How far is Manchester from Cardiff?

It's about 232 km (144 miles) from Manchester to Cardiff.

What are the departure and arrival locations for buses traveling from Manchester to Cardiff?

Buses departing from Manchester Airport in Manchester will take you to Cardiff University (o/s Cathays Rail Stn) in Cardiff.

Bus Manchester to Cardiff from $21 | Refundable Tickets

Next bus departures

Next departures for Manchester to Cardiff on November 23
Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Bus	8:50am	Shudehill	6h 40m	3:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	Cheapest
Bus	6:20pm	Manchester (Moss Lane East)	6h	12:20am	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	Fastest
Bus	11:40am	Shudehill	6h 55m	6:35pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags
Bus	4:10am	Coach Station	7h 55m	12:05pm	Sophia Gardens	No tags
Bus	3:00pm	Shudehill	7h 15m	10:15pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags

Next departures for Manchester to Cardiff on November 24
Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Bus	7:30am	Coach Station	22h 5m	5:35am	Cardiff University (o/s Cathays Rail Stn)	Cheapest
Bus	6:20pm	Manchester (Moss Lane East)	6h	12:20am	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	Fastest
Bus	12:45am	Manchester Airport	11h 45m	12:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags
Bus	4:10am	Coach Station	1d 1h	5:35am	Cardiff University (o/s Cathays Rail Stn)	No tags
Bus	8:50am	Shudehill	6h 40m	3:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags

Next departures for Manchester to Cardiff on November 25
Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Bus	3:20pm	Manchester (Moss Lane East)	6h 55m	10:15pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	Cheapest
Bus	9:10am	Manchester (Moss Lane East)	6h 20m	3:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	Fastest
Bus	8:50am	Shudehill	6h 40m	3:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags
Bus	4:10am	Coach Station	7h 55m	12:05pm	Sophia Gardens	No tags
Bus	11:40am	Shudehill	6h 55m	6:35pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags

Next departures for Manchester to Cardiff on November 26
Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Bus	8:50am	Shudehill	6h 40m	3:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	Cheapest
Bus	9:10am	Manchester (Moss Lane East)	6h 20m	3:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	Fastest
Bus	12:45am	Manchester Airport	11h 45m	12:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags
Bus	4:10am	Coach Station	7h 55m	12:05pm	Sophia Gardens	No tags
Bus	10:50am	Manchester Airport	9h 35m	8:25pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags

Next departures for Manchester to Cardiff on November 27
Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Bus	3:00pm	Shudehill	7h 15m	10:15pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	Cheapest
Bus	6:20pm	Manchester (Moss Lane East)	6h	12:20am	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	Fastest
Bus	12:45am	Manchester Airport	11h 45m	12:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags
Bus	4:10am	Coach Station	7h 55m	12:05pm	Sophia Gardens	No tags
Bus	8:50am	Shudehill	6h 40m	3:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags

Next departures for Manchester to Cardiff on November 28
Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Bus	12:10pm	Shudehill	8h 15m	8:25pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	Cheapest
Bus	9:10am	Manchester (Moss Lane East)	6h 20m	3:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	Fastest
Bus	12:45am	Manchester Airport	11h 45m	12:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags
Bus	4:10am	Coach Station	7h 55m	12:05pm	Sophia Gardens	No tags
Bus	8:45am	Manchester Airport	8h 25m	5:10pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags

Next departures for Manchester to Cardiff on November 29
Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Bus	3:00pm	Shudehill	7h 15m	10:15pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	Cheapest
Bus	6:20pm	Manchester (Moss Lane East)	6h	12:20am	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	Fastest
Bus	12:45am	Manchester Airport	11h 45m	12:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags
Bus	4:10am	Coach Station	7h 55m	12:05pm	Sophia Gardens	No tags
Bus	8:50am	Shudehill	6h 40m	3:30pm	Cardiff North Road (Friary Gardens)	No tags

Last refresh of the prices: Yesterday at 10:03 PM GMT.

