There are 8 ways to get from Cardiff to Cairns by train, plane, or bus
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Train to London Heathrow Airport, fly to Cairns
best- Take the train from Cardiff Central to London Paddingtontrain
- Fly from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Cairns (CNS)plane LHR - CNS
27h 19m$1,237–2,766Train to Bristol Airport, fly to Cairns
cheapest- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meadstrain
- Fly from Bristol Airport (BRS) to Cairns (CNS)plane BRS - CNS
29h 55m$678–3,860Train, train to London Gatwick Airport, fly to Cairns
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Readingtrain
- Take the train from Reading to Gatwick Airporttrain
- Fly from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) to Cairns (CNS)plane LGW - CNS
28h 14m$1,327–2,530Fly Cardiff Airport to Cairns
- Fly from Cardiff Airport (CWL) to Cairns (CNS)plane CWL - CNS
36h 31m$911–3,014Train to Manchester Airport, fly to Cairns
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Wilmslowtrain
- Fly from Manchester Airport (MAN) to Cairns (CNS)plane MAN - CNS
28h 1m$803–4,064Train to Birmingham Airport, fly to Cairns
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Streettrain
- Fly from Birmingham Airport (BHX) to Cairns (CNS)plane BHX - CNS
29h 38m$894–2,344Train, train to Exeter, fly to Cairns
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meadstrain
- Take the train from Bristol Temple Meads to Exeter St Davidstrain
- Fly from Exeter (EXT) to Cairns (CNS)plane EXT - CNS
39h 4m$1,088–3,770Train, train to London Gatwick Airport, fly to Cooktown Airport, bus
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Readingtrain
- Take the train from Reading to Gatwick Airporttrain
- Fly from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) to Cooktown Airport (CTN)plane LGW - CTN
- Take the bus from Cooktown to Cairnsbus
44h 55m$847–2,400
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Cairns (CNS) flights
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from Cardiff to Cairns is to train and fly and bus which costs $800 - $2,400 and takes 44h 55m.
The fastest way to get from Cardiff to Cairns is to train and fly which takes 27h 19m and costs $1,200 - $2,800.
The distance between Cardiff and Cairns is 15412 km.
It takes approximately 27h 19m to get from Cardiff to Cairns, including transfers.
Cairns is 9h ahead of Cardiff. It is currently 9:35 AM in Cardiff and 6:35 PM in Cairns.
There are 955+ hotels available in Cairns.
What companies run services between Cardiff, Wales and Cairns, QLD, Australia?
KLM, Singapore Airlines, and Air Niugini fly from Cardiff Airport (CWL) to Cairns (CNS) twice a week.
- Website
- singaporeair.com
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Cairns via Singapore Changi
- Ave. Duration
- 27h 32m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $800–4,500
Flights from London Gatwick Airport to Cairns via Singapore Changi
- Ave. Duration
- 21h 40m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $700–3,900
Flights from Cardiff Airport to Cairns via Amsterdam Schiphol, Singapore Changi
- Ave. Duration
- 37h 25m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $900–3,100
Flights from Manchester Airport to Cairns via Singapore Changi
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 55m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $700–3,900
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Cairns via Copenhagen, Singapore Changi
- Ave. Duration
- 24h 5m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- $700–3,800
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Cairns via Dubai, Singapore Changi
- Ave. Duration
- 34h 10m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $850–2,700
Flights from Bristol Airport to Cairns via Copenhagen, Singapore Changi
- Ave. Duration
- 25h 15m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $650–3,800
Flights from Bristol Airport to Cairns via Amsterdam Schiphol, Singapore Changi
- Ave. Duration
- 25h 25m
- When
- Thursday
- Estimated price
- $650–3,800
Flights from Exeter to Cairns via Amsterdam Schiphol, Singapore Changi
- Ave. Duration
- 37h 45m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $1,100–3,700
- Website
- qantas.com
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Cairns via Perth
- Ave. Duration
- 23h 45m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $1,200–3,900
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Cairns via Dubai, Adelaide
- Ave. Duration
- 32h 50m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $1,000–3,000
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Cairns via Doha, Ngurah Rai
- Ave. Duration
- 29h 20m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $800–2,200
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Cairns via Dubai, Ngurah Rai
- Ave. Duration
- 29h 50m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $900–2,700
- Website
- airniugini.com.pg
Flights from Cardiff Airport to Cairns via Amsterdam Schiphol, Hong Kong, Port Moresby
- Ave. Duration
- 32h 25m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $900–3,000
Flights from Exeter to Cairns via Amsterdam Schiphol, Hong Kong, Port Moresby
- Ave. Duration
- 36h 30m
- When
- Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $1,000–3,600
- Website
- jetstar.com
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Cairns via Doha, Ngurah Rai
- Ave. Duration
- 29h 20m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $800–2,200
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Cairns via Dubai, Ngurah Rai
- Ave. Duration
- 29h 50m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $900–2,700
- Website
- hinterlandaviation.com.au
Flights from London Gatwick Airport to Cooktown Airport via Singapore Changi, Cairns
- Ave. Duration
- 36h 10m
- When
- Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $800–4,500
Flights from London Gatwick Airport to Cooktown Airport via Beijing Capital, Osaka Kansai, Cairns
- Ave. Duration
- 33h 55m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $600–2,000
- Website
- emirates.com
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Cairns via Dubai, Adelaide
- Ave. Duration
- 32h 50m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $1,000–3,000
- Phone
- +44 (0)345 7000 125
- gwr.feedback@gwr.com
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
Train from Cardiff Central to London Paddington
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 52m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $110–210
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
Train from Cardiff Central to Reading
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 26m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $85–160
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
Train from Reading to Gatwick Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 31m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $40–75
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
Train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads
- Ave. Duration
- 52 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $30–55
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
Train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads
- Ave. Duration
- 52 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $30–55
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
Train from Bristol Temple Meads to Exeter St Davids
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 35m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $60–110
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
Train from Cardiff Central to Reading
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 26m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $85–160
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
Train from Reading to Gatwick Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 31m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $40–75
- Website
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
- Phone
- 03333 211 202
- Website
- Transport for Wales
Train from Cardiff Central to Wilmslow
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 54m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $100–160
- Website
- Transport for Wales
Train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads
- Ave. Duration
- 57 min
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $24–40
- Website
- Transport for Wales
Train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads
- Ave. Duration
- 57 min
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $24–40
- Website
- Transport for Wales
Train from Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Street
- Ave. Duration
- 2h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $90–140
- Website
- Cross Country
Train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads
- Ave. Duration
- 49 min
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $30–50
- Website
- Cross Country
Train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads
- Ave. Duration
- 49 min
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $30–50
- Website
- Cross Country
Train from Bristol Temple Meads to Exeter St Davids
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $60–95
- Website
- Cross Country
- Phone
- (07) 3036 2070
- Website
- Trans North Bus & Coach
Bus from Cooktown to Cairns
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 30m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- $75–110
- Website
- Trans North Bus & Coach
- Book at
- Trans North Bus & Coach
Want to know more about travelling around Australia
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Related travel guides
10 amazing places to get away from it all in Australia
Read the travel guide
4 of the smartest ways to explore Australia
Read the travel guide
Travelling to the UK: What do I need to know?
Read the travel guide


















