There are 9 ways to get from Cairnryan to Cardiff by train, bus, car ferry, car, or plane
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Train
best- Take the train from Stranraer to Glasgow Centraltrain
- Take the train from Glasgow Central to Crewetrain
- Take the train from Crewe to Cardiff Centraltrain
11h 23m£163–274Bus
cheapest- Take the bus from Cairnryan Stena Terminal to Glasgow Buchananbus 923
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Millennium Pointbus
- Take the bus from Birmingham - Jennens Road to Cardiff - North Roadbus
12h 56m£50–77Car ferry, train
- Take the carferry from Cairnryan to Belfastcarferry
- Take the carferry from Belfast to Liverpoolcarferry
- Take the train from Chester to Cardiff Centraltrain
16h 25m£109–233Drive 379.4 mi
- Drive from Cairnryan to Cardiffcar 379.4 mi
7h 19m£96–138Train via Carlisle
- Take the train from Stranraer to Kilmarnocktrain
- Take the train from Kilmarnock to Carlisletrain
- Take the train from Carlisle to Crewetrain
- Take the train from Crewe to Cardiff Centraltrain
11h 45m£134–264Bus, train
- Take the bus from Old Pier to Ayr Bus Stationbus 360 / ...
- Take the bus from Ayr Bus Station to Waterloo Lanebus X77
- Take the train from Glasgow Central to Weston-super-Maretrain
- Take the train from Weston-super-Mare to Cardiff Centraltrain
15h 40m£260–400Bus, bus to Edinburgh Airport, fly, train
- Take the bus from Cairnryan Stena Terminal to Glasgow Buchananbus
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Terminalbus
- Fly from Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Bristol Airport (BRS)plane EDI - BRS
- Take the train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Centraltrain
7h 8m£54–155Car ferry to Belfast International Airport, fly, train
- Take the carferry from Cairnryan to Belfastcarferry
- Fly from Belfast International Airport (BFS) to Bristol Airport (BRS)plane BFS - BRS
- Take the train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Centraltrain
8h 17m£77–204Bus, train to Glasgow Airport, fly, train
- Take the bus from Old Pier to Henrietta Streetbus
- Take the train from Ayr to Paisley Gilmour Streettrain
- Fly from Glasgow Airport (GLA) to Bristol Airport (BRS)plane GLA - BRS
- Take the train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Centraltrain
7h 56m£78–183
Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Bristol Airport (BRS) flights
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from Cairnryan to Cardiff is to Bus which costs £50 - £80 and takes 12h 56m.
The fastest way to get from Cairnryan to Cardiff is to Bus and fly and train which takes 7h 8m and costs £50 - £160.
No, there is no direct bus from Cairnryan to Cardiff. However, there are services departing from Cairnryan Stena Terminal and arriving at Cardiff - North Road via Buchanan Bus Station and Birmingham - Jennens Road. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 12h 56m.
No, there is no direct train from Cairnryan to Cardiff. However, there are services departing from Stranraer and arriving at Cardiff Central via Glasgow Central and Crewe. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 11h 23m.
The distance between Cairnryan and Cardiff is 486 miles. The road distance is 381.6 miles.
The best way to get from Cairnryan to Cardiff without a car is to train which takes 11h 23m and costs £160 - £280.
It takes approximately 11h 23m to get from Cairnryan to Cardiff, including transfers.
Cairnryan to Cardiff bus services, operated by Translink, depart from Cairnryan Stena Terminal station.
Cairnryan to Cardiff train services, operated by ScotRail, depart from Stranraer station.
The best way to get from Cairnryan to Cardiff is to train which takes 11h 23m and costs £160 - £280. Alternatively, you can Bus, which costs £50 - £80 and takes 12h 56m.
What companies run services between Cairnryan, Scotland and Cardiff, Wales?
You can take a bus from Old Pier to Cardiff Central via Port Rodie, Stranraer, Glasgow Central, and Crewe in around 11h 23m. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Cairnryan Stena Terminal to Cardiff - North Road via Glasgow Buchanan, Buchanan Bus Station, and Birmingham - Jennens Road in around 12h 56m.
