Getting to Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and has excellent transport links. It has three international airports within reach of the city and is only an hour away, by flight, from London.

Air

Glasgow Airport

Glasgow Airport exterior
Image: Glasgow Airport

Glasgow Airport is around 8 miles from Glasgow city centre. Cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Belfast, Dubai and much more are served from here.

Glasgow Airport Website

Travelling from Glasgow Airport to Glasgow City Centre

Find up to date travel information from Traveline Scotland

Buses run from the airport to Glasgow city centre 24 hours a day and operate every 10 mins. The journey takes around 25 minutes.

Glasgow Airport Taxis are located immediately outside the terminal building or can also be booked by calling +44 (0) 141 889 1813.

There is no railway link to Glasgow Airport. (yet!)

Glasgow Prestwick Airport

Glasgow-Prestwick-Airport-Car-parking-
Image: Glasgow Prestwick Airport

Glasgow Prestwick Airport is 32 miles South-West of the city. It is the main base for Ryanair flights.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport Website

Travelling from Glasgow Prestwick Airport to Glasgow city centre.

Prestwick Airport has its own train station which can. be reached via a walkway from the main terminal. There are four trains per hour on weekdays and the journey to Glasgow Central Station takes around 50 minutes. Click here for train information.

There is an early morning and late evening express bus service, the X99/X100, which takes an hour. You can book tickets here.

Edinburgh Airport

EDINBURGH AIRPORT PINK TOWER
Image Gareth Easton Photography

Edinburgh Airport is 39 miles from Glasgow and can be reached by bus, train, tram and taxi.

Scottish Citylink provides direct bus services from Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow’s Buchanan Bus Station every 30 minutes.

Or catch a bus or taxi to Edinburgh Haymarket and then catch a train to Glasgow Queen Street Station.

Lothian Buses provides public transportation to Edinburgh Airport with the Airlink100 express bus from Edinburgh city centre as well as local bus services.

By rail – Glasgow Queen Street Station provides the main rail link between Glasgow and Edinburgh, with 8 direct services per hour on weekdays.

There is a tram from Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City Centre where you can get a train from Haymarket Railway Station to Glasgow.

Edinburgh Airport Website

 

Rail

Glasgow Central station
Image: Network Rail

Glasgow has two mainline railway stations.   Glasgow Central Station links Glasgow by rail to all UK cities south of Glasgow. Glasgow Queen Street Station operates routes mainly to Central and Northern Scotland.

Average travel time by train from across the UK:

Station Average Journey Time
London 4 hours 10 mins
Birmingham 4 hours
Manchester 3 hours 30 mins
Liverpool 3 hours 40 mins
York 3 hours 30 mins
Edinburgh 50 mins

Glasgow Central Railway Station website

Glasgow Queen Street Railway Station website

ScotRail website – Scottish Railways.

 

Road

glasgow M8 motorway

Glasgow is easy to reach by road, mainly due to the foresight of the city fathers many years ago in building motorways.  The city is linked to Edinburgh with the M8, England on the M74, Stirling with the M80 and the West Coast of Scotland with the M77.

For travel information on roads visit Traffic Scotland

Sea

cairnryan

We can’t forget the sea.  Glasgow can be reached by sea and rail/road/bus from Belfast and Larne to Cairnryan or Troon.

Stenaline run crossings between Cairnryan and Belfast.

P&O Ferries run crossings between Larne & Cairnryan, as well as between Troon-Larne.

To get to Glasgow from overseas,  Ferries run from Rotterdam and Zeebrugge to Hull in the northeast of England, which is around 4 hours drive from the Scottish border, and from Amsterdam to Newcastle, around 2 hours 40 minutes drive from Glasgow.

From Rotterdam and Zeebrugge to Hull: P&O Ferries

From Amsterdam to Newcastle: DFDS Seaways

travel to glasgow

 

Glasgow Foodie
Author: Glasgow Foodie

Writes for here and Foodie Explorers website. Usually found napping.

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