Leeds to Reading

Compare trains, buses, flights and ferries from Leeds to Reading. From €16.13, fastest 2h 51m, with the total price and every fee shown up front.

Traveling from Leeds to Reading costs €16.13 at the cheapest and takes 2h 51m door to door at the fastest, across 2 modes and 2 operators. The route covers 303 km. Cheapest is by Coach, fastest is by Train.

Checked September 9, 2026Priced for September 28, 2026One passenger, all fees included

At a glance

Distance
303 km
Fastest
2h 51m
Average
4h 2m
Services per day
6
Cheapest
€16.13
CO2 per passenger
9.1 kg
Door to door

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.

Door to door means the whole journey, including reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end. Fares are the cheapest sold on each mode.
ModeDoor to doorMovingAt the endsFromCO2Per day
Train3h 11m2h 27m44m€43.7910.0 kg5
Coach4h 52m4h 8m44m€18.338.2 kg1
  • 3h 11mFastest, by Train
  • €18.33Cheapest, by Coach
  • 8.2 kgLowest CO2, by Coach
  • 303 kmDistance traveled
Real services

The cheapest and the fastest on September 28, 2026

Two journeys we can sell today, with the service number each operator files them under.

Cheapest€16.13
  1. FlixBus FB232206:504h 8m10:58Leeds Dyer StreetReading bus station

Door to door 4h 52mCO2 8.2 kgChanges 0Changeable for a fee

Fastest€44.34
  1. Cross Country CC708206:052h 27m08:32LeedsReading Station

Door to door 3h 11mCO2 10.0 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.

No live timetable for this trip yet.

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.

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 Leeds to Reading
Cheapest fare by mode and day for Leeds to ReadingThuSep 10FriSep 11SatSep 12SunSep 13MonSep 14TueSep 15WedSep 16ThuSep 17FriSep 18SatSep 19SunSep 20MonSep 21TueSep 22WedSep 23
Coach€52.98€38.13€33.73€34.28€29.33€23.28€30.98€26.58€29.88€25.48€28.23€18.33€21.63€23.83
Train€105.39€85.04€93.29€67.99€60.29€54.24€57.54€62.49€55.34€61.94€48.18€48.74€43.79€47.09

Cheapest day: 2026-09-28 · €16.13

That is the traveling done. What happens after you walk out into Reading is not something we sell.

A hotel room

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.

Partner links. We do not sell accommodation. We earn a commission when a booking completes, and it never changes what you pay.

Booking window

When to book Leeds to Reading

The same search run across the whole booking window, so the shape of the curve is visible rather than described.

  1. €16.6890 days
  2. €17.2360 days
  3. €16.1345 days
  4. €18.8830 days
  5. €16.6821 days
  6. €23.8314 days
  7. €30.987 days
  8. €33.733 days
  9. €52.981 days
Cheapest lead time
Fares bottom out around 45 days ahead, at €16.13.
How much it moves
The gap between the cheapest and most expensive lead time is 228 percent. The most expensive point is €52.98, 1 days out.
What that means
Today sits inside the cheap window, which closes about 45 days before departure. Waiting from here has usually cost money on this corridor rather than saved it.
€52.98€16.131371421304560

Book now Fares on this route are lowest around 45 days ahead. You are inside that window.

Day of the week

Which departure day costs least

Median cheapest fare for each weekday, taken across the next three weeks of real prices.

  1. €28.23Sun
  2. €18.33Mon
  3. €21.63Tue
  4. €23.83Wed
  5. €26.58Thu
  6. €29.88Fri
  7. €25.48Sat
Across the year

How the fare moves month by month

The same journey priced on the fifteenth of each of the next six months.

  1. €23.28Sep
  2. €22.18Oct
  3. €17.78Nov
  4. €14.48Dec
  5. €18.88Jan
  6. €15.58Feb

The route

LeedsLeedsReadingReading
The journey

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
33% of the services we sell on this corridor run through without a change. The remaining 67% involve one connection.
How far it really runs
The route covers 303 km against 263 km in a straight line, a detour of 15 percent. Track and road geometry account for the difference.
Where the change is
Connections are made at Sheffield, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby. The gap between arriving and leaving is 57 minutes, of which about 5 is walking.
If the connection is missed
The tightest connection we sell here has a 17 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 Leeds at 06:05 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.
Terminals

Where you leave from and where you arrive

The stations, airports and ports each mode on this corridor actually uses.

