There are 8 ways to get from Cardiff to Islay by train, bus, ferry, 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, ferry
best- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Crewetrain
- Take the train from Crewe to Glasgow Centraltrain
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Ferry Terminalbus 926
- Take the ferry from Kennacraig Ferry Terminal to Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminalferry Cm9
13h 56m£120–303Bus, ferry
cheapest- Take the bus from Cardiff North Road to Birmingham - Great Charles Street Queenswaybus
- Take the bus from Newhall St to Buchanan Bus Stationbus
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Ferry Terminalbus 926
- Take the ferry from Kennacraig Ferry Terminal to Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminalferry Cm9
17h 7m£59–140Train to Birmingham Airport, fly to Islay
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Streettrain
- Fly from Birmingham Airport (BHX) to Islay (ILY)plane BHX - ILY
10h 7m£339–416Train, bus, ferry via Wigan
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Crewetrain
- Take the train from Crewe to Wigan North Westerntrain
- Take the train from Wigan North Western to Glasgow Centraltrain
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Ferry Terminalbus 926
- Take the ferry from Kennacraig Ferry Terminal to Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminalferry Cm9
14h 1m£157–314Train, ferry
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Crewetrain
- Take the train from Crewe to Wigan North Westerntrain
- Take the train from Wigan North Western to Glasgow Centraltrain
- Take the train from Glasgow Queen Street Low Level to Obantrain
- Take the ferry from Oban Ferry Terminal to Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminalferry Cm9
15h 42m£185–401Train, bus, ferry #2
- Take the train from Newport (S Wales) to Glasgow Centraltrain
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Ferry Terminalbus 926
- Take the ferry from Kennacraig Ferry Terminal to Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminalferry Cm9
16h 24m£276–443Train to Bristol Airport, fly to Islay
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meadstrain
- Fly from Bristol Airport (BRS) to Islay (ILY)plane BRS - ILY
7h 25m£299–354Train to Bristol Airport, fly to Glasgow Airport, bus, ferry
- Take the train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meadstrain
- Fly from Bristol Airport (BRS) to Glasgow Airport (GLA)plane BRS - GLA
- Take the bus from Glasgow Airport to Tarbetbus
- Take the bus from Tarbet Hotel to Ferry Terminalbus
- Take the ferry from Kennacraig Ferry Terminal to Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminalferry
11h 17m£68–192
Cardiff to Islay by train, foot, bus, and ferry
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Cardiff to Islay is to bus and ferry which costs £55 - £140 and takes 17h 7m.
The fastest way to get from Cardiff to Islay is to train and fly which takes 7h 25m and costs £290 - £360.
The distance between Cardiff and Islay is 513 miles.
The best way to get from Cardiff to Islay without a car is to train and bus and ferry which takes 13h 56m and costs £120 - £310.
It takes approximately 13h 56m to get from Cardiff to Islay, including transfers.
There are 22+ hotels available in Islay.
What companies run services between Cardiff, Wales and Islay, Scotland?
There is no direct connection from Cardiff to Islay. However, you can take the train to Crewe, take the train to Glasgow Central, walk to Buchanan Bus Station, take the bus to Ferry Terminal, walk to Kennacraig Ferry Terminal, then take the ferry to Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminal. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Cardiff North Road to Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminal via Newhall St, Buchanan Bus Station, Ferry Terminal, and Kennacraig Ferry Terminal in around 17h 7m.
- Website
- easyjet.com
Flights from Bristol Airport to Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 16m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £23–75
Flights from Bristol Airport to Glasgow Airport via Belfast (Aldergrove)
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 7m
- When
- Wednesday to Friday
- Estimated price
- £23–75
- Website
- loganair.co.uk
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Islay via Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 30m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £40–260
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Islay via Amsterdam Schiphol, Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 45m
- When
- Monday to Friday
- Estimated price
- £75–400
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Islay via Belfast (Aldergrove), Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 55m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- £45–270
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Islay via Jersey, Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 15m
- When
- Tuesday
- Estimated price
- £60–280
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Islay via Dublin, Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 25m
- When
- Tuesday
- Estimated price
- £50–230
Flights from Bristol Airport to Islay via Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- When
- Wednesday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £40–260
Flights from Bristol Airport to Islay via Amsterdam Schiphol, Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 35m
- When
- Monday to Friday
- Estimated price
- £75–410
Flights from Bristol Airport to Islay via Dublin, Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 10m
- When
- Monday
- Estimated price
- £50–230
Flights from Bristol Airport to Islay via Belfast (Aldergrove), Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 30m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- £45–260
- Website
- ryanair.com
Flights from Bristol Airport to Glasgow Airport via Dublin
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 6m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £40–80
- Phone
- 03333 211 202
- Website
- tfw.wales
Train from Cardiff Central to Crewe
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 34m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £50–90
- Website
- https://tfw.wales/
- Phone
- +44 345 528 0253
- Website
- avantiwestcoast.co.uk
Train from Crewe to Glasgow Central
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 4m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- £85–140
- Website
- https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/
Train from Crewe to Wigan North Western
- Ave. Duration
- 27 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £12–21
- Website
- https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/
Train from Wigan North Western to Glasgow Central
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 35m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £70–120
- Website
- https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 330 060 0500
- enquiry@sleeper.scot
- Website
- sleeper.scot
Train from Crewe to Glasgow Central
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 57m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- £45–80
- Website
- https://www.sleeper.scot/
Train from Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Street
- Ave. Duration
- 2h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £55–80
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
Train from Newport (S Wales) to Glasgow Central
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 55m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £250–360
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
Train from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads
- Ave. Duration
- 49 min
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- £20–28
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 345 600 1671
- tpecustomer.relations@tpexpress.co.uk
- Website
- tpexpress.co.uk
Train from Wigan North Western to Glasgow Central
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 50m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- £70–130
- Website
- https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 344 811 0141
- Website
- scotrail.co.uk
Train from Glasgow Queen Street Low Level to Oban
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 56m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- £40–75
- Website
- https://www.scotrail.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
- £17–35
- Website
- https://www.gwr.com/
- Phone
- 0141 352 4444
- info@citylink.co.uk
- Website
- citylink.co.uk
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 12m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- £16–23
- Website
- https://www.citylink.co.uk/
Bus from Glasgow Airport to Tarbet
- Ave. Duration
- 51 min
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £8–11
- Website
- https://www.citylink.co.uk/
Bus from Tarbet Hotel to Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 4m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- £12–17
- Website
- https://www.citylink.co.uk/
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Cardiff North Road to Birmingham - Great Charles Street Queensway
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 50m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- £10–18
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Bus from Newhall St to Buchanan Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 10m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- £27–50
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- +44 (0)131 510 4007
- ride@ember.to
- Website
- ember.to
Bus from Glasgow Airport to Tarbet
- Ave. Duration
- 43 min
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- £6–10
- Website
- https://www.ember.to/
- Phone
- +44 (0)1475 650 397
- enquiries@calmac.co.uk
- Website
- calmac.co.uk
Ferry from Kennacraig Ferry Terminal to Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 55m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £6–50
- Website
- https://www.calmac.co.uk
- Passenger Fare
- £6–9
- Car Fare
- £40–50
Ferry from Oban Ferry Terminal to Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 55m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- £10–85
- Website
- https://www.calmac.co.uk
- Passenger Fare
- £10–15
- Car Fare
- £65–85
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