There are 9 ways to get from Cardiff to Cairnryan 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, bus
best- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Crewetrain
- Take the train from Crewe to Carlisletrain
- Take the train from Carlisle to Dumfriestrain
- Take the bus from Dumfries station to Port Rodiebus 500
10h 54mBus
cheapest- Take the bus from Sophia Gardens to Lordswood Rdbus 111 / ...
- Take the bus from Newhall St to Buchanan Bus Stationbus
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Port Rodiebus 923
14h 20m£53–110Train, car ferry
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Chestertrain
- Take the car ferry from Liverpool to Belfastcarferry
- Take the car ferry from Belfast to Cairnryancarferry
16h 44m£119–208Drive 379.1 mi
- Drive from Cardiff to Cairnryancar 379.1 mi
7h 18m£93–134Train
- Take the train from Newport (S Wales) to Glasgow Centraltrain
- Take the train from Glasgow Central to Ayrtrain
- Take the train from Ayr to Stranraertrain
13h 31m£223–690Train to Bristol Airport, fly to Edinburgh Airport, bus
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meadstrain
- Fly from Bristol Airport (BRS) to Edinburgh Airport (EDI)plane BRS - EDI
- Take the bus from Edinburgh Airport Bus Stop D to Glasgow Buchanan Bus Stationbus
- Take the bus from Glasgow Buchanan to Cairnryan Stena Terminalbus
8h 13mTrain to Bristol Airport, fly to Belfast International Airport, car ferry
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meadstrain
- Fly from Bristol Airport (BRS) to Belfast International Airport (BFS)plane BRS - BFS
- Take the car ferry from Belfast to Cairnryancarferry
8h 40m£73–175Train to Bristol Airport, fly to Glasgow Airport, train, line 358 bus
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meadstrain
- Fly from Bristol Airport (BRS) to Glasgow Airport (GLA)plane BRS - GLA
- Take the train from Paisley Gilmour Street to Ayrtrain
- Take the train from Ayr to Girvantrain
- Take the bus from Elder Avenue to Old Pierbus
8h 26m£63–144Train to Birmingham Airport, fly to Glasgow Airport, train
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Streettrain
- Fly from Birmingham Airport (BHX) to Glasgow Airport (GLA)plane BHX - GLA
- Take the train from Paisley Gilmour Street to Ayrtrain
9h 25m£69–207
Bristol Airport (BRS) to Edinburgh Airport (EDI) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Cardiff to Cairnryan is to bus which costs £50 - £110 and takes 14h 20m.
The fastest way to get from Cardiff to Cairnryan is to drive which takes 7h 18m and costs £90 - £140.
No, there is no direct bus from Cardiff to Cairnryan. However, there are services departing from Sophia Gardens and arriving at Old Pier via Lordswood Rd, Newhall St, Buchanan Bus Station and Port Rodie Ferry Terminal. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 14h 20m.
The distance between Cardiff and Cairnryan is 397 miles. The road distance is 381.3 miles.
The best way to get from Cardiff to Cairnryan without a car is to train and bus which takes 10h 54m and costs .
It takes approximately 10h 54m to get from Cardiff to Cairnryan, including transfers.
Cardiff to Cairnryan bus services, operated by National Express, depart from Sophia Gardens station.
The best way to get from Cardiff to Cairnryan is to bus which takes 14h 20m and costs £50 - £110. Alternatively, you can train, which costs £220 - £700 and takes 13h 31m.
Cardiff to Cairnryan bus services, operated by National Express, arrive at Lordswood Rd station.
Yes, the driving distance between Cardiff to Cairnryan is 381 miles. It takes approximately 7h 18m to drive from Cardiff to Cairnryan.
What companies run services between Cardiff, Wales and Cairnryan, Scotland?
You can take a bus from Sophia Gardens to Old Pier via Lordswood Rd, Newhall St, Buchanan Bus Station, Port Rodie, and Port Rodie Ferry Terminal in around 14h 20m. Alternatively, you can take a train from Cardiff Central to Old Pier via Newport (S Wales), Glasgow Central, Ayr, Stranraer, and Port Rodie Ferry Terminal in around 13h 31m.