- Website
- easyjet.com
Flights from Edinburgh Airport to Bristol Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £30–100
Flights from Edinburgh Airport to Bristol Airport via Belfast International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 7m
- When
- Friday to Sunday
- Estimated price
- £30–100
Flights from Edinburgh Airport to Bristol Airport via Belfast City
- Ave. Duration
- 3h
- When
- Monday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £30–100
Flights from Belfast International Airport to Bristol Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £30–120
Flights from Belfast International Airport to Bristol Airport via Edinburgh Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 5m
- When
- Friday and Thursday
- Estimated price
- £30–120
Flights from Glasgow Airport to Bristol Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £26–90
- Website
- ryanair.com
Flights from Edinburgh Airport to Bristol Airport via Dublin
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 1m
- When
- Wednesday and Friday
- Estimated price
- £45–120
Flights from Glasgow Airport to Bristol Airport via Dublin
- Ave. Duration
- 3h
- When
- Friday and Monday
- Estimated price
- £45–110
- Phone
- +44 (0)344 811 0141
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Stranraer to Glasgow Central
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 35m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £35–65
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Stranraer to Kilmarnock
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 49m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £28–50
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Kilmarnock to Carlisle
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 43m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £35–60
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Ayr to Paisley Gilmour Street
- Ave. Duration
- 39 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- £13–22
- Website
- ScotRail
- Phone
- +44 (0)345 528 0253
- Website
- Avanti West Coast
Train from Glasgow Central to Crewe
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 12m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £80–130
- Website
- Avanti West Coast
Train from Carlisle to Crewe
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 55m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £45–75
- Website
- Avanti West Coast
- Phone
- 03333 211 202
- Website
- Transport for Wales
Train from Crewe to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 32m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £45–75
- Website
- Transport for Wales
Train from Chester to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 55m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £45–80
- Website
- Transport for Wales
Train from Crewe to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 32m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £45–75
- Website
- Transport for Wales
Train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 52 min
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- £12–21
- Website
- Transport for Wales
Train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 52 min
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- £12–21
- Website
- Transport for Wales
Train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 52 min
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- £12–21
- Website
- Transport for Wales
- Phone
- 0345 528 0409
- customerexperience@lumo.co.uk
- Website
- Lumo
Train from Carlisle to Crewe
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 14m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- £23–40
- Website
- Lumo
- Phone
- +44 330 060 0500
- Website
- Caledonian Sleeper
Train from Carlisle to Crewe
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 17m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £30–45
- Website
- Caledonian Sleeper
Train from Glasgow Central to Weston-super-Mare
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 14m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- £210–320
- Website
- Cross Country
Train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 1m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £16–25
- Website
- Cross Country
Train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 1m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £16–25
- Website
- Cross Country
Train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 1m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £16–25
- Website
- Cross Country
- Phone
- +44 (0)345 7000 125
- gwr.feedback@gwr.com
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
Train from Weston-super-Mare to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 31m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £23–45
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
Train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 51 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £15–29
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
Train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 51 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £15–29
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
Train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 51 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £15–29
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
- Phone
- +44 28 9066 6630
- Website
- Translink
Bus from Cairnryan Stena Terminal to Glasgow Buchanan
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £4
- Website
- Translink
- Belfast urban network
- £4
Bus from Cairnryan Stena Terminal to Glasgow Buchanan
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £4
- Website
- Translink
- Belfast urban network
- £4
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- Flixbus
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Millennium Point
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 5m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £35–55
- Website
- Flixbus
Bus from Birmingham - Jennens Road to Cardiff - North Road
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 50m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £12–19
- Website
- Flixbus
Bus from Old Pier to Ayr Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 51m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- £15–21
- Website
- Stagecoach West Scotland
Bus from Ayr Bus Station to Waterloo Lane
- Ave. Duration
- 58 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- £11–15
- Website
- Stagecoach West Scotland
Bus from Old Pier to Henrietta Street
- Ave. Duration
- 53 min
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £8–12
- Website
- Stagecoach West Scotland
- Phone
- 0141 352 4444
- info@citylink.co.uk
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 1m
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Estimated price
- £7–15
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
- Single
- £7–15
- Phone
- +44 (0)131 510 4007
- ride@ember.to
- Website
- Ember
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 7m
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Estimated price
- £7–10
- Website
- Ember
- Phone
- +44 844 770 7070
- info.se@stenaline.com
- Website
- Stena Line
Car ferry from Cairnryan to Belfast
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 22m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £19–36
- Website
- Stena Line
- Passenger
- £36
- Car Passenger
- £149
Car ferry from Belfast to Liverpool
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £36–100
- Website
- Stena Line
- Passenger
- £36
- Car Passenger
- £139
Car ferry from Cairnryan to Belfast
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 22m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £19–36
- Website
- Stena Line
- Passenger
- £36
- Car Passenger
- £149
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Booking & Getting There
Cairnryan to Cardiff bus services, operated by Translink, arrive at Glasgow Buchanan station.
Cairnryan to Cardiff train services, operated by ScotRail, arrive at Glasgow Central station.
Yes, the driving distance between Cairnryan to Cardiff is 382 miles. It takes approximately 7h 19m to drive from Cairnryan to Cardiff.
Book your Cairnryan to Cardiff bus tickets online with 12go.asia.
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