How to travel from London to Cardiff

Tue, Feb 24
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Great Western Rail
National Express
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South Western Railway
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Great Western Rail
National Express
Megabus
FlixBus
South Western Railway
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train and bus for London to Cardiff

Omio recommends booking the bus as it is the most popular option from London to Cardiff among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from $10. For those with little time consider booking a train which can get you there in 2h 59m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.2kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $10, and a train costs an average of $52.

Distance: 131 miles (211 km)

Compare bus with

Most popular
Bus
Train

$15

Average price

Cheapest

$87

Average price

3h 51m

Average total duration

3h 21m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

3h 29m

Average total duration

Fastest

2h 59m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.2 - 0.5kg

CO2 emissions

0.1 - 0.2kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest
National Express

Most popular bus company

Great Western Rail

Most popular train company

Direct Options

Direct Options

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

Travel options
from London to Cardiff

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

Our recommendation

bus

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

FlixBusFlixBus
10:00AM4h15
London, Victoria Coach Station
02:15PMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
$201One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

FlixBusFlixBus
09:30PM3h15
London, Victoria Coach Station
12:45AMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
$141One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

Great Western RailP22624
10:48AM1h49
London Paddington (PAD)
12:37PMCardiff Central (CDF)
$911One-way
0 transfers

Other options

Great Western RailP22623
10:16AM1h54
London Paddington (PAD)
12:10PMCardiff Central (CDF)
$981One-way
0 transfers
Great Western RailP22621
09:18AM1h49
London Paddington (PAD)
11:07AMCardiff Central (CDF)
$1291One-way
0 transfers
Great Western RailP22622
09:48AM1h52
London Paddington (PAD)
11:40AMCardiff Central (CDF)
$1291One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
07:30AM4h10
London, Victoria Coach Station
11:40AMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
$181One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
11:30AM3h45
London, Victoria Coach Station
03:15PMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
$161One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
12:30PM3h40
London, Victoria Coach Station
04:10PMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
$151One-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

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How to Travel from London to Cardiff

The most straightforward way to travel in the UK from London to Cardiff is the fast train from London Paddington which pulls into to Cardiff Central railway station. For those who prefer to travel by road, National Express buses make the trip along the M4 frequently. Journey times are up to 4 hours by bus, half that by train and half that again by air.

Trains from London to Cardiff | Buses from London to Cardiff | Flights from London to Cardiff

London to Cardiff Travel Comparison

Average Price

Travel Time

Cheapest Time to Book

buses

€9

3:10 h

1 Month Ahead

trains

€44

2:00 h

2 Months Ahead

buses

€73

1:10 h

2 Weeks Ahead



What is the best way to travel from London to Cardiff?

Cheapest way to travel from London to Cardiff


cheap

Taking a bus is the cheapest way to travel from London to Cardiff. Buses traveling from London to Cardiff depart from London's Victoria Coach Station and taking at least 3 hours to arrive at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens bus station. Over 30 buses travel from London to Cardiff per day, with the earliest departing London at 6:13 a.m. All buses that travel from London to Cardiff are operated by National Express.


Fastest way to travel from London to Cardiff


fast

Technically taking a flight is the fastest way to travel from London to Cardiff; however, when travel time to and from London and Cardiff's airports is taken into consideration, taking a train is actually the fastest way to travel. Additionally, there is only 1 direct flight between London and Cardiff per day. Trains traveling from London to Cardiff depart from London's Paddington train station and take 2 hours to arrive at Cardiff's Central train station. All trains traveling from London to Cardiff are operated by First Great Western with 10 trains departing London per day.


Most popular way to travel from London to Cardiff


popular

Taking the train is the most popular way to travel from London to Cardiff. Taking the train is over an hour faster than traveling from London to Cardiff by bus and 4 hours faster than taking a flight when travel time to and from London and Cardiff's airports is taken into consideration. Trains are also €29 cheaper than flights on average. Buses remain an attractive option for travelers trying to save some money while traveling.


How to get from London to Cardiff

The Best Way According to our Users

If you want to travel from London to Cardiff there are several options available to you. For this route, however, 61,97% of our customers choose the bus as their preferred method of transportation. Nowadays, traveling by bus is a relaxing and entertaining experience. Most bus companies offer different on-board services; ranging from "welcome drinks" to free wi-fi or personal entertainment. For this reason, the bus is often chosen as the best way to get from London to Cardiff. Bus companies normally offer comfortable journeys for reasonable prices, and if you choose to travel on a night bus you can even save the money of one night in a hotel. For that reason, the bus is most likely the cheapest way to get to your destination.

Search on Omio to find cheap tickets from London to Cardiff. It’s easy to find the most attractive prices and choose your preferred route for your journey. Book on web or app, and travel with your mobile ticket —without the stress of printing your ticket.

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Easyjet
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SNCF

FAQs: Travel from London 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 London to Cardiff.

FAQs
There are 2 options to travel between London and Cardiff including taking a train and bus.
The cheapest way to travel from London to Cardiff is a bus with an average price of $10 (€8).

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

A bus is $42 (€33) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from London to Cardiff costing on average $52 (€41).

The fastest way to travel from London to Cardiff is by train with an average journey time of 1h 43m.

Other travel options to Cardiff take longer:

Bus takes on average 3h 5m.

The distance from London to Cardiff is approximately 131 miles (211 km).
The average frequency per day from London to Cardiff is:
  • Around 45 buses per day.
  • Around 13 trains per day.

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

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from London to Cardiff:
  • Trains mostly depart from London Paddington (PAD) and arrive in Cardiff Central (CDF).
  • Buses mostly depart from London, Victoria Coach Station and arrive in Cardiff, Sophia Gardens.
  • Ferries mostly depart from West Cowes and arrive in Southampton Vehicle Ferry Terminal.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from London to Cardiff, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Great Western Rail, South Western Railway, first_great_western to go to Cardiff by train.
  • Travel with National Express, Megabus, FlixBus to go to Cardiff by bus.
Yes, there are direct services available from London to Cardiff with the following travel companies:
  • 12 direct trains per day with Great Western Rail, first_great_western.
  • 38 direct buses per day with National Express, Megabus, FlixBus.
Omio customers who travel from London to Cardiff often also extend their vacation to go to Bristol, Edinburgh, 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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