Getting to Hay-on-Wye
How to reach Hay-on-Wye by train, bus, or car.
Nearest railway station
Hay has no railway station. The station to use is Hereford (CRS code HFD), about 29km east in a straight line, on the Transport for Wales line between Cardiff and Manchester. Builth Road and Llandrindod are slightly nearer as the crow flies, but no bus links either of them to Hay. From Hereford the bus does the last leg, and it leaves from a stop at the station itself, so there is no walk across the city.
- Station
- Hereford, CRS HFD, Station Approach, Hereford HR1 1BB, managed by Transport for Wales (National Rail station page, read 2026-10-16).
- Distance
- About 28.6km east of Hay in a straight line, from the OpenStreetMap station position.
- Last Leg
- Sargeants Brothers X44 Monday to Saturday, or Yeomans 39A on Sundays and bank holiday Mondays, both starting at the Railway Station stop in Hereford and finishing at Hay Castle on Oxford Road. About an hour.
- From Cardiff
- Transport for Wales trains from Cardiff Central reach Hereford in about an hour and five minutes, roughly hourly (TfW timetable 4, valid 14 September to 13 December 2026).
Tips
- •Time the train to the bus, not the other way round: the X44 leaves Hereford station roughly every two hours.
- •The last X44 from Hereford to Hay leaves at 18:53 Monday to Saturday on the timetable in force from 5 April 2026.
Useful Links
Bus
Two operators run the bus into Hay from Hereford, both from a stop at Hereford railway station to Hay Castle on Oxford Road. Monday to Saturday it is the Sargeants Brothers X44, which carries on to Brecon: from Hereford station at 09:22, 11:22, 13:22, 15:22, 17:22 and 18:53, taking about an hour, and back from Hay Castle at 07:37, 09:37, 11:37, 13:37, 15:37 and 17:47. On Sundays and bank holiday Mondays, Yeomans Travel runs the 39A via Madley, Peterchurch and Dorstone: from Hereford station at 10:15, 13:15 and 16:15, and back from Hay Castle at 11:25, 14:55 and 17:25. The X44 also runs west to Brecon in about 40 minutes, with a guaranteed connection there onto the T4 to Merthyr.
- X44
- Sargeants Brothers X44 Hereford to Hay and Brecon, timetable registered from 5 April 2026. No service on bank holidays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day. The operator says onboard tickets are not available on this route at present. One of the two 13:22 runs is school days only.
- X44 Sunday
- The operator's April 2026 timetable shows Sunday X44 journeys between Hereford and Hay from 1 April to 31 October, but its live page in mid-October 2026 shows only Hay to Brecon on Sundays, so use the 39A for Sunday travel from Hereford.
- 39a
- Yeomans Travel 39A, Sundays and bank holiday Mondays only, timetable correct as of August 2026. Operator phone 01432 356201.
- Hay Stop
- Hay Castle, Oxford Road: the stop opposite the main car park.
Tips
- •Check the day's times before you set out; the X44 is about every two hours and the Sunday service is three buses each way.
- •Buy tickets before you board the X44; the operator says onboard tickets are not available at present.
Useful Links
Driving and Parking
The main car park is on Oxford Road, opposite the castle: it is the long-stay car park and the one the castle, the canoe company and most of the town send you to. Powys County Council runs it and the smaller short-stay car park in the Market Square. Since 1 August 2025 the council's charges in its car parks are £1.50 up to an hour, £2.50 for one to two hours, £3.50 for two to four hours and £5 over four hours, free overnight, payable by the PayByPhone app as well as at the machine. Blue Badge holders now buy a ticket and get an extra hour on top. Thursday is market day and the centre is busy, so arrive early.
- Oxford Road
- Oxford Road car park, long stay, Powys County Council. Disabled bays at the top nearest the castle, per the Hay Castle Trust, which also says the car park has free electric vehicle charging points.
- Market Square
- Market Square car park, short stay, Powys County Council.
- Tariff Source
- Powys County Council, 'New parking charges from 1 August 2025' and 'Car Park Charges' pages, read from Wayback Machine captures of 21 and 23 July 2025 because the live council site returned HTTP 403 on 2026-10-16.
Tips
- •Pay by phone with the PayByPhone app if the machine queue is long.
- •There is no parking at Hay Castle itself; use Oxford Road opposite.
Useful Links
From the Airport
Live options for reaching the village from the nearest airports. Times and fares are a guide and can change with traffic or operator schedules.
Cardiff AirportCWL
77 km away- Duration
- Allow at least 3 hours, estimated; not confirmed in a journey planner
- Cost
- Varies
Cardiff Central to Hereford takes about an hour and five minutes on the TfW timetable valid to 13 December 2026, and the X44 adds about an hour. The airport-to-Rhoose station link was not confirmed because the airport's site could not be read.
Operator: Transport for Wales
Birmingham AirportBHX
103 km away- Duration
- Not confirmed; check a journey planner
- Cost
- Varies
Birmingham International station serves the airport. The train leg to Hereford was not verified against an operator timetable for this guide.
Parking
Parking options in and around Hay-on-Wye. On busy weekends, arriving early is recommended.
Oxford Road car park (long stay)
£1.50 up to 1 hour, £2.50 for 1 to 2 hours, £3.50 for 2 to 4 hours, £5 over 4 hours, free overnight (Powys County Council tariff from 1 August 2025). Opposite Hay Castle; disabled bays at the castle end. PayByPhone accepted. The Hay Castle Trust says it has free electric vehicle charging points.
Market Square car park (short stay)
Powys County Council tariff from 1 August 2025, as above. Small and central; fills first, especially on Thursday market day.
Planning the wider trip?
Our country-level primer covers national rail, intercity buses, airports, the Leap Card, and whether you actually need a hire car for your trip around United Kingdom.
Getting Around United Kingdom →