Cheapest€10.08
- FlixBus FB952806:502h 12m09:02Cardiff Sophia GardensReading bus station
Door to door 2h 56mCO2 4.3 kgChanges 0Changeable for a fee
Traveling from Cardiff to Reading costs €10.08 at the cheapest and takes 1h 54m door to door at the fastest, across 3 modes and 4 operators. The route covers 161 km. Cheapest is by Coach, fastest is by Train.
At a glance
- Distance
- 161 km
- Fastest
- 1h 54m
- Average
- 3h 27m
- Services per day
- 8
- Cheapest
- €10.08
- CO2 per passenger
- 8.4 kg
Every way to make this journey
Journey times below are door to door, so they include getting to the terminal and away from it at the other end. Fares are the cheapest we currently sell on September 28, 2026.
| Mode | Door to door | Moving | At the ends | From | CO2 | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train | 2h 2m | 1h 18m | 44m | €22.34 | 5.3 kg | 5 |
| Coach | 2h 56m | 2h 12m | 44m | €11.18 | 4.3 kg | 1 |
| Ferry | 6h 22m | 4h 52m | 1h 30m | €15.74 | 18.5 kg | 2 |
- 2h 2mFastest, by Train
- €11.18Cheapest, by Coach
- 4.3 kgLowest CO2, by Coach
- 161 kmDistance traveled
The cheapest and the fastest on September 28, 2026
Two journeys we can sell today, with the service number each operator files them under.
Fastest€20.69
- South Western Railway SW349806:261h 18m07:44Cardiff CentralReading Station
Door to door 2h 2mCO2 5.3 kgChanges 0Refundable
Today's real departures
Live from the operators' own published timetables, through the open transit feeds they publish. Times and services are real. Fares are modeled until our booking connectors are live.
| Operator | Service | Departs | Arrives | Takes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GWRdirect | GWR | 08:19 | 09:50 | 1h 35m |
| GWRdirect | GWR | 08:49 | 10:18 | 1h 33m |
| GWRdirect | GWR | 09:18 | 10:45 | 1h 31m |
| GWRdirect | GWR | 09:50 | 11:20 | 1h 34m |
| GWRdirect | GWR | 10:18 | 11:44 | 1h 30m |
| GWRdirect | GWR | 10:50 | 12:17 | 1h 31m |
Prices over the next three weeks
Live from our own engine, refreshed on every request. The cheapest days for each way of traveling are marked.
| Cheapest fare by mode and day for Cardiff to Reading | ThuSep 10 | FriSep 11 | SatSep 12 | SunSep 13 | MonSep 14 | TueSep 15 | WedSep 16 | ThuSep 17 | FriSep 18 | SatSep 19 | SunSep 20 | MonSep 21 | TueSep 22 | WedSep 23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | €29.88 | €22.18 | €19.43 | €19.98 | €17.23 | €13.93 | €17.78 | €15.58 | €17.78 | €15.03 | €16.68 | €11.18 | €13.38 | €14.48 |
| Ferry | €28.94 | €27.84 | €31.14 | €24.54 | €17.39 | €18.49 | €22.89 | €19.04 | €16.84 | €20.14 | €19.04 | €15.74 | €15.74 | €16.29 |
| Train | €49.29 | €41.04 | €43.24 | €35.54 | €34.99 | €30.04 | €33.88 | €36.08 | €29.49 | €30.04 | €28.39 | €22.89 | €22.34 | €23.99 |
Cheapest day: 2026-09-28 · €10.08
The ferry gets you into Reading. It does not get you a bed, and neither do we.
Looking for somewhere to stay in Reading?
The search opens on Reading with your nights already filled in, so it is one step to a real price.
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When to book Cardiff to Reading
The same search run across the whole booking window, so the shape of the curve is visible rather than described.
- €10.0890 days
- €10.6360 days
- €10.0845 days
- €11.7330 days
- €10.6321 days
- €14.4814 days
- €17.787 days
- €19.433 days
- €28.941 days
- Cheapest lead time
- Fares bottom out around 90 days ahead, at €10.08.
