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Glasgow to Cardiff by train

Prices explained

Prices explained

At Rail Europe we believe in price transparency. We use real data from Rail Europe searches to estimate the cheapest fares you should be able to find for your journey.

The cheapest price is the lowest fare we've ever found for this journey. These prices can usually be found by searching when booking opens but they vary due to availability, which depends on factors like the day of the week or time of year.

More popular journeys include 30 day advance and 7 day advance prices. These are updated every two weeks using prices we've found by searching exactly 7 or 30 days from the most recent Thursday (we picked Thursday because this is when average prices are usually found).

30 day and 7 day prices fluctuate based on demand and availability at the time of search. For example, the 7-day price in summer is likely to be more expensive than the same journey in winter.

Prices are sourced in GBP and converted to other currencies using the daily market exchange rate.

We're always seeking to improve how price-checking works, and we welcome feedback on how we can make it better.

More advice about how to find the cheapest tickets can be found in our infographic.

  1. Cheapest Price $45.81
  2. 30 day advance $67.37
  3. 7 day advance $90.68
89% based on 50,434 reviews
  • First train
    04:28
  • Last train
    20:10
  • Avg changes
    1
  • Fastest journey
    5hr 37m
  • Distance
    494 kilometres
  • Trains per Day
    13
  • Avg. journey time
    6hr 58m
  • Train Operators

Travelling from Glasgow to Cardiff by train

Fast trains from Glasgow to Cardiff take around 5 hours and 37 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 494 kilometres. There are frequent services on the rail route between Glasgow and Cardiff.

1. Are there direct trains from Glasgow to Cardiff?

Journeys between Glasgow and Cardiff usually involve one change of train.

We usually find around 13 departures on the route from Glasgow to Cardiff every weekday that leave enough time to change trains without waiting around for longer than necessary.

Trains are typically more frequent on weekends, when we found around 20 departures.

2. How long is the train journey from Glasgow to Cardiff?

The Glasgow to Cardiff train travel time is normally about 5 hours and 37 minutes, whatever time you make the journey.

3. What are the Glasgow to Cardiff train times and schedule?

On weekdays the earliest train to Cardiff is usually scheduled to depart Glasgow around 04:28 and the last train is around 20:10. At weekends the first train of the day leaves Glasgow around 05:50, and the last at 20:08.

What's the Glasgow to Cardiff train price?

The earlier you book the better, and the cheapest tickets we've found for trains from Glasgow to Cardiff are $45.81.

Trains departing 30 days in advance will cost around $67 while booking 7 days in advance the price is around $90. Booking on the day of travel is likely to be more expensive, so it is worth booking in advance if you can to save money.

When to book Glasgow to Cardiff train tickets?

Trains in the UK usually open for booking around 3 months in advance. If booking is not yet open for your dates then you can set a booking alert to receive an email on the day that the cheapest tickets are released for your journey from Glasgow to Cardiff by train.

Help with booking alerts

Which train companies operate between Glasgow and Cardiff?

More than one train company operates on the route from Glasgow to Cardiff, so you’ll be travelling with one or more of the following rail operators:

  • Arriva Trains Wales
  • Avanti West Coast
  • CrossCountry
  • First Great Western
  • First TransPennine Express
  • Great Western Railway
  • TransPennine Express
  • Transport For Wales
  • UK Rail Connections
  • Virgin Trains

You can check which train you’ll be travelling on by looking for the train name in search results.

Cardiff to Glasgow by train

Other journeys to Cardiff View all journeys to Cardiff

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Child and youth passengers

The definition of "Child" and "Youth" varies by country and operator. This is why we ask for the age of young passengers.

Sometimes children below a certain age can travel without a seat for free. If you want to guarantee a seat for child passengers, enter '6' as the age of the child.

Read more about child and youth passenger ages. See also youth discounts and railcards.