How to travel from Cardiff to Birmingham

Sun, Mar 01
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Travel by train, bus with
CrossCountry
Megabus
National Express
FlixBus
West Midlands Trains
1,000+ more
CrossCountry
Megabus
National Express
FlixBus
West Midlands Trains
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train and bus for Cardiff to Birmingham

Omio recommends booking the bus as it is the most popular option from Cardiff to Birmingham 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 16m. 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 €10, and a train costs an average of €10.

Distance: 142 km

Compare bus with

Most popular
Bus
Train

€16

Average price

Cheapest

€45

Average price

3h 51m

Average total duration

3h 21m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

2h 46m

Average total duration

Fastest

2h 16m

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 Cardiff to Birmingham

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

Our recommendation

bus

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

National ExpressNX111
09:50AM2h40
Cardiff, Sophia Gardens
12:30PMBirmingham, Coach Station
261One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

FlixBusFlixBus
06:10AM3h45
Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
09:55AMBirmingham, Great Charles Street Queensway
111One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

CrossCountryC74971
11:45AM2h00
Cardiff Central (CDF)
01:45PMBirmingham New Street (BHM)
701One-way
0 transfers

Other options

Great Western RailL16825+CrossCountryC74923
09:35AM2h14
Cardiff Central (CDF)
11:49AMBirmingham New Street (BHM)
511One-way
1 transfer
Transport for WalesL64806+West Midlands TrainsW05440
10:43AM2h54
Cardiff Central (CDF)
01:37PMBirmingham New Street (BHM)
491One-way
1 transfer
Transport for WalesL64779+West Midlands TrainsW05438
08:42AM2h56
Cardiff Central (CDF)
11:38AMBirmingham New Street (BHM)
491One-way
1 transfer
National ExpressNX112
11:20AM2h40
Cardiff, Sophia Gardens
02:00PMBirmingham, Coach Station
211One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
04:00PM4h15
Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
08:15PMBirmingham, Great Charles Street Queensway
141One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
12:15PM3h30
Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
03:45PMBirmingham, Great Charles Street Queensway
201One-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 Cardiff 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 Cardiff to Birmingham.

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

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

A bus is €0.69 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cardiff to Birmingham costing on average €10.

The fastest way to travel from Cardiff to Birmingham is by train with an average journey time of 2h 0m.

Other travel options to Birmingham take longer:

Bus takes on average 2h 35m.

The Cardiff to Birmingham distance is approximately 142 km.
The average frequency per day from Cardiff to Birmingham is:
  • Around 11 buses per day.
  • Around 8 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Cardiff 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 Cardiff to Birmingham:
  • Trains mostly depart from Cardiff Central (CDF) and arrive in Birmingham New Street (BHM).
  • Buses mostly depart from Cardiff, Sophia Gardens and arrive in Birmingham, Coach Station.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Cardiff to Birmingham, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Megabus, National Express, FlixBus to go to Birmingham by bus.
  • Travel with CrossCountry, West Midlands Trains, Transport for Wales, Great Western Rail, Cross Country, first_great_western, Transport for Wales to go to Birmingham by train.
Yes, there are direct services available from Cardiff to Birmingham with the following travel companies:
  • 6 direct buses per day with Megabus, National Express, FlixBus.
  • 3 direct trains per day with CrossCountry, Cross Country.
Omio customers who travel from Cardiff 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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