- How much it moves
- The gap between the cheapest and most expensive lead time is 187 percent. The most expensive point is €28.94, 1 days out.
- What that means
- Today sits inside the cheap window, which closes about 90 days before departure. Waiting from here has usually cost money on this corridor rather than saved it.
Book now Fares on this route are lowest around 45 days ahead. You are inside that window.
Which departure day costs least
Median cheapest fare for each weekday, taken across the next three weeks of real prices.
- €16.68Sun
- €11.18Mon
- €13.38Tue
- €14.48Wed
- €15.58Thu
- €16.84Fri
- €15.03Sat
How the fare moves month by month
The same journey priced on the fifteenth of each of the next six months.
- €13.93Sep
- €13.38Oct
- €11.18Nov
- €10.07Dec
- €11.73Jan
- €10.08Feb
The route
What the journey actually looks like
Direct or connecting, how far the route really runs, and what happens when a connection is missed.
- Direct or connecting
- 50% of the services we sell on this corridor run through without a change. The remaining 50% involve one connection.
- How far it really runs
- The route covers 161 km against 153 km in a straight line, a detour of 5 percent. Track and road geometry account for the difference.
- Where the change is
- Connections are made at Bristol, Bath, Swindon, Didcot. The gap between arriving and leaving is 62 minutes, of which about 5 is walking.
- If the connection is missed
- The tightest connection we sell here has a 15 percent chance of not being made on the timetable alone. Part of this journey is a self transfer between separate tickets, so leave more time than the minimum and expect to check in again.
- First and last departure
- The first service of the day leaves Cardiff at 06:26 and the last at 07:30, across 5 departures. The return direction keeps its own timetable, so the times back are not these times reversed.
Where you leave from and where you arrive
The stations, airports and ports each mode on this corridor actually uses.
Cardiff
Rail
- Cardiff Central
- Cardiff Riverside Branch
- Cardiff Bay railway station
Bus
- Cardiff Sophia Gardens
- Cardiff Bus Interchange
Air
- CWL
Ferry
- Cardiff Sailing Centre Pontoons
- City Centre Water Bus Stop
Reading
Rail
- Reading Station
- Winnersh Station
- Reading West
Ferry
- Thames RiverCruise
Who runs this route
Speed, flexibility and what is on board. Nothing here is a rating, because we have not earned one.
| Operator | From | Fastest | Typical speed | Flexibility | On board |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Brittany Ferries | €13.54 | 6h 22m | 33 km/h | Changeable | Bar, , Cabins, Cafe, Restaurant, Restrooms |
 FlixBus | €10.08 | 2h 56m | 72 km/h | Changeable | Power outlets, Restrooms, Wi-Fi |
| Great Western Railway | €21.24 | 1h 55m | 140 km/h | Refundable | Power outlets, Wi-Fi |
 South Western Railway | €20.69 | 1h 54m | 140 km/h | Refundable | Power outlets, Wi-Fi |
What the fare is made of
Every part of the total, so the number at checkout is the number here.
| Part | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Operator fare | €6.00 | 60% |
| Taxes | €0.60 | 6% |
| Supplier fees | €1.49 | 15% |
| Our service fee | €1.99 | 20% |
| Total you pay | €10.08 | 100% |
A day in Reading hauling a suitcase is a shorter day than it needs to be. We do not store bags.
Where to leave your bags in Reading
Stores, cafes and hotels that take luggage, with the hours on the map so you know what is still open when you come back.
Check Reading on StasherOr try Bounce
Partner links. We do not run these networks. We earn a commission on a booking, and the price is the same as going direct.
Questions about Cardiff to Reading
The questions people actually ask about this trip, answered from the same prices and times the page above is built on rather than written once and left to go stale.
How long does it take to get from Cardiff to Reading?
The fastest journey from Cardiff to Reading takes 1h 54m door to door, of which 1h 18m is spent moving, on the Train. Most services take around 3h 27m, because that average includes slower stopping services and journeys with a connection. Times include reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end.
How much does it cost to travel from Cardiff to Reading?
