Private driver from Cardiff to Penzance

Want to go from Cardiff to Penzance but it seems fairly complicated

There is a direct no change train every two hours on the odd hour (0900, 1100, 1300 then 1800 )

It takes 5 hours 40 minutes.

If you book ahead on a fixed Advance Fare the train fare should be around £40.

This is a 220 mile journey which on a good day is 4 hours by road.

There are direct trains from Cardiff to Penzance. It's not complicated at all.

Wow really? That is great news! How do I find those trains? On nationalrail.co.uk? Or on the trainline.com? Or is there another option?

Like all other trains in the UK you can find them at nationalrail.co.uk

I have never had a problem using nationalrail.co.uk. The Trainline is a legit company, but you will probably pay more, so I don't see the point when it's easy to buy the tickets more directly.

Thanks for the info. I did just try national rail and the ticket cost is £100. I do see the direct train at 9:00 am. But it’s £100. Where did you see a fare of £40?

You find the £40 fare by looking on the Scotrail website/app, who "split the fares" for you at an intermediate station, for free. In this case that split is at Patchway- a small station on the outskirts of Bristol.
Currently the overall fare is showing as £26.70 but that is because Great Western have a 1/2 price sale on until 9 January for advance fares.
Patchway to Penzance is showing as £12 currently, so add £12 to £26.70, and you are close enough to £40.
You are going nowhere near Scotland, but can still buy your tickets from them.
Just stay in the same seat when the train stops at Patchway (which is a pretty obscure station).

Thank you so much! That is so helpful. Could I ask you for another leg of my journey?

Like Liverpool to Brecon beacons?

As others have said, it is really easy to go by train from Cardiff to Penzance although if going after late May, you may have to change trains at Exeter St.David’s - but that should not be a problem. The trains used can do 140mph but are actually slow all stops services on the Cardiff to Penzance route. The cheap fares don’t extend to the summer as the sale ends 9th January for travel until about 1 April. Anyway, you will still be able to reduce the fare by using a split ticket website such as Scotrail and by booking in Advance - but not too far in advance as the cheaper fares might not have been loaded.

Liverpool to Brecon is relatively easy and you will need to go by train to Abergavenny and then Stagecoach bus X43 to Brecon.
At Abergavenny, you could walk from the station to the town and get on the X43 at the bus station or walk down Station Road to the A40 (turn R for bus stop). Look at Google maps to see Abergavenny.

From Liverpool Lime Street you can go by train to Crewe and then change for a train to Abergavenny or go to Chester (well worth seeing) and then change to another train to Abergavenny. Of the 2 routes, I suggest you choose via Chester and have a wander around the centre of that small city. You can buy (on the day) a ticket from Liverpool to Chester for about £7. A Transport for Wales train leaves LIV at 9.47 to arrive Chester at 10.33 on the present winter schedule. A TFW train departs Chester at 12.25 to arrive Abergavenny at 14.34 and buying today for 1 month in advance (specific train) would cost £26.30 (knock a third off if you have a Railcard).

If you want to leave LIV a bit earlier to give yourself more time in Chester, then use Merseyrail for earlier departures.https://www.traintickets.com/?/ clearly marks in yellow the Merseyrail trains - which are really local commuter trains and use a different route to the TFW one. https://www.traintickets.com/?/ is a site that also reduces prices by finding splits but charges 15% fee of the amount saved.

Another money saving hack you won't find, even on the split ticketing websites-
On Merseyrail from Liverpool to Chester buy a Merseyrail Day Saver All Zones ticket for £6.20. Valid all day weekends and after 0929 on weekdays.
That is valid on all Merseyrail routes for unlimited travel and is well cheaper than a single at £8.95.
The £6.90 fare is on the Transport for Wales trains from Lime Street High Level via Runcorn.
There is also a Merseytravel Saveaway ticket for £6.30 which additionally includes all commuter ferries and all buses (the latter only in Merseyside, so not all the way to Chester).
Those TfW trains are meant to be going to hourly in May and extended to Llandudno.
There is no need to use any split ticket site that charges you commission (let alone 15%) when Scotrail unique!y does it for free.
At Chester there is a free bus link from the station to City Centre and also a HoHo bus that leaves from outside the station.