How to travel from Reading to Birmingham

Thu, Feb 05
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Travel by train, bus with
Megabus
CrossCountry
Avanti West Coast
Chiltern Railways
Great Western Rail
1,000+ more
Megabus
CrossCountry
Avanti West Coast
Chiltern Railways
Great Western Rail
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train and bus for Reading to Birmingham

Omio recommends booking the bus as it is the most popular option from Reading to Birmingham among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from €46. For those with little time consider booking a train which can get you there in 1h 52m. 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 €46, and a train costs an average of €17.

Distance: 81 miles (131 km)

Compare bus with

Most popular
Bus
Train

€52

Average price

Cheapest

€61

Average price

4h 36m

Average total duration

4h 6m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

2h 22m

Average total duration

Fastest

1h 52m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.3kg

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 Reading to Birmingham

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

Our recommendation

train

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

CrossCountryK45127 · XC088700+Chiltern RailwaysC90850
08:15AM2h50
Reading station (RDG)
11:05AMBirmingham Moor Street (BMO)
$381One-way
2 transfers

Cheapest

CrossCountryK45127 · XC088700+Chiltern RailwaysC90850
08:15AM2h50
Reading station (RDG)
11:05AMBirmingham Moor Street (BMO)
$381One-way
2 transfers

Fastest

Great Western RailP22685+TubeTube from London Paddington to London Euston+Avanti West CoastW02054
08:02AM2h25
Reading station (RDG)
10:27AMBirmingham New Street (BHM)
$1941One-way
2 transfers

Other options

CrossCountryK45127 · XC088700 · C74878
08:15AM2h36
Reading station (RDG)
10:51AMBirmingham New Street (BHM)
$611One-way
2 transfers
CrossCountryK45128 · XC088800 · C74876
07:15AM2h36
Reading station (RDG)
09:51AMBirmingham New Street (BHM)
$611One-way
2 transfers
Great Western RailP22771+TubeTube from London Paddington to London Euston+Avanti West CoastW02050
08:58AM2h29
Reading station (RDG)
11:27AMBirmingham New Street (BHM)
$981One-way
2 transfers
National ExpressRRRA1 · NX210
11:45AM5h05
Reading, Blagrave Street
04:50PMBirmingham, Coach Station
$761One-way
1 transfer
National ExpressRRRA1 · NX210
01:45PM4h50
Reading, Blagrave Street
06:35PMBirmingham, Coach Station
$761One-way
1 transfer
National ExpressRRRA1 · NX210
03:05PM4h30
Reading, Blagrave Street
07:35PMBirmingham, Coach Station
$761One-way
1 transfer

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

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FAQs: Travel from Reading to Birmingham

Travel to Birmingham 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 Reading to Birmingham.

FAQs
There are 2 options to travel between Reading and Birmingham including taking a train and bus.
The cheapest way to travel from Reading to Birmingham is a train with an average price of $21 (€17).

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

A train is $37 (€30) less than a bus for this route with tickets for a bus from Reading to Birmingham costing on average $58 (€46).

The fastest way to travel from Reading to Birmingham is by train with an average journey time of 1h 30m.

Other travel options to Birmingham take longer:

Bus takes on average 4h 3m.

The distance from Reading to Birmingham is approximately 81 miles (131 km).
The average frequency per day from Reading to Birmingham is:
  • Around 13 buses per day.
  • Around 6 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Reading and Birmingham 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 Reading to Birmingham:
  • Trains mostly depart from Reading station (RDG) and arrive in Birmingham New Street (BHM).
  • Buses mostly depart from Reading, Blagrave Street and arrive in Birmingham, Coach Station.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Reading to Birmingham, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with CrossCountry, Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, Great Western Rail, Cross Country to go to Birmingham by train.
  • Travel with Megabus, National Express to go to Birmingham by bus.
Yes, there are direct services available from Reading to Birmingham with the following travel companies:
  • 3 direct trains per day with CrossCountry, Cross Country.
  • 0 direct buses per day with Megabus.
Omio customers who travel from Reading to Birmingham often also extend their vacation to go to London, Paris, Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Birmingham and these popular destinations at a great price.
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