How to travel from Southampton to Cardiff

Thu, Mar 19
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Travel by train, bus with
Great Western Rail
National Express
first_great_western
FlixBus
Regionale
1,000+ more
Great Western Rail
National Express
first_great_western
FlixBus
Regionale
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train and bus for Southampton to Cardiff

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Southampton to Cardiff among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from $17. For those with little time consider booking a train which can get you there in 2h 40m. 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 $17, and a train costs an average of $16.

Distance: 86 miles (139 km)

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus

$75

Average price

$30

Average price

Cheapest

3h 10m

Average total duration

Fastest

2h 40m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

6h 50m

Average total duration

6h 20m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.0 - 0.1kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.1 - 0.3kg

CO2 emissions

Great Western Rail

Most popular train company

National Express

Most popular bus company

Direct Options

Direct Options

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

Travel options
from Southampton to Cardiff

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

Our recommendation

bus

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

National Express
03:20PM8h05
Southampton
11:25PMCardiff
$301One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

National Express
03:20PM8h05
Southampton
11:25PMCardiff
$301One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

National Express
07:00PM6h45
Southampton
01:45AMCardiff
$311One-way
0 transfers

Other options

FlixBus
09:15AM7h20
Southampton
04:35PMCardiff
$401One-way
0 transfers
FlixBus
05:00PM7h20
Southampton
12:20AMCardiff
$411One-way
0 transfers
FlixBus
07:15AM7h00
Southampton
02:15PMCardiff
$431One-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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FAQs: Travel from Southampton 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 Southampton to Cardiff.

FAQs
There are 2 options to travel between Southampton and Cardiff including taking a train and bus.
The cheapest way to travel from Southampton to Cardiff is a train with an average price of $16 (€14).

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

A train is $0.74 (€0.61) less than a bus for this route with tickets for a bus from Southampton to Cardiff costing on average $17 (€14).

The fastest way to travel from Southampton to Cardiff is by train with an average journey time of 2h 22m.

Other travel options to Cardiff take longer:

Bus takes on average 6h 10m.

The distance from Southampton to Cardiff is approximately 86 miles (139 km).
The average frequency per day from Southampton to Cardiff is:
  • Around 17 buses per day.
  • Around 7 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Southampton 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 Southampton to Cardiff:
  • Trains mostly depart from Southampton Central (SOU) and arrive in Cardiff Central (CDF).
  • Buses mostly depart from Southampton, Coach Station and arrive in Cardiff, Sophia Gardens.
  • Ferries mostly depart from Lymington Pier and arrive in Yarmouth.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Southampton to Cardiff, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with National Express to go to Cardiff by bus.
  • Travel with Great Western Rail, first_great_western to go to Cardiff by train.
Yes, there is a direct route available from Southampton to Cardiff:
  • 2 direct trains per day with first_great_western.
Omio customers who travel from Southampton to Cardiff often also extend their vacation to go to London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham. 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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