On time 2:55 PM Cardiff, Sophia Gardens | 6h20 | 9:15 PM Oxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX201 · TAOXF | On time 4:30 PM Cardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h55 | 10:25 PM Oxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX507 · OLOXT | On time 6:00 PM Cardiff, Sophia Gardens | 6h32 | 12:32 AM Oxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX509 · OLOXT | On time 7:15 PM Cardiff, Sophia Gardens | 6h14 | 1:29 AM Oxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
NX201 · TAOXF | On time 11:40 PM Cardiff, Sophia Gardens | 5h45 | 5:25 AM Oxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station | 1 transfer | |
This is the last bus of the day. | |||||
Find all the dates and times for this journey
Compare train and bus prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.
Buses from Cardiff to Oxford run on average 20 times per day, taking around 4h 12m. Cheap bus tickets for this journey start at $17 (€14) if you book in advance.
The earliest bus runs at 00:50, the last at 23:45. The fastest bus covers the 84 miles (136 km) distance in 5h 5m.
Distance 84 miles (136 km) |
Average bus duration 4h 12m |
Cheapest ticket price $17 (€14) |
Buses per day 20 |
Fastest bus 5h 5m |
First bus 12:50 AM |
Last bus 11:45 PM |
Cheapest Month Oct |
Cheapest Day Sat |
High Season Jul - Sep |
Low Season Oct - Dec |
Busiest Day Mon |
Least Busy Day Sun |
Best time to book 28 days |
Discover the best of Oxford — top attractions, local food, transport tips, budget advice, and currency essentials. Plan your perfect Oxford trip today.
The University of Oxford’s world-famous museum of art and archaeology, known for collections ranging from Ancient Egypt to European painting. A top cultural stop in the city.
A distinctive anthropology and archaeology museum celebrated for densely displayed objects from around the world. Its atmospheric interior makes it one of Oxford’s most memorable visits.
A major natural history museum with dinosaur skeletons, scientific specimens, and a striking neo-Gothic hall. Popular with both families and architecture lovers.
Oxford’s most famous street, lined with historic college buildings, churches, and classic views. Ideal for a first walk through the city centre.
One of Oxford’s signature urban spaces, surrounded by the Radcliffe Camera, Bodleian buildings, and college architecture. A prime photography location.
A scenic open space with classic views of college buildings, the river, and meadows. One of Oxford’s most photogenic walking areas.
A historic Oxford speciality: richly seasoned pork sausages, traditionally flavoured with herbs and spices, long associated with the city and its pubs.
A regional Oxfordshire pastry from nearby Banbury, filled with spiced currants and dried fruit. It is a classic local sweet treat tied to the county’s baking tradition.
A hearty Oxford institution popularised by historic local dining rooms: slow-cooked beef in rich gravy with dumplings, ideal for traditional English comfort food.
A famous historic pub with a garden by the river, offering classic pub food and a relaxed Oxfordshire countryside feel close to the city.
A long-established fine dining restaurant by the river, respected for refined British cooking and a calm, romantic setting.
A well-known riverside pub outside central Oxford, popular for classic British dishes, Sunday roasts and a scenic traditional atmosphere.
Oxford is pricey by UK standards, driven by high accommodation costs and busy tourist areas, though pubs, chains, and supermarkets help keep food spending manageable.
Service is often included in restaurants; if not, tip about 10-12.5% for good service. Round up in taxis. Small tips are optional in cafes; not expected in pubs unless table service.
Official public transport app
Oxford, Gloucester Green Bus Station -> Oxford Railway Station
Find answers to the most common questions about traveling from Cardiff to Oxford by bus. From journey times and ticket prices to direct connections, first and last departures, and even whether the route is scenic, our FAQs cover everything you need to plan your trip. Whether you’re looking for the fastest bus, the cheapest option, or tips for making the most of your visit at Oxford, this guide helps you travel smarter and with confidence.

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