How to travel from Birmingham to Cardiff

Sat, Feb 28
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Travel by bus, train with
CrossCountry
Megabus
National Express
FlixBus
Transport for Wales
1,000+ more
CrossCountry
Megabus
National Express
FlixBus
Transport for Wales
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare bus and train for Birmingham to Cardiff

Omio recommends booking the bus as it is the most popular option from Birmingham to Cardiff among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from €9. For those with little time consider booking a train which can get you there in 2h 14m. 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 €9, and a train costs an average of €17.

Distance: 142 km

Compare bus with

Most popular
Bus
Train

€15

Average price

Cheapest

€39

Average price

3h 54m

Average total duration

3h 24m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

2h 44m

Average total duration

Fastest

2h 14m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.4kg

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 Birmingham to Cardiff

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

Our recommendation

bus

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

FlixBusFlixBus
08:50AM4h25
Birmingham, Great Charles Street Queensway
01:15PMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
151One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

FlixBusFlixBus
08:50AM4h25
Birmingham, Great Charles Street Queensway
01:15PMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
151One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

CrossCountryC75242
11:12AM1h55
Birmingham New Street (BHM)
01:07PMCardiff Central (CDF)
711One-way
0 transfers

Other options

CrossCountryC74852+Transport for WalesL65689
09:30AM2h24
Birmingham New Street (BHM)
11:54AMCardiff Central (CDF)
411One-way
1 transfer
CrossCountryC74852+Great Western RailL16761
09:30AM1h58
Birmingham New Street (BHM)
11:28AMCardiff Central (CDF)
521One-way
1 transfer
CrossCountryC75135+Great Western RailL17231
10:30AM2h29
Birmingham New Street (BHM)
12:59PMCardiff Central (CDF)
531One-way
1 transfer
National ExpressNX111
10:00AM2h35
Birmingham, Coach Station
12:35PMCardiff, Sophia Gardens
281One-way
0 transfers
National ExpressNX101 · NX202
08:00AM4h05
Birmingham, Coach Station
12:05PMCardiff, Sophia Gardens
261One-way
1 transfer
FlixBusFlixBus
01:00PM4h05
Birmingham, Great Charles Street Queensway
05:05PMCardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
271One-way
0 transfers

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

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FAQs: Travel from Birmingham 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 Birmingham to Cardiff.

FAQs
There are 2 options to travel between Birmingham and Cardiff including taking a bus and train.
The cheapest way to travel from Birmingham to Cardiff is a bus with an average price of €9.

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

A bus is €7 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Birmingham to Cardiff costing on average €17.

The fastest way to travel from Birmingham to Cardiff is by train with an average journey time of 1h 52m.

Other travel options to Cardiff take longer:

Bus takes on average 2h 25m.

The Birmingham to Cardiff distance is approximately 142 km.
The average frequency per day from Birmingham to Cardiff is:
  • Around 12 buses per day.
  • Around 8 trains per day.

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

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Birmingham to Cardiff:
  • Trains mostly depart from Birmingham New Street (BHM) and arrive in Cardiff Central (CDF).
  • Buses mostly depart from Birmingham, Coach Station and arrive in Cardiff, Sophia Gardens.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Birmingham to Cardiff, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with CrossCountry, Transport for Wales, West Midlands Trains, Cross Country to go to Cardiff by train.
  • Travel with Megabus, National Express, FlixBus to go to Cardiff by bus.
Yes, there are direct services available from Birmingham to Cardiff with the following travel companies:
  • 3 direct trains per day with CrossCountry, Cross Country.
  • 7 direct buses per day with Megabus, National Express, FlixBus.
Omio customers who travel from Birmingham to Cardiff often also extend their vacation to go to London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester, 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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