Compare 3 ways to go from Manchester to Cardiff

We recommend carpooling

Among the sustainable travel choices, the carpool stands out as a good way to reach Cardiff. The journey takes about 2 hours 50 minutes, and with fares starting at just $29, it presents an excellent value for a comfortable ride.

1carpool per day

2h 50mAverage Duration

232 kmDistance

10kgCO₂ emissions

	Average Price	Average Duration	CO₂ emissions
Bus	Average Price$24 - $146	Average Duration7h 45m	CO₂ emissions 6kg CO₂e
Train	Average Price$63 - $312	Average Duration3h 30m	CO₂ emissions 6kg CO₂e
Carpool	Average Price$29 - $34	Average Duration2h 50m	CO₂ emissions 10kg CO₂e

Where are the popular stops in Manchester and Cardiff?

Stops in Manchester

A
Manchester Airport
Visit page
B
Coach Station
16 Chorlton St, Manchester M1 3HW, UK
Visit page
C
Shudehill
Shudehill Interchange, Stand G, Manchester M60
Visit page
D
56 Great Bridgewater St
56 Great Bridgewater St, Manchester M1 5LE, UK
E
City of Manchester Stadium
Citylink, Manchester M40 7EP, UK
F
Manchester Coach Station
Manchester Coach Station, Chorlton St., , Manchester M1 3JF, United Kingdom

Stops in Cardiff

A
Cardiff University (o/s Cathays Rail Stn)
50 Park Place (Bus Stop, o/s Cathays Rail Stn), Cardiff CF10
B
Sophia Gardens
2 Sophia Cl, Cardiff CF11, UK
Visit page
C
Cardiff Coach Station - Sophia Gardens
22 Cathedral Rd, Cardiff CF11 9LJ, UK
Visit page
D
Cardiff - Castle Street Bus Stop
21A Castle St, Cardiff CF10 1BT, UK
E
National Museum
Gorsedd Gardens Rd, Cardiff CF10 3NP, UK
F
Cardiff Bus Stop - Westgate
206 Westgate St, Cardiff CF10, UK

Compare bus companies

FlixBus

3.5/511,407 reviews

Staff4.2

Timeliness3.9

Cleanliness4.1

Wifi2.7

National Express

4/529,726 reviews

Staff4.7

Timeliness4

Cleanliness4.7

Wifi3.4

Megabus UK

3.5/54,276 reviews

Staff4.4

Timeliness3.4

Cleanliness4.4

Wifi2.6

Based on 4276 reviews, the company was rated 3.6 stars on Busbud. Travellers were especially satisfied with the ticket access and the staff but often complained with the WiFi. Megabus UK ticket prices on this trip start at $46

Megabus Manchester Cardiff recent customer reviews

Bus came 1hr late. Stopped o. The way 50mns waiting for change of driver. I couldn't get home yesterday 😩 because we arrived 2hrs late no train to go home

Jessica Y.

October 30, 2024

I was unable to make the date of booking, I did try to exchange my bus ticket to another date however the process made it to hard to do so

Gareth J.

November 14, 2023

It was late one hour.

Wehazit S.

December 5, 2024

GB Bus Companies: FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus, ALSA, Greyhound, Intercape, Trenitalia, National Express

Frequently asked questions about travelling from Manchester to Cardiff by bus

How far is Manchester from Cardiff?
It's about 232 km (144 miles) from Manchester to Cardiff.
What are the departure and arrival locations for buses traveling from Manchester to Cardiff?
Buses departing from Manchester Airport in Manchester will take you to Cardiff University (o/s Cathays Rail Stn) in Cardiff.

Find cheapest prices for buses

Price is for a one-way ticket for one passenger and based on past searches.

Best price found

11-21

$39

11-22

$57

Today

$59

11-24

$41

11-25

$32

11-26

$21

11-27

$32

11-28

$21

The cheapest trip from Manchester to Cardiff was searched and found on Nov 26, 2025 with a price of $21

To save money and be sure you have the best seat, it's a good idea to buy your bus tickets from Manchester to Cardiff, as early as possible.

You can expect to pay from $21 to $120 for a bus ticket from Manchester to Cardiff based on the last 2 days. You can expect to find the cheapest price for the trip at $21 which is on 2025-11-26.