Glasgow Getting Around

Getting from Glasgow's airports

The city is served by two international airports: Glasgow International in Paisley, 13 km west of the city, and Glasgow Prestwick International in Prestwick, 46 km to the south-west. The former is the busiest airport in Scotland and was the first airport in Scotland to handle over one million passengers in one month, whilst the latter serves low cost airlines. Both airports are served by a direct rail link from Glasgow Central railway station.

Buses

The city has many services and since bus deregulation most are provided by private operators.

Urban rail

Glasgow has the most extensive urban rail network in the UK outside of London, with services to a large part of West of Scotland. The North Clyde Line links the towns of Airdrie and Coatbridge on the eastern edge of the Greater Glasgow conurbation to the northern Clyde coast, principally to the towns of Helensburgh and Balloch.

Rail

Glasgow Central is the northern terminus of the West Coast Main Line, and is the busiest railway station in the UK outside London. The station serves all of the Greater Glasgow conurbation’s southern towns and suburbs, the Ayrshire and Clyde coasts, and is the terminus for all inter-city services from Glasgow to destinations south of the border.

Glasgow Queen Street is situated between George Street to the south and Cathedral Street Bridge to the north and is the main gateway to northern and eastern (Edinburgh) Scotland.

Subway

The Glasgow Subway – one of only three in the UK – was built in 1896 and comprises of just a single circular route. The trains are orange and as a result the line is often referred to – by guidebooks, not the locals – as the ‘Clockwork Orange’.

Water

A regular service links the city centre with Braehead in Renfrewshire, 30 minutes downstream. The only operational dock left in Glasgow is operated by the Clyde Port Authority is the King George V Dock.

Seaplane

A service connects the city with destinations in Argyll and Bute.