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Travel Information
Compare coach and train for Cardiff to Edinburgh
Omio recommends booking the flight as it is the most popular option from Cardiff to Edinburgh among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the coach, with an average ticket price of £56 For those with little time, consider booking a flight, which has an average total journey time of 3h 28m. 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 coach costs an average of £56, while a train costs an average of £154.
Distance: 497 km
Compare flight with
Most popular Flight | Train | Coach | Driving |
|---|---|---|---|
£133 Average Price | £154 Average Price | £56 Average Price Cheapest | £130 Average Price (fuel + tolls) |
3h 28m Average total duration Fastest 1h 28m Onboard + 2h 0m Additional time* | 6h 55m Average total duration 6h 25m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 13h 35m Average total duration 13h 5m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 8h 8m Average total duration (door-to-door) |
- CO2 emissions | 0.1 - 0.4kg CO2 emissions Lowest | 0.5 - 1.2kg CO2 emissions | - CO2 emissions |
 Most popular airline |  Most popular train company |  Most popular bus company | 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.
This is compared to other travel options from Cardiff to Edinburgh:
A coach is £77 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Cardiff to Edinburgh costing on average £133.
A coach is £98 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cardiff to Edinburgh costing on average £154.
Other travel options to Edinburgh take longer:
Train takes on average 6h 55m.
Coach takes on average 13h 35m.
You'll arrive about 6h 40m sooner (1h 28m by flight vs 8h 8m by car). Tickets start at around £133 compared to roughly £130 in fuel and tolls — a bit more, but you get time back and avoid a long drive.
Driving makes more sense if you're travelling as a group, want flexibility on timing, or plan to stop en route.
Travel optionsfrom Cardiff to Edinburgh
How to get to Edinburgh from Cardiff by train, bus, flight or ferry.
Our recommendation
The best way to travel from Cardiff to Edinburgh is by taking a coach because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
FlixBus · FlixBus18:1013h05Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)7:15Edinburgh, Bus Station£571One-way1 change
Cheapest
- FlixBus · FlixBus18:1013h05Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)7:15Edinburgh, Bus Station£571One-way1 change
Fastest
G38949+
W342869:536h25Cardiff Central (CDF)16:18Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)£711One-way1 change
Other options
- G38955+W3428913:536h31Cardiff Central (CDF)20:24Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)£691One-way1 change
- G010679:457h24Cardiff Central (CDF)17:09Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)£711One-way0 changes
- G00947 · G0107512:457h20Cardiff Central (CDF)20:05Edinburgh Waverley (EDB)£891One-way1 change
- FlixBus · FlixBus16:1514h10Cardiff, North Road (Friary Gardens)6:25Edinburgh, Bus Station£611One-way1 change
- NX507 · NX59416:3014h50Cardiff, Sophia Gardens7:20Edinburgh, Bus Station£771One-way1 change
- NX509 · NX5913:4514h50Cardiff, Sophia Gardens18:35Edinburgh, Bus Station£771One-way1 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 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.
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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.
This is compared to other travel options from Cardiff to Edinburgh:
A coach is £77 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Cardiff to Edinburgh costing on average £133.
A coach is £98 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cardiff to Edinburgh costing on average £154.
Other travel options to Edinburgh take longer:
Train takes on average 6h 55m.
Coach takes on average 13h 35m.
- Around 8 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 and train can vary by season or day of the week.
- 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, North Road (Friary Gardens) and arrive in Edinburgh, Bus Station.
- Travel with Loganair to go to Edinburgh by flight.
- Travel with Transpennine Express, CrossCountry, London North Eastern Railway, Avanti West Coast, Transport for Wales to go to Edinburgh by train.
- Travel with National Express, FlixBus to go to Edinburgh by coach.
- 1 direct flights per day with Loganair.
- 1 direct trains per day with CrossCountry.
Travelling from Cardiff to Edinburgh: related information
Here are some other resources that might have the information you need
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