Trains from Edinburgh to Cardiff

Edinburgh to Cardiff train information

Edinburgh Cardiff train map

Train duration 7h01m
Arrival Cardiff, Wales
Departure Edinburgh, Scotland
Distance 309 Miles
Train operators Cross Country
Lowest train price from £62.34
Average train price £134.00
  • The trains connecting Edinburgh (Eastern Scotland) to Cardiff (East Wales) are run by Cross Country. The services on board will change depending on the train provider.
  • Travelling by train is a quick and easy option to go to Cardiff from Edinburgh. The average travel time from Edinburgh to Cardiff is 7h01m to cover the 309 miles.
  • Looking at our data, the best fare to travel by train in the next month is £62.34. This price is based on an adult ticket and does not include the money you can save with a railcard.

Best prices for Edinburgh to Cardiff train tickets

from £62.34 MORE 6h28m
Other modes of transport available
Coach
from €33.00 MORE 15h09m
from £24.47 MORE 15h18m
from £35.73 MORE 15h47m
Flight
from £57.19 MORE 19h10m

Edinburgh - Cardiff prices calendar

Find the cheapest tickets to travel from Edinburgh to Cardiff by train, bus, ride sharing and plane.

  march may   march
monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday sunday
31
01
02

Distribusion£25

FlixBus£36

omio£63

kombo€33

03
04
05
06

Ticket prices and availability have been recorded in the last 72 hours from the data provided by our partners.

Train times Edinburgh to Cardiff

When are the next trains to Cardiff?

Departure Arrival Duration Company
Today
There are no more services available today.
Wednesday 02 April
Edinburgh Waverley
06:52
Cardiff Central
12:45
5h43m Multiple companies
Edinburgh Waverley
07:04
Cardiff Central
14:25
6h56m Cross Country
Edinburgh Waverley
08:52
Cardiff Central
14:44
5h42m Multiple companies
Edinburgh Waverley
10:07
Cardiff Central
17:26
6h55m Cross Country

The table above only shows the remaining services for today and will display a maximum of 10 train departures.

See all departures: Today / Tomorrow

Edinburgh - Cardiff: the best time to book cheap trains

Cost of the train when booking in advance or at the last minute

90

60

30

£158

15

£111

7

£114

3

£116

1

£134

Same day

Days before Departure

Overall, the earlier you purchase your ticket, the cheaper it gets but there can be some exceptions. We gathered the offers from the last six months in order to understand the best time to buy your train tickets Edinburgh to Cardiff. The figures show that booking your train from Edinburgh to Cardiff in advance is not always the best option.

We found trains at £111 when booking 7 days in advance while you will have to pay a minimum of £158 if you book your ticket 15 days in advance. Thus, based on our data, the best time to get your ticket is 7 days in advance as it is 30% cheaper than 15 days in advance.

Best prices for Edinburgh to Cardiff trains

We compare train ticket for all major companies to travel between Edinburgh and Cardiff by train and find the best prices for the coming days. Take a look at the prices of train tickets Cardiff to Edinburgh and find the best deal for your outbound journey.

From To Price Departure on At Company Searched
Edinburgh
Waverley
Cardiff
Central
£62.34 02/04/2025 06:52 21 days ago
Edinburgh
Waverley
Cardiff
Central
£65.20 02/04/2025 10:07 Cross Country 21 days ago
Edinburgh
Waverley
Cardiff
Central
£68.00 02/04/2025 08:52 21 days ago
Edinburgh
Waverley
Cardiff
Central
£91.12 02/04/2025 07:04 Cross Country 21 days ago
Edinburgh
Waverley
Cardiff
Central
£255.90 02/04/2025 09:07 21 days ago
Edinburgh
Waverley
Cardiff
Central
£259.37 02/04/2025 07:04 21 days ago

Best prices for the next 180 days.

Edinburgh Cardiff train

Discount Edinburgh - Cardiff train tickets

National Railcards can offer great value for money if you're travelling by train. Depending on your age and your situation, you can get one of the five existing railcards: Disabled persons, 16-25, Two together, Senior or Family and Friends railcards. Railcards can help you save money for your Edinburgh Cardiff train ticket.

How much can I save with a railcard?

The main benefit of purchasing a railcard is that it only takes a couple of trips to break even.

You will need to buy at least £88 of train tickets in a year for the card to break-even. This number corresponds to the cost of the railcard, £30, divided by the discount, 34%. On every ticket that you purchase afterwards, you will spare money.

As an example, train tickets from Edinburgh to Cardiff cost on average £133.66 (1). When dividing £88 by £133.66 (£88/£133.66 = 0.66), you can see that after only 1 one way journeys from Cardiff to Edinburgh, the railcard will have paid for itself.

How much do I need to pay for a railcard?

Railcards enable you to save 34% off most adult fares for 12 months. A Disabled persons railcard costs £20 and the five other ones £30.

(1)Average prices observed over the last 6 months for one way journey

Train Journey Average price without railcard(1) With a railcard 34% off(2) Saving based on a one-way trip Number of return trips to pay off the cost
Edinburgh to Cardiff train £133.66 £89.10 £44.55 0.66

(1)Average price observed over the last 6 months for one way

(2)Price calculated with an average reduction of 34% on train tickets fare

Other transport solution