Trains from Cardiff to Manchester

Cardiff to Manchester train information

• The journey from Cardiff, situated in Wales and Manchester, which is in England is well connected by trains. Use our travel search engine to find your ticket and identify the train operator for this journey.
• On average, it takes approximately 3h20m by train covering a distance of 144 miles to get to Manchester from Cardiff. The duration may change depending if the train is direct or if you need to make a change.
• Depending how long in advance you buy your ticket or the day and hour of travel, the cost of the train may change.

Best prices for Cardiff to Manchester train tickets

Cardiff - Manchester prices calendar

Find the cheapest tickets to travel from Cardiff to Manchester by train, bus, ride sharing and plane.

Cardiff - Manchester: the best time to book cheap trains

Cost of the train when booking in advance or at the last minute

The table above is based on the best prices found over the last six months depending on how much time in advance the train is bought. Purchasing your train from Cardiff to Manchester in advance should enable you to spend less for your trip.

We found tickets available from £22 when booking your ticket 2 months in advance which is 52% cheaper than the best ticket we found when buying your ticket on the day you're travelling.

Best prices for Cardiff to Manchester trains

We compare train ticket for all major companies to travel between Cardiff and Manchester by train and find the best prices for the coming days. Take a look at the prices of train tickets Manchester to Cardiff and find the best deal for your outbound journey.

Discount Cardiff - Manchester train tickets

The easiest way to spend less on your Cardiff Manchester train ticket is probably to buy a railcard. While regional railcards are available in some areas, National railcards enable you to spend less on most rail fares across the UK. Everyone is eligible to at least a certain railcard, even non-UK citizens. National railcards available: 16-25 railcard, Senior discount card, Two together railcard, Family and Friends discount card and Disabled persons railcard.

Why should I buy a railcard?

The main benefit of purchasing a railcard is that it only takes a couple of trips to break even.

You will need to buy at least £88 of train tickets in a year for the card to be worthwile. This number corresponds to the cost of the railcard, £30, divided by the discount, 34%. On every ticket that you purchase afterwards, you will spare money.

As an example, train tickets from Cardiff to Manchester cost on average £50.00 (1). When dividing £88 by £50.00 (£88/£50.00 = 1.76), you can see that after only 2 one way journeys from Manchester to Cardiff, the railcard will have paid for itself.

How much do I need to pay for a railcard?

All railcards cost £30 except the Disabled persons railcard that costs £20. Railcards enable you to get 34% off most rail fares, thus you will save 1/3 on most train fares.

⁽¹⁾Average prices observed over the last 6 months for one way journey