Please sign in to post.
Holiday Sale! Save 20% Storewide!

Bus & train from Heathrow to Cardiff (timing)

Posted by on

Hi all,

I'm traveling from the US (Dulles) to Heathrow - landing at 6:45am on Sunday, April 28, and plan to take the RailAir bus and then train from Reading to Cardiff. I have a couple of questions, as I have ZERO experience and will be traveling alone.

  1. I'd like to buy my bus and train tickets in advance (cheaper, I believe), but is there a way to buy a flexible ticket on RailAir bus and TheTrainLine.com? I'm worried if my flight is delayed or it takes a long time at immigration that I'll miss my bus and then train. If I don't make the bus and train, can I just get on the next one without repurchasing tickets?

  2. If I don't check a bag, how long do you typically anticipate it to take to go through immigration and customs? If my flight arrives at 6:45am, what time of Railbus ticket should I reserve? 8am? 9am? noon? I have no idea.

Thanks so much!
Erin

Posted by
8135 posts

Buy a 'Super Off Peak Day Single' at £66.90. With that you can just take whatever bus and train suits you on the day. The lower fare of £44.10 for a Standard Class Advance Day Single would limit you to a specific timed train so it is only an extra £22.80 to get full flexibility.

You will have to specify a time when booking but that is totally non binding- just how the system works.

Hopefully the trainline actually offer that fare, or book with any UK rail company to save on the trainline fees- probably not on GWR as their website can be iffy with overseas credit cards.

Posted by
3 posts

Ah! Yes! I see the "super off-peak" option now. Is there a way to determine if the train I want on my return to Heathrow will be available in the "super off-peak" option? Or the "off-peak" for that matter? I return on Saturday, May 4 - I'd like a train around 9am.

Thanks so much!
Erin

Posted by
8135 posts

Super Off Peak is all day Saturday and Sunday, and after 10am on weekdays (and not on the odd peak evening train). Off Peak is after 9am on weekdays. So basically one hour on weekdays after the morning peak and one hour in the evening peak when Off Peak is the cheapest flexible fare, the Super Off Peak is the best flexible fare the rest of the time.

Posted by
3 posts

Amazing! Thank you so much for all your guidance! I'm so glad I found this travel forum. This is my first posting...

Erin

Posted by
2599 posts

You could also go from Heathrow by using the Elizabeth Line the short distance to Hayes & Harlington - where you change for a stopping train to Reading and then switch to an express to Cardiff & vice versa to get back to Heathrow. If selecting this option - be sure to put not via London Paddington as the train websites might assume that is what you would do & it is more expensive.

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.