Cardiff is well connected to a number of international airports, with direct intercity trains from London Paddington taking about two hours. The city is also on a direct railway line and coach route from Bristol and Cardiff International airports. This is a guide to reaching Cardiff from the closest major airports. For more transport information, please visit our Life in the UK page. We suggest looking at thetrainline.com for more information about prices around the time that you want to travel. Please note that this website may not allow you to buy tickets from abroad.

If you would like to book a taxi transfer from an airport with CELT, please see our Taxi Transfer price list here.

From Cardiff Airport

Train: A shuttle bus service is available to carry passengers on the short journey between the airport terminal and the railway station, taking about 5-10 minutes. A rail link connects Rhoose Cardiff International Airport Station to Cardiff Central Station. Trains run every hour from Monday to Saturday and every two hours on Sundays. A single ticket costs approximately £5.

Bus: The T9 bus departs from outside the main airport terminal every 30 minutes and takes approximately half an hour to travel to the city centre of Cardiff. This service costs approximately £5 one-way.

From Bristol Airport

Coach: The National Express coach company offers direct coaches from Bristol airport to Cardiff city centre up to 10 times a day. The trip takes approximately an hour and a half and costs between £9 – £18 (depending on the time of day) for a one-way ticket. Tickets can be booked in advance at their website.

Train: Take the Airport Flyer Express Link service from Bristol Airport to Bristol Temple Meads Station. Trains from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff leave 1-2 times an hour and takes 50 minutes to travel to Cardiff Central Station. You can view timetables and purchase tickets at this website. A one-way ticket costs approximately £22.40.

From London Heathrow

Train: Take the Heathrow Express train service from London Heathrow to London Paddington railway station. Direct trains from London Paddington to Cardiff leave every hour and take approximately two hours. A one-way ticket can cost approximately £154.40, but is cheaper when booked in advance.

Coach: National Express coaches run several services throughout the day travelling from London Heathrow to London Victoria Coach Station. From there you can change coach and travel direct to Cardiff city centre, with the journey taking approximately three hours. View timetables and book tickets here. One-way ticket start from approximately £29.30, but is cheaper when booked in advance.

From London Luton

Train: There is a bus that runs every 10 minutes from Luton airport to Luton Airport Parkway railway station – this bus takes about 10 minutes. From Luton Airport Parkway rail station take any train to London St Pancras station. For more information, visit the website.

From London St Pancras, you can take the London Underground using the westbound Circle or Hammersmith & City line to Paddington Station. Trains run every couple of minutes, with an average journey time of 7 minutes. Paddington is the fifth stop. From here trains run direct to Cardiff hourly and the journey takes about two hours.  A one way ticket from Paddington costs approximately £148.70, but is cheaper when booked in advance.

From London Stansted

The Stansted Express runs every 15 minutes and reaches London Liverpool Street in 46 minutes. Trains depart from Stansted Airport rail station, situated directly below the terminal. For more information, visit the website.

From Liverpool Street station take the London Underground Circle or Hammersmith and City lines (in the direction of Hammersmith) to London Paddington Station. From here trains run direct to Cardiff hourly and the journey takes about two hours. A one way ticket from Paddington costs approximately £143.70, but is cheaper when booked in advance.

From London Gatwick

The Gatwick Express is a non-stop train service to London Victoria station which runs every 15 minutes with a journey time of 30 minutes. For more information, visit the website.

From London Victoria take the London Underground Circle Line (in the direction of High Street Kensington) to London Paddington Station. From here trains run direct to Cardiff hourly and the journey takes about two hours. A one-way ticket from Paddington costs approximately £148.70, but is cheaper when booked in advance.