How to travel from Cardiff to Manchester

Sat, Nov 29
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Travel by train, bus with
Megabus
Transport for Wales
CrossCountry
National Express
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1,000+ more
Megabus
Transport for Wales
CrossCountry
National Express
FlixBus
1,000+ more
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Travel Information between Cardiff and Manchester

Distance143 miles (231 km)
Available travel modesTrain or bus
Ticket price range$14 - $36
Cheapest modeBus • $14 (€12) • 5 h 5 min
Fastest modeTrain • $36 (€32) • 3 h 19 min
Popular travel companiesMegabus or Transport for Wales

Take a train or bus to travel 143 miles (231 km) between Cardiff and Manchester. The most popular travel companies which serve this trip are Megabus or Transport for Wales among others. Travelers can even take a direct bus or train from Cardiff to Manchester.

Travel options
from Cardiff to Manchester

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

Our recommendation

bus

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

FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
09:15AM6h05
Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
03:20PMManchester, Princess Road / Moss Lane East
$481One-way
1 transfer

Cheapest

National ExpressNX111 · NX120
12:40PM5h40
Cardiff, Sophia Gardens
06:20PMManchester, Coach Station
$401One-way
1 transfer

Fastest

Transport for WalesG56069
09:45AM3h26
Cardiff Central (CDF)
01:11PMManchester Piccadilly (MAN)
$1221One-way
0 transfers

Other options

Transport for WalesG56039
08:42AM3h32
Cardiff Central (CDF)
12:14PMManchester Piccadilly (MAN)
$961One-way
0 transfers
Transport for WalesG56075
10:43AM3h32
Cardiff Central (CDF)
02:15PMManchester Piccadilly (MAN)
$961One-way
0 transfers
Transport for WalesG56076
11:40AM3h35
Cardiff Central (CDF)
03:15PMManchester Piccadilly (MAN)
$1221One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
09:15AM6h25
Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
03:40PMManchester, Shudehill Interchange
$471One-way
1 transfer
FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
06:10AM6h00
Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
12:10PMManchester, Princess Road / Moss Lane East
$451One-way
1 transfer
FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
06:10AM6h20
Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
12:30PMManchester, Shudehill Interchange
$451One-way
1 transfer

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

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FAQs: Travel from Cardiff to Manchester

Travel to Manchester 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 Cardiff to Manchester.

FAQs

There are 2 travel options from Cardiff to Manchester: train or bus.

The cheapest way to travel from Cardiff to Manchester is a bus with an average price of $14 (€12).

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

Taking a bus costs $22 (€20) less than taking a train, which average ticket prices of $36 (€32).

The fastest way from Cardiff to Manchester is by train with an average journey time of 3 h 19 min.

There are alternative travel options to Manchester that take longer:

Bus takes 5 h 5 min on average.

The distance from Cardiff to Manchester is approximately 143 miles (231 km).

The average frequency per day from Cardiff to Manchester is:

  • 24 buses a day.
  • 7 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your trip from Cardiff to Manchester as scheduled services by train or bus can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Cardiff to Manchester:

  • Buses most often depart from Cardiff at Cardiff, University and arrive in Manchester at Manchester, Shudehill Interchange.
  • Trains mostly depart from Cardiff Central and arrive in Manchester Piccadilly.

Omio works with many trusted partners that can help you travel the best way from Cardiff to Manchester:

  • You can go to Manchester from Cardiff by bus with Megabus, National Express or FlixBus. You'll see cheap bus tickets for $14 (€12) with FlixBus from Cardiff to Manchester on Omio.
  • You can travel to Manchester from Cardiff by train with Transport for Wales, CrossCountry or Cross Country. You can find cheap tickets on Omio for $36 (€32) with Transport for Wales from Cardiff to Manchester.

Yes, there are direct services available from Cardiff to Manchester with the following travel companies:

  • Direct buses with Megabus with 8 direct buses per day.
  • Direct trains with Transport for Wales with 3 direct trains per day.

Direct services tend to save you time and add more convenience in getting you to Manchester as you won't need to transfer at another stop in between, so it's worth paying attention to before booking your tickets from Cardiff to Manchester.

Your trip from Cardiff to Manchester doesn't have to end in Manchester. Many of our customers like to extend their vacation to explore other popular destinations like London, Liverpool, Paris, Edinburgh or Glasgow. If you’d like to add London, Liverpool, Paris, Edinburgh or Glasgow to your Cardiff to Manchester tour, check Omio for the best and cheapest ways to travel to any of these top destinations from Manchester today!
HomeTravelTravel to United KingdomTravel to ManchesterHow to travel from Cardiff to Manchester

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