The cheapest fare from Cardiff to Reading is €10.08, checked on September 28, 2026. A typical fare across the next three weeks is €23.44. Both figures are the total for one passenger, including taxes, supplier fees and our service fee, so nothing is added at checkout.
What is the cheapest way to get from Cardiff to Reading?
The cheapest way from Cardiff to Reading is by Coach, at €11.18 for one passenger on September 28, 2026. That journey takes 2h 56m door to door. Cheaper is rarely faster on this corridor, and the comparison table on this page shows what each mode costs against what it saves.
What is the fastest way to get from Cardiff to Reading?
The fastest way from Cardiff to Reading is by Train, at 2h 2m door to door. Only 1h 18m of that is spent moving; the remaining 44m is reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end. The cheapest fare on that mode is €22.34.
When should I book Cardiff to Reading?
Fares from Cardiff to Reading bottom out around 90 days before departure, at €10.08. Across the whole booking window the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive lead time is 187 percent, measured on September 28, 2026. Booking inside the last week has consistently cost more on this corridor.
Which day of the week is cheapest for Cardiff to Reading?
Monday is the cheapest day to depart from Cardiff to Reading, at €11.18. That is the median of 21 priced departure days across the next three weeks, checked on September 28, 2026. Shifting a departure by one day is usually worth more than shifting the booking by one week.
Which month is cheapest for Cardiff to Reading?
December is the cheapest of the next 6 months to travel from Cardiff to Reading, at €10.07 for one passenger. Each month is priced on its fifteenth, so the comparison is like for like rather than a mix of weekends and midweek departures.
Who runs service from Cardiff to Reading?
4 operators sell services from Cardiff to Reading across 3 modes: Brittany Ferries, FlixBus, Great Western Railway, South Western Railway. Journey times, fares and fare conditions differ between them, and the operator table on this page compares all of them on speed, flexibility and what is provided on board.
Is there a direct service from Cardiff to Reading?
50 percent of the services we sell from Cardiff to Reading are direct. The rest connect at Bristol, Bath, Swindon, Didcot, with about 62 minutes between the two services. Both legs are sold on one booking, so a missed connection is rebooked at no charge.
How much CO2 does the journey from Cardiff to Reading produce?
Traveling from Cardiff to Reading by Coach produces about 4.3 kg of CO2 per passenger, the lowest of any mode on this corridor. The same journey by Ferry produces about 18.5 kg, roughly 4 times as much for one passenger.
Which station or terminal do services from Cardiff to Reading use?
Services from Cardiff to Reading by Train leave from Cardiff Central and arrive at Reading Station. Allow about 44m in total for reaching the departure terminal and leaving the arrival one, which is already included in every door to door time on this page.
Can I change or refund a ticket from Cardiff to Reading?
4 of the 4 operators we sell from Cardiff to Reading allow a change or a refund. A change on a changeable fare costs €5.00. The operator table on this page names which is which, and the condition is shown again before you pay.
Where these numbers come from
Derived from service area No carrier record names this exact pair. The operators listed publish a service area covering both places at a distance their mode plausibly carries people, which is evidence that the corridor is served and not evidence of a specific service. Pages state which, because presenting the two as the same thing would be dishonest.
Schedules, seat counts and fares are generated by our own model until the supplier contracts are signed. Places, coordinates, operators, which operator serves which pair, and every distance are real. We would rather say that on every page than let a modeled number pass for a filed one.
Defined in full at Door to door, Fares, The booking window, Carbon, Distances
- On this page
- Every figure above was computed for Cardiff to Reading on September 9, 2026: 161 km of route against 153 km in a straight line, 8 services a day, 4 operators, a cheapest fare of €10.08, and 1h 54m door to door on the fastest mode. The return direction is computed separately and its numbers are not these numbers.
The ferry is the simple part. What you do once you are in Reading is somebody else's catalog.
Anything to book in Reading before you go?
The tickets worth having in advance, because the line at the door is usually the whole morning.
See Reading on GetYourGuideOr browse Viator
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Other ways to make this journey
Arriving in Reading
Leaving Reading
- 106Places you can leave for
- 1Countries
- 10Operators
Plan a trip from here
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