- Website
- easyjet.com
Flights from Bristol Airport to Edinburgh Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £23–90
Flights from Bristol Airport to Edinburgh Airport via Belfast International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 10m
- When
- Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £23–90
Flights from Bristol Airport to Belfast International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £20–85
Flights from Bristol Airport to Belfast International Airport via Edinburgh Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 5m
- When
- Monday and Friday
- Estimated price
- £20–85
Flights from Bristol Airport to Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 16m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £21–70
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £20–75
- Website
- ryanair.com
Flights from Bristol Airport to Edinburgh Airport via Dublin
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 23m
- When
- Thursday and Friday
- Estimated price
- £45–90
Flights from Bristol Airport to Glasgow Airport via Dublin
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 30m
- When
- Monday and Friday
- Estimated price
- £45–85
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Glasgow Airport via Dublin
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 7m
- When
- Monday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £45–80
- Phone
- 03333 211 202
- Website
- tfw.wales
Train from Cardiff Central to Crewe
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 34m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £30–110
- Website
- https://tfw.wales/
Train from Cardiff Central to Chester
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 58m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- £45–95
- Website
- https://tfw.wales/
- Phone
- +44 345 528 0253
- Website
- avantiwestcoast.co.uk
Train from Crewe to Carlisle
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 56m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £17–95
- Website
- https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 330 060 0500
- enquiry@sleeper.scot
- Website
- sleeper.scot
Train from Crewe to Carlisle
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 25m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £60–80
- Website
- https://www.sleeper.scot/
- Sleeper Berth Classic
- £210–230
- Sleeper Seat
- £60–80
- Sleeper Berth Club Solo
- £250–290
- Phone
- +44 344 811 0141
- Website
- scotrail.co.uk
Train from Carlisle to Dumfries
- Ave. Duration
- 36 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £5–9
- Website
- https://www.scotrail.co.uk/
Train from Glasgow Central to Ayr
- Ave. Duration
- 53 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- £8–13
- Website
- https://www.scotrail.co.uk/
Train from Ayr to Stranraer
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 21m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- £16–17
- Website
- https://www.scotrail.co.uk/
Train from Paisley Gilmour Street to Ayr
- Ave. Duration
- 42 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- £7–12
- Website
- https://www.scotrail.co.uk/
Train from Ayr to Girvan
- Ave. Duration
- 26 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £8–9
- Website
- https://www.scotrail.co.uk/
Train from Newport (S Wales) to Glasgow Central
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 55m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £190–650
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
- Standard
- £190–290
- 1st Class
- £450–650
Train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads
- Ave. Duration
- 49 min
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- £5–19
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
Train from Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Street
- Ave. Duration
- 2h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £19–90
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 3457 000 125
- gwr.feedback@gwr.com
- Website
- gwr.com
Train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads
- Ave. Duration
- 46 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £15–24
- Website
- https://www.gwr.com/
- Phone
- +44 1576 203874
- info@houstoncoaches.co.uk
- Website
- houstonscoaches.co.uk
Bus from Dumfries station to Port Rodie
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 31m
- Frequency
- Every 2 hours
- Website
- https://www.houstonscoaches.co.uk/
- Phone
- 08717 81 81 81
- Website
- nationalexpress.com
Bus from Sophia Gardens to Lordswood Rd
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 35m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- £20–29
- Website
- https://www.nationalexpress.com/en
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Newhall St to Buchanan Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 10m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £14–55
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- 0141 352 4444
- info@citylink.co.uk
- Website
- citylink.co.uk
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Port Rodie
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 35m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- £14–21
- Website
- https://www.citylink.co.uk/
- Phone
- 0141 352 4444
- enquiries@megabus.com
- Website
- uk.megabus.com
Bus from Edinburgh Airport Bus Stop D to Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 58 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £8–13
- Website
- https://uk.megabus.com
- Phone
- +44 28 9066 6630
- Website
- translink.co.uk
Bus from Glasgow Buchanan to Cairnryan Stena Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 20m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Website
- https://www.translink.co.uk/
Bus from Elder Avenue to Old Pier
- Ave. Duration
- 39 min
- Frequency
- Every 2 hours
- Estimated price
- £4–6
- Website
- https://www.stagecoachbus.com
- Phone
- +44 844 770 7070
- info.se@stenaline.com
- Website
- stenaline.dk
Car ferry from Liverpool to Belfast
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £35–60
- Website
- https://www.stenalinetravel.com/
Car ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 22m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £30–45
- Website
- https://www.stenalinetravel.com/
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