How to travel from Edinburgh to Cardiff

Thu, Mar 19
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Travel by bus, train, flight with
CrossCountry
National Express
Azul
Avanti West Coast
FlixBus
1,000+ more
CrossCountry
National Express
Azul
Avanti West Coast
FlixBus
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare bus, train, and flight for Edinburgh to Cardiff

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Edinburgh to Cardiff among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from $32. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 1h 20m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.4kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $32, and a flight costs an average of $113.

Distance: 308 miles (497 km)

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus
Flight

$199

Average price

$69

Average price

Cheapest

$205

Average price

7h 8m

Average total duration

6h 38m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

12h 47m

Average total duration

12h 17m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 20m

Average total duration

Fastest

1h 20m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.4kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.5 - 1.2kg

CO2 emissions

-

CO2 emissions

CrossCountry

Most popular train company

National Express

Most popular bus company

Azul

Most popular airline

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

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

Travel options
from Edinburgh to Cardiff

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

Our recommendation

bus

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

FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
10:40PM15h00
Edinburgh, Bus Station
01:40PMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
$861One-way
1 transfer

Cheapest

National ExpressNX183 · NX100 · NX216
11:45AM17h55
Edinburgh, Bus Station
05:40AMCardiff, Kingsway (Stop GB)
$671One-way
2 transfers

Fastest

Avanti West CoastW01974+Transport for WalesL64730
10:52AM5h55
Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
04:47PMCardiff Central (CDF)
$3591One-way
1 transfer

Other options

CrossCountryC75121 · C75263
09:05AM7h21
Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
04:26PMCardiff Central (CDF)
$1901One-way
1 transfer
Avanti West CoastC01381+Transport for WalesL64728
09:49AM6h01
Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
03:50PMCardiff Central (CDF)
$3591One-way
1 transfer
CrossCountryC74726+Great Western RailP22635
11:04AM7h04
Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
06:08PMCardiff Central (CDF)
$3591One-way
1 transfer
FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
11:15AM14h30
Edinburgh, Bus Station
01:45AMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
$841One-way
1 transfer
National ExpressNX591 · NX509
10:35AM15h15
Edinburgh, Bus Station
01:50AMCardiff, Kingsway (Stop GB)
$801One-way
1 transfer
National ExpressNX591 · NX509
10:35AM15h20
Edinburgh, Bus Station
01:55AMCardiff, Sophia Gardens
$801One-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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General Information about the journey from Edinburgh to Cardiff

It is possible to travel between the cities of Cardiff and Edinburgh by plane, bus or train. The quickest and only direct route is by plane, with journeys by bus taking the longest. All airports and stations have good local transport links.

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

Trenitalia
Easyjet
Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

FAQs: Travel from Edinburgh 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 Edinburgh to Cardiff.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Edinburgh and Cardiff including taking a bus, train, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Edinburgh to Cardiff is a bus with an average price of $32 (€26).

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

A bus is $30 (€25) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Edinburgh to Cardiff costing on average $63 (€51).

A bus is $80 (€66) less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Edinburgh to Cardiff costing on average $113 (€92).

The fastest way to travel from Edinburgh to Cardiff is by flight with an average journey time of 1h 10m.

Other travel options to Cardiff take longer:

Train takes on average 5h 52m.

Bus takes on average 13h 50m.

The distance from Edinburgh to Cardiff is approximately 308 miles (497 km).
The average frequency per day from Edinburgh to Cardiff is:
  • Around 8 buses per day.
  • Around 6 trains per day.
  • Around 1 flights per day.

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

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Edinburgh to Cardiff:
  • Flights mostly depart from Edinburgh Airport and arrive in Cardiff Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Edinburgh Waverley (EDB) and arrive in Cardiff Central (CDF).
  • Buses mostly depart from Edinburgh, Bus Station and arrive in Cardiff, Sophia Gardens.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Edinburgh to Cardiff, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with National Express, FlixBus, Megabus, Scottish Citylink to go to Cardiff by bus.
  • Travel with CrossCountry, Avanti West Coast, Transport for Wales, LNER, TransPennine Express, first_transpennine_express, Cross Country to go to Cardiff by train.
  • Travel with Azul, easyJet to go to Cardiff by flight.
Yes, there is a direct route available from Edinburgh to Cardiff:
  • 1 direct flights per day with Azul.
Omio customers who travel from Edinburgh to Cardiff often also extend their vacation to go to London, Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Swansea. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Cardiff and these popular destinations at a great price.
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