Cardiff to Reading by train

Prices explained

Prices explained

At Loco2 we believe in price transparency. We use real data from Loco2 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 $19.35
  2. 30 day advance $26.00
  3. 7 day advance $35.07
90% based on 47,717 reviews
  • First train
    05:12
  • Last train
    21:26
  • Avg changes
    0
  • Fastest journey
    1hr 29m
  • Distance
    152 kilometres
  • Trains per Day
    58
  • Avg. journey time
    1hr 44m
  • Train Operators

Travelling from Cardiff to Reading by train

Fast trains from Cardiff to Reading take around 1 hour and 29 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 152 kilometres. There are frequent services on the rail route between Cardiff and Reading.

1. Are there direct trains from Cardiff to Reading?

Direct trains from Cardiff to Reading have been found.

We usually find around 55 direct trains on the route from Cardiff to Reading every weekday.

Trains are typically more frequent on weekends, when we found around 68 departures.

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

The Cardiff to Reading train travel time is normally about 1 hour and 29 minutes, whatever time you make the journey.

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

On weekdays the earliest direct train to Reading is usually scheduled to depart Cardiff around 05:12 and the last train is around 21:26. At weekends the first train of the day leaves Cardiff around 05:56, and the last at 20:55.

What's the Cardiff to Reading train price?

The earlier you book the better, and the cheapest tickets we've found for trains from Cardiff to Reading are $19.35.

Trains departing 30 days in advance will cost around $26 while booking 7 days in advance the price is around $35. 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 Cardiff to Reading 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 Cardiff to Reading by train.

Help with booking alerts

Which train companies operate between Cardiff and Reading?

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

  • First Great Western
  • Great Western Railway

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

Reading to Cardiff by train

Other journeys to Reading View all journeys to Reading

Loco2 means a new way of booking trains online, but it also stands for low CO2 and lower cost travel. By simplifying the booking process, Loco2 hopes to encourage more people to ditch the plane and opt for a lower-carbon journey by train.

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Blog posts featuring Cardiff or Reading

University open days by train

University open day season is coming up, and we recommend booking your train to get cheap tickets now. Also, it’s really best not to go by car. The cities are on student shut-down for these ones.

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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.