How to get to Edinburgh from Cardiff

Tue 17 Feb
+ Add return
Travel by coach, train, flight with
CrossCountry
FlixBus
Azul
Avanti West Coast
National Express
1,000+ more
CrossCountry
FlixBus
Azul
Avanti West Coast
National Express
1,000+ more
QR-Code
Scan to get our free app
Use our app to get live travel updates and book mobile tickets for trains, buses, flights, and ferries.
App Store
rate4.9
42K ratings
Google Play
rate4.6
136K reviews

Travel Information

Compare coach, train and flight 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 coach with prices starting from £24. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 1h 20m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.4kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a coach costs an average of £24, and a flight costs an average of £84.

Distance: 497 km

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Coach
Flight

£144

Average Price

£49

Average Price

Cheapest

£149

Average Price

6h 57m

Average total duration

6h 27m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

13h 48m

Average total duration

13h 18m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 20m

Average total duration

Fastest

1h 20m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.4kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.5 - 1.2kg

CO2 emissions

-

CO2 emissions

CrossCountry

Most popular train company

FlixBus

Most popular bus company

Azul

Most popular airline

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

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

Travel options
from Cardiff to Edinburgh

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

Our recommendation

train

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

CrossCountryC75008
09:457h24
Cardiff Central (CDF)
17:09Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
£711One-way
0 changes

Cheapest

National ExpressNX111 · NX180
17:2014h45
Cardiff, University
08:05Edinburgh, Bus Station
£431One-way
1 change

Fastest

Transport for WalesL64791+Avanti West CoastW02929
09:536h25
Cardiff Central (CDF)
16:18Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
£1331One-way
1 change

Other options

CrossCountryC74968 · C75330
08:457h22
Cardiff Central (CDF)
16:07Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
£891One-way
1 change
CrossCountryC74997 · C75334
10:457h25
Cardiff Central (CDF)
18:10Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
£1131One-way
1 change
Transport for WalesL64810+Avanti West CoastC01379+TransPennine ExpressC74099
10:536h47
Cardiff Central (CDF)
17:40Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)
£2661One-way
2 changes
National ExpressNX507 · NX594
15:5315h27
Cardiff, University
07:20Edinburgh, Bus Station
£481One-way
1 change
National ExpressNX509 · NX591
03:2015h15
Cardiff, University
18:35Edinburgh, Bus Station
£451One-way
1 change
FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
16:1514h10
Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)
06:25Edinburgh, Bus Station
£581One-way
1 change

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

Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, coaches, flights and ferries

Compare coach, train and flight 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.

Tue
17 Feb
Wed
18 Feb
Thu
19 Feb
Fri
20 Feb
Sat
21 Feb
Sun
22 Feb
Mon
23 Feb
Tue
24 Feb
Wed
25 Feb
Thu
26 Feb
Fri
27 Feb
Sat
28 Feb
Sun
01 Mar
Mon
02 Mar
Tue
03 Mar
Wed
04 Mar
Thu
05 Mar
Fri
06 Mar
Sat
07 Mar
Sun
08 Mar
Mon
09 Mar

More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.

Trenitalia
Easyjet
Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

FAQs: 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.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Cardiff and Edinburgh including taking a coach, train and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Cardiff to Edinburgh is a coach with an average price of £24.

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

A coach is £32 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cardiff to Edinburgh costing on average £56.

A coach is £60 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Cardiff to Edinburgh costing on average £84.

The fastest way to travel from Cardiff to Edinburgh is by flight with an average journey time of 1h 15m.

Other travel options to Edinburgh take longer:

Train takes on average 6h 25m.

Coach takes on average 12h 5m.

The Cardiff to Edinburgh distance is approximately 497 km.
The average frequency per day from Cardiff to Edinburgh is:
  • Around 7 coaches 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 coach, train and flight can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Cardiff to Edinburgh:
  • Flights mostly depart from Cardiff Airport and arrive in Edinburgh Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Cardiff Central (CDF) and arrive in Edinburgh Waverley (EDB).
  • Coaches mostly depart from Cardiff, Sophia Gardens and arrive in Edinburgh, Bus Station.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Cardiff to Edinburgh, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Azul, easyJet to go to Edinburgh by flight.
  • Travel with CrossCountry, Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales, Cross Country, first_great_western, Transport for Wales to go to Edinburgh by train.
  • Travel with FlixBus, National Express, Megabus to go to Edinburgh by coach.
Yes, there are direct services available from Cardiff to Edinburgh with the following travel companies:
  • 1 direct flights per day with Azul.
  • 0 direct trains per day with CrossCountry.
Omio customers who travel from Cardiff to Edinburgh often also extend their vacation to go to London, Glasgow, Inverness, Manchester, Paris. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Edinburgh and these popular destinations at a great price.

Travelling from Cardiff to Edinburgh: related information

Here are some other resources that might have the information you need

HomeTravelTravel to United KingdomTravel to EdinburghHow to get to Edinburgh from Cardiff

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.

ios-badge
android-badge
Hand With Phone