There are 9 ways to get from Islay to Cardiff by plane, train, ferry, 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.
Fly Islay to Birmingham Airport, train
best- Fly from Islay (ILY) to Birmingham Airport (BHX)plane ILY - BHX
- Take the train from Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Centraltrain
6h 3m£334–529Ferry, bus
cheapest- Take the ferry from Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminal to Kennacraig Ferry Terminalferry Cm9
- Take the bus from Ferry Terminal to Buchanan Bus Stationbus 926
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Newhall Stbus
- Take the bus from Birmingham - Great Charles Street Queensway to Cardiff North Roadbus
17h 4m£62–138Ferry, bus, train via Edinburgh
- Take the ferry from Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminal to Kennacraig Ferry Terminalferry Cm9
- Take the bus from Ferry Terminal to Buchanan Bus Stationbus 926
- Take the train from Glasgow Queen Street to Haymarkettrain
- Take the train from Haymarket to Crewetrain
- Take the train from Crewe to Cardiff Centraltrain
14h 36m£161–345Ferry, bus to Glasgow Airport, fly to Bristol Airport, train
- Take the ferry from Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminal to Kennacraig Ferry Terminalferry
- Take the bus from Ferry Terminal to Terminal Buildingbus
- Fly from Glasgow Airport (GLA) to Bristol Airport (BRS)plane GLA - BRS
- Take the train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Centraltrain
9h 44m£76–233Fly Islay to Bristol Airport, train
- Fly from Islay (ILY) to Bristol Airport (BRS)plane ILY - BRS
- Take the train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Centraltrain
4h 16m£242–354Fly Islay to Southampton Airport, train
- Fly from Islay (ILY) to Southampton Airport (SOU)plane ILY - SOU
- Take the train from Southampton Airport Parkway to Readingtrain
- Take the train from Reading to Cardiff Centraltrain
10h 58m£133–444Ferry, bus, train
- Take the ferry from Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminal to Kennacraig Ferry Terminalferry Cm9
- Take the bus from Ferry Terminal to Anniesland Crossbus 926
- Take the train from Motherwell to Crewetrain
- Take the train from Crewe to Cardiff Centraltrain
14h 59m£119–318Ferry, bus, train #2
- Take the ferry from Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminal to Kennacraig Ferry Terminalferry Cm9
- Take the bus from Ferry Terminal to Buchanan Bus Stationbus 926
- Take the train from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverleytrain
- Take the train from Edinburgh Waverley to Cardiff Centraltrain
15h 24m£251–430Ferry, bus via Birmingham
- Take the ferry from Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminal to Kennacraig Ferry Terminalferry Cm9
- Take the bus from Ferry Terminal to Buchanan Bus Stationbus 926
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Birmingham Coach Stationbus 181 / ...
- Take the bus from Birmingham Coach Station to Sophia Gardensbus 111 / ...
18h 20m£98–260
Islay (ILY) to Birmingham Airport (BHX) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Islay to Cardiff is to ferry and bus which costs £60 - £140 and takes 17h 4m.
The fastest way to get from Islay to Cardiff is to fly and train which takes 4h 16m and costs £240 - £360.
The distance between Islay and Cardiff is 407 miles.
The best way to get from Islay to Cardiff without a car is to ferry and bus and train via Edinburgh which takes 14h 36m and costs £160 - £350.
It takes approximately 6h 3m to get from Islay to Cardiff, including transfers.
There are 1710+ hotels available in Cardiff.
What companies run services between Islay, Scotland and Cardiff, Wales?
There is no direct connection from Islay to Cardiff. However, you can fly to Birmingham Airport (BHX), walk to Birmingham International Airport, take the vehicle to Birmingham Intl Rail Station, walk to Birmingham International, take the train to Birmingham New Street, then take the train to Cardiff Central. Alternatively, you can take a ferry from Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminal to Cardiff Central via Kennacraig Ferry Terminal, Ferry Terminal, Buchanan Bus Station, Glasgow Queen Street, Haymarket, and Crewe in around 14h 36m.
