How to travel from Birmingham to Cardiff

Fri, Mar 20
+ Add return
Travel by bus, train with
CrossCountry
Megabus
National Express
FlixBus
Transport for Wales
1,000+ more
CrossCountry
Megabus
National Express
FlixBus
Transport for Wales
1,000+ more
QR-Code
Scan to get our free app
Use our app to get live travel updates and book mobile tickets for trains, buses, flights, and ferries.
App Store
rate4.9
42K ratings
Google Play
rate4.6
136K reviews

Travel Information

Compare bus and train for Birmingham to Cardiff

Omio recommends booking the bus as it is the most popular option from Birmingham to Cardiff among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from $12. For those with little time consider booking a train which can get you there in 2h 14m. 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 $12, and a train costs an average of $21.

Distance: 88 miles (142 km)

Compare bus with

Most popular
Bus
Train

$19

Average price

Cheapest

$48

Average price

3h 54m

Average total duration

3h 24m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

2h 44m

Average total duration

Fastest

2h 14m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.4kg

CO2 emissions

0.0 - 0.1kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest
Megabus

Most popular bus company

CrossCountry

Most popular train company

Direct Options

Direct Options

Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.

Travel options
from Birmingham to Cardiff

How to get from Birmingham to Cardiff by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

bus

The best way to travel from Birmingham to Cardiff is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

FlixBusFlixBus
08:50AM4h25
Birmingham, Great Charles Street Queensway
01:15PMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
$151One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

FlixBusFlixBus
08:50AM4h25
Birmingham, Great Charles Street Queensway
01:15PMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
$151One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

CrossCountryC75248
09:30AM1h55
Birmingham New Street (BHM)
11:25AMCardiff Central (CDF)
$481One-way
0 transfers

Other options

CrossCountryC75246
08:30AM1h55
Birmingham New Street (BHM)
10:25AMCardiff Central (CDF)
$481One-way
0 transfers
CrossCountryC72652+Transport for WalesL65691
08:42AM2h17
Birmingham New Street (BHM)
10:59AMCardiff Central (CDF)
$521One-way
1 transfer
CrossCountryC75459+Great Western RailP22621
09:12AM1h55
Birmingham New Street (BHM)
11:07AMCardiff Central (CDF)
$661One-way
1 transfer
National ExpressNX111
10:00AM2h35
Birmingham, Coach Station
12:35PMCardiff, Sophia Gardens
$331One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
01:00PM4h05
Birmingham, Great Charles Street Queensway
05:05PMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
$151One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
04:55PM3h30
Birmingham, Great Charles Street Queensway
08:25PMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
$161One-way
0 transfers

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights

Compare bus and train 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.

Mon
Mar 23
Tue
Mar 24
Wed
Mar 25
Thu
Mar 26
Fri
Mar 27
Sat
Mar 28
Sun
Mar 29
Mon
Mar 30
Tue
Mar 31
Wed
Apr 01
Thu
Apr 02
Fri
Apr 03
Sat
Apr 04
Sun
Apr 05
Mon
Apr 06
Tue
Apr 07
Wed
Apr 08
Thu
Apr 09
Fri
Apr 10
Sat
Apr 11
Sun
Apr 12

More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.

Trenitalia
Easyjet
Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

FAQs: Travel from Birmingham to Cardiff

Travel to Cardiff easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from Birmingham to Cardiff.

FAQs
There are 2 options to travel between Birmingham and Cardiff including taking a bus and train.
The cheapest way to travel from Birmingham to Cardiff is a bus with an average price of $12 (€9).

This is compared to other travel options from Birmingham to Cardiff:

A bus is $9 (€7) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Birmingham to Cardiff costing on average $21 (€17).

The fastest way to travel from Birmingham to Cardiff is by train with an average journey time of 1h 53m.

Other travel options to Cardiff take longer:

Bus takes on average 2h 25m.

The distance from Birmingham to Cardiff is approximately 88 miles (142 km).
The average frequency per day from Birmingham to Cardiff is:
  • Around 12 buses per day.
  • Around 8 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Birmingham and Cardiff as scheduled services by bus and train can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Birmingham to Cardiff:
  • Trains mostly depart from Birmingham New Street (BHM) and arrive in Cardiff Central (CDF).
  • Buses mostly depart from Birmingham, Coach Station and arrive in Cardiff, Sophia Gardens.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Birmingham to Cardiff, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with CrossCountry, Transport for Wales, West Midlands Trains, Cross Country to go to Cardiff by train.
  • Travel with Megabus, National Express, FlixBus to go to Cardiff by bus.
Yes, there are direct services available from Birmingham to Cardiff with the following travel companies:
  • 3 direct trains per day with CrossCountry, Cross Country.
  • 7 direct buses per day with Megabus, National Express, FlixBus.
Omio customers who travel from Birmingham to Cardiff often also extend their vacation to go to London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester, Swansea. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Cardiff and these popular destinations at a great price.
HomeTravelTravel to United KingdomTravel to CardiffHow to travel from Birmingham to Cardiff

The Omio App Makes Travel Planning Easy

We’ll get you where you want to go. From live train updates to mobile tickets, our innovative app is the ideal way to plan and keep track of your travel.

ios-badge
android-badge
Hand With Phone