4.9
4.6
Travel Information
Compare bus and train for Cardiff to Edinburgh
Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Cardiff to Edinburgh among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the bus, with an average ticket price of €63 For those with little time, consider booking a flight, which has an average total journey time of 3h 27m. If you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint, the train is your best option, with estimated CO2 emissions of 0.1 - 0.4kg. Average ticket prices depend on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €63, while a flight costs an average of €153.
Distance: 497 km
Compare train with
Most popular Train | Bus | Flight | Driving |
|---|---|---|---|
€153 Average price | €63 Average price Cheapest | €153 Average price | €146 Average price (fuel + tolls) |
6h 55m Average total duration 6h 25m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 13h 39m Average total duration 13h 9m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 3h 27m Average total duration Fastest 1h 27m Onboard + 2h 0m Additional time* | 8h 8m Average total duration (door-to-door) |
0.1 - 0.4kg CO2 emissions Lowest | 0.5 - 1.2kg CO2 emissions | - CO2 emissions | - CO2 emissions |
 Most popular train company |  Most popular bus company |  Most popular airline | Your own car or car rental |
Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options |
Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.
Compare ways to travel from Cardiff to Edinburgh
Compare the available ways to get from Cardiff to Edinburgh, with the key details around price, speed, convenience, and direct service.
This is compared to other travel options from Cardiff to Edinburgh:
A bus is €91 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cardiff to Edinburgh costing on average €153.
A bus is €91 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Cardiff to Edinburgh costing on average €153.
Other travel options to Edinburgh take longer:
Train takes on average 6h 55m.
Bus takes on average 13h 39m.
Travel optionsfrom Cardiff to Edinburgh
How to get from Cardiff to Edinburgh by train, bus or flight.
Our recommendation
The best way to travel from Cardiff to Edinburgh is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
NX509 · NX5945:00 PM 14h20 Cardiff, Sophia Gardens 7:20 AM Edinburgh, Bus Station €38 1 One-way 1 transfer
Cheapest
- NX509 · NX594
5:00 PM 14h20 Cardiff, Sophia Gardens 7:20 AM Edinburgh, Bus Station €38 1 One-way 1 transfer
Fastest
W33799+
G389519:53 AM 6h25 Cardiff Central (CDF) 4:18 PM Edinburgh Waverley (EDB) €225 1 One-way 1 transfer
Other options
- W33794+G38958
3:53 PM 6h29 Cardiff Central (CDF) 10:22 PM Edinburgh Waverley (EDB) €81 1 One-way 1 transfer - Y62761+
W851765:49 AM 7h44 Cardiff Central (CDF) 1:33 PM Edinburgh Waverley (EDB) €90 1 One-way 1 transfer - G38956+W85207
1:53 PM 7h48 Cardiff Central (CDF) 9:41 PM Edinburgh Waverley (EDB) €90 1 One-way 1 transfer
- NX509 · NX591
3:15 AM 15h20 Cardiff, Sophia Gardens 6:35 PM Edinburgh, Bus Station €44 1 One-way 1 transfer - FlixBus · FlixBus
4:15 PM 14h10 Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens) 6:25 AM Edinburgh, Bus Station €57 1 One-way 1 transfer - FlixBus · FlixBus
6:10 PM 13h05 Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens) 7:15 AM Edinburgh, Bus Station €64 1 One-way 1 transfer
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
Compare bus and train prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.
More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.
FAQs: Travel from Cardiff to Edinburgh
Travel to Edinburgh 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 Edinburgh.
This is compared to other travel options from Cardiff to Edinburgh:
A bus is €91 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cardiff to Edinburgh costing on average €153.
A bus is €91 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Cardiff to Edinburgh costing on average €153.
Other travel options to Edinburgh take longer:
Train takes on average 6h 55m.
Bus takes on average 13h 39m.
- Around 8 buses per day.
- Around 6 trains per day.
- Around 1 flights per day.
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Cardiff and Edinburgh as scheduled services by bus and train can vary by season or day of the week.
- Flights mostly depart from Bristol Airport and arrive in Edinburgh Airport.
- Trains mostly depart from Cardiff Central (CDF) and arrive in Edinburgh Waverley (EDB).
- Buses mostly depart from Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens) and arrive in Edinburgh, Bus Station.
- Travel with CrossCountry, Avanti West Coast, Transpennine Express, Transport for Wales, London North Eastern Railway to go to Edinburgh by train.
- Travel with Loganair, easyJet to go to Edinburgh by flight.
- Travel with FlixBus, National Express to go to Edinburgh by bus.
- 1 direct trains per day with CrossCountry.
- 1 direct flights per day with Loganair, easyJet.
Travelling from Cardiff to Edinburgh: related information
Here are some other resources that might have the information you need
The Omio App Makes Travel Planning Easy
We’ll get you where you want to go. From live train updates to mobile tickets, our innovative app is the ideal way to plan and keep track of your travel.