Leeds

Rail
  • Leeds
  • Leeds railway station
  • Leeds Central railway station
Bus
  • Leeds Dyer Street
  • Leeds Supporters Coach Park
Air
  • LBA
Ferry
  • Leeds Water Taxi Dock

Reading

Rail
  • Reading Station
  • Winnersh Station
  • Reading West
Ferry
  • Thames RiverCruise
Carriers

Who runs this route

Speed, flexibility and what is on board. Nothing here is a rating, because we have not earned one.

Every operator we sell on this corridor. Speed is the carrier's own typical cruising speed, not the average over this route.
OperatorFromFastestTypical speedFlexibilityOn board
Cross Country€39.392h 51m140 km/hRefundablePower outlets, Wi-Fi
FlixBus€16.134h 44m72 km/hChangeablePower outlets, Restrooms, Wi-Fi
The price

What the fare is made of

Every part of the total, so the number at checkout is the number here.

The cheapest Coach fare we sell on 2026-09-28, broken into its parts. Nothing is added after this.
PartAmountShare
Operator fare€11.5071%
Taxes€1.157%
Supplier fees€1.499%
Our service fee€1.9912%
Total you pay€16.13100%

The train gets in hours before any room is ready. Holding a bag is not what we sell.

Left luggage lockers

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.

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 Leeds 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 Leeds to Reading?

The fastest journey from Leeds to Reading takes 2h 51m door to door, of which 2h 27m is spent moving, on the Train. Most services take around 4h 2m, 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 Leeds to Reading?

The cheapest fare from Leeds to Reading is €16.13, checked on September 28, 2026. A typical fare across the next three weeks is €40.77. 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 Leeds to Reading?

The cheapest way from Leeds to Reading is by Coach, at €18.33 for one passenger on September 28, 2026. That journey takes 4h 52m 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 Leeds to Reading?

The fastest way from Leeds to Reading is by Train, at 3h 11m door to door. Only 2h 27m 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 €43.79.

When should I book Leeds to Reading?

Fares from Leeds to Reading bottom out around 45 days before departure, at €16.13. Across the whole booking window the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive lead time is 228 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 Leeds to Reading?

Monday is the cheapest day to depart from Leeds to Reading, at €18.33. 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 Leeds to Reading?

December is the cheapest of the next 6 months to travel from Leeds to Reading, at €14.48 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 Leeds to Reading?

2 operators sell services from Leeds to Reading across 2 modes: Cross Country, FlixBus. 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 Leeds to Reading?

33 percent of the services we sell from Leeds to Reading are direct. The rest connect at Sheffield, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, with about 57 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 Leeds to Reading produce?

Traveling from Leeds to Reading by Coach produces about 8.2 kg of CO2 per passenger, the lowest of any mode on this corridor. The same journey by Train produces about 10.0 kg, roughly 1 times as much for one passenger.

Which station or terminal do services from Leeds to Reading use?

Services from Leeds to Reading by Train leave from Leeds 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 Leeds to Reading?

2 of the 2 operators we sell from Leeds 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 Leeds to Reading on September 9, 2026: 303 km of route against 263 km in a straight line, 6 services a day, 2 operators, a cheapest fare of €16.13, and 2h 51m door to door on the fastest mode. The return direction is computed separately and its numbers are not these numbers.

The trip is the easy half to plan. The days in Reading are the half people leave until last.

A guided tour group

Anything to book in Reading before you go?

Day trips that leave Reading in the morning and cover a good part of United Kingdom by evening.

Partner links. We do not sell tours or tickets. We earn a commission on a booking, and it never changes the price.

Other ways to make this journey

Arriving in Reading

Leaving Reading

  • 106Places you can leave for
  • 1Countries
  • 10Operators

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