- Website
- easyjet.com
Flights from Islay to Birmingham Airport via Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 45m
- When
- Tuesday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £45–240
Flights from Islay to Birmingham Airport via Glasgow Airport, Belfast (Aldergrove)
- Ave. Duration
- 5h
- When
- Monday and Friday
- Estimated price
- £45–240
Flights from Islay to Birmingham Airport via Glasgow Airport, Derry
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 50m
- When
- Monday and Friday
- Estimated price
- £50–240
Flights from Glasgow Airport to Bristol Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £24–110
Flights from Glasgow Airport to Bristol Airport via Belfast (Aldergrove)
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 55m
- When
- Monday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £24–110
Flights from Islay to Bristol Airport via Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 12m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday
- Estimated price
- £45–240
Flights from Islay to Bristol Airport via Glasgow Airport, Belfast (Aldergrove)
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 37m
- When
- Monday and Friday
- Estimated price
- £50–240
Flights from Islay to Southampton Airport via Glasgow Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 14h 55m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £65–320
- Website
- ryanair.com
Flights from Glasgow Airport to Bristol Airport via Dublin
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 55m
- When
- Monday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- £45–110
Train from Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 55m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £50–80
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
Train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 1m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £19–27
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
Train from Southampton Airport Parkway to Reading
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £21–30
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
Train from Edinburgh Waverley to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 1m
- Frequency
- 5 times a week
- Estimated price
- £220–320
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 344 811 0141
- Website
- scotrail.co.uk
Train from Glasgow Queen Street to Haymarket
- Ave. Duration
- 43 min
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Estimated price
- £20–40
- Website
- https://www.scotrail.co.uk/
Train from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Estimated price
- £20–40
- Website
- https://www.scotrail.co.uk/
- Phone
- 0800 031 8542
- Passengerassistance@lumo.co.uk.
- Website
- lumo.co.uk
Train from Glasgow Queen Street to Haymarket
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- 5 times a week
- Estimated price
- £8–15
- Website
- https://www.lumo.co.uk/
Train from Motherwell to Crewe
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 26m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- £40–75
- Website
- https://www.lumo.co.uk/
Train from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley
- Ave. Duration
- 49 min
- Frequency
- 5 times a week
- Estimated price
- £8–15
- Website
- https://www.lumo.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 345 528 0253
- Website
- avantiwestcoast.co.uk
Train from Haymarket to Crewe
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 4m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £80–140
- Website
- https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/
Train from Motherwell to Crewe
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 57m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £80–140
- Website
- https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/
- Phone
- 03333 211 202
- Website
- tfw.wales
Train from Crewe to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 34m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £50–95
- Website
- https://tfw.wales/
- Phone
- +44 3457 000 125
- gwr.feedback@gwr.com
- Website
- gwr.com
Train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 43 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £17–35
- Website
- https://www.gwr.com/
Train from Reading to Cardiff Central
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 55m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £45–95
- Website
- https://www.gwr.com/
- Phone
- +44 330 060 0500
- enquiry@sleeper.scot
- Website
- sleeper.scot
Train from Motherwell to Crewe
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 41m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- £60–120
- Website
- https://www.sleeper.scot/
Train from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley
- Ave. Duration
- 59 min
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- £12–23
- Website
- https://www.sleeper.scot/
- Phone
- 0141 352 4444
- info@citylink.co.uk
- Website
- citylink.co.uk
Bus from Ferry Terminal to Buchanan Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 20m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £16–23
- Website
- https://www.citylink.co.uk/
Bus from Ferry Terminal to Terminal Building
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 3m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- £16–22
- Website
- https://www.citylink.co.uk/
Bus from Ferry Terminal to Anniesland Cross
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 2m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- £15–22
- Website
- https://www.citylink.co.uk/
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.fr
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Newhall St
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 5m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £29–50
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Bus from Birmingham - Great Charles Street Queensway to Cardiff North Road
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 50m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £10–18
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- 08717 81 81 81
- Website
- nationalexpress.com
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Birmingham Coach Station
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 25m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- £55–140
- Website
- https://www.nationalexpress.com/en
Bus from Birmingham Coach Station to Sophia Gardens
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 40m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- £20–50
- Website
- https://www.nationalexpress.com/en
- Phone
- +44 (0)1475 650 397
- enquiries@calmac.co.uk
- Website
- calmac.co.uk
Ferry from Port Askaig Islay Ferry Terminal to Kennacraig 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
Want to know more about travelling around United Kingdom
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
Travelling to the UK: What do I need to know?
Read the travel guide
Want to know more about Flixbus?
Read the travel guide




















































