From Birmingham New Street, take CrossCountry as far as Cardiff Central, just under two hours with seven stops, and change there for Transport for Wales’s Pembroke Dock train, which takes about 2h45 and 21 stops to reach Tenby. On the typical journey there is just under half an hour at Cardiff between the two, and the whole trip takes just over five hours.
The connecting CrossCountry trains on the weekday we checked left New Street at 05:36, then at 08:30, 10:30, 12:30, 14:30 and 16:30, a tidy two-hourly pattern that matches the two-hourly Tenby trains from Cardiff Central. The 05:36 reaches Tenby at about 10:45 and the 08:30 at about 13:40; the 16:30 was the latest and got in at about 21:40. The midday 12:30 gets to Tenby at about 17:40, which still leaves the evening there on the day you arrive.
Because the Pembroke Dock trains leave Cardiff only every two hours or so, a CrossCountry train that runs late enough to miss the connection costs you about two hours at Cardiff Central, with only that margin of just under half an hour to protect you.
Two-change routings via Bristol Parkway, finishing with a change at either Neath or Bridgend, took a few minutes less, about 4h55, with departures from 06:42 to 16:42. Others via Hereford and Port Talbot Parkway, via Reading, or via Shrewsbury took between about 5h45 and seven hours. The single change at Cardiff Central is the simpler choice from Birmingham, and its 05:36 is the earliest start we found; the Bristol Parkway routes save only a few minutes for the extra change.
By road it is 183 miles via the A40, about 3h30, which is some 1h37 quicker than the train.
From Tenby station, Tudor Square is a ten-minute walk of some 650 metres.
Journey times and changes below come from the rail and bus timetables for Tuesday 1 December 2026. Weekend and holiday timetables differ, so check the day you travel.
From Birmingham New Street on the weekday we checked: 05:36, 08:30, 10:30, 12:30, 14:30 and 16:30.
By road it is about 183 miles from Birmingham to Tenby, mostly via the A40 — roughly 3h 32m with clear roads. Car parks in Tenby are listed on the Getting Here page.