Here is some travel information from the local chairs for getting to Glasgow and traveling to nearby places in Scotland before, during, and after CHI 2019 in Glasgow.
Getting to Glasgow
Glasgow is served by three airports: Glasgow Airport, Glasgow Prestwick Airport and Edinburgh Airport.
More information on destinations that connect directly with Glasgow Airport can be found here.
Getting to Glasgow city centre from Glasgow Airport (GLA)
By Bus
The bus between Glasgow Airport and the city stops right outside the main terminal building, so there won’t be any awkward changes where you need to move your bags from one bus to another. The Glasgow Airport Express service (500) is operated by First Glasgow and is the official bus service connecting the airport and the city centre in just 15 minutes.
- The express bus service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days per week at all times of the year (except Christmas Day). This means you’ll easily be able to get to and from the airport, no matter what time your flight.
- From the city: catch the Airport Express from Buchanan Bus Station, stance 46.
- From the airport: catch the Airport Express from stance 1.
- In the city, this service picks-up and drops-off at St Vincent Street (near Central Station), George Square (near Queen Street Station), and close to many popular hotels.
- A return ticket for the bus costs about £10 per adult.
- You can get your ticket on board or visit the Visit Scotland desks located in the domestic arrivals area.
- For further information you can contact First Glasgow on +44 141 420 7600, visit their website, or give their informative leaflet a read.
By Taxi
Glasgow Airport is eight miles to the west of Glasgow city and is within easy reach of the rest of Scotland. The airport is about 20 minutes drive from Glasgow city centre or two minutes from Paisley, the nearest town. The taxi rank is located at the front of the terminal building, a short walk from UK arrivals. Taxis are available 24 hours a day to any destination.
The taxi fare to Glasgow city centre is approximately £16.50. Longer journeys may be negotiated with the driver. Taxis are metered, but a list of charges is available at the taxi booking office next to the taxi rank. For assistance telephone Cab Fly.
You can also plan your journey to Glasgow Airport at Traveline Scotland.
Getting to Glasgow city centre from Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK)
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is served by its own railway station which is accessible by a covered walkway to/from the airport. Trains from Glasgow Prestwick Airport go to Glasgow Central Station. For timetable information visit here.
- There are four trains an hour to the airport (two an hour on Sunday)
- Journey time to Glasgow is approximately 45 mins.
- All passengers traveling to/from the airport receive 50% discount on the standard fare.
- If joining the train at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, show your flight confirmation to the train conductor when buying a ticket on the train (there is no ticket office at the airport).
There is also a dedicated taxi service outside the terminal. A taxi from the airport to the city centre will cost approximately £30. www.streamlinetaxis.com
Getting to Glasgow city centre from Edinburgh Airport (EDI)
Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow links services from all over the country and provides a simple route to the airport from other parts of Scotland.
Arriving By Train
Glasgow is served by two main train stations: Glasgow Central connecting the South, and Glasgow Queen Street, connecting the North and Edinburgh. There are more than 20 trains daily from London and great connections across the rest of the UK.
Arriving By Road
Glasgow is linked to Edinburgh by the M8, England by the M74, Stirling by the M80 and the West Coast of Scotland by the M77. For real time travel information on all of Scotland’s trunk roads, including cross-border information to the North of England, visit Traffic Scotland or use the Traveline Scotland app.
Getting to the Conference Venue
The Scottish Event Campus (SEC) is located in the west end of Glasgow, just outside the city centre. The campus is accessible by numerous transport options. From the city centre, the SEC is a five-minute taxi or short train ride from Glasgow Central Station.
For more, see: https://www.sec.co.uk/visitor-information/how-to-get-here
Getting to the PC Meeting at Glasgow University
Attending the PC meeting in December? See here for information about traveling to Glasgow University.
Traveling Around Scotland
Glasgow to Edinburgh City Centre
The cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh are well connected by train and bus (travel time approx. one hour), although these can be busy at peak times. The main train service between Glasgow and Edinburgh runs between Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley every 15 minutes. Other services call at Glasgow Central Station, but are less frequent and take longer.
Glasgow City Centre to St Andrews
Take the train from Glasgow Queen Street station to Dundee, Aberdeen or Dyce. This train will stop at Leuchars Station. Train tickets can be purchased at the station’s ticket office or from a machine on the station concourse. From Leuchars there are buses to St Andrews every 10 minutes at peak times and 20+ minutes until more or less midnight (service 99, 99A, 99B, 99C, 99D). Taxis are also available from right outside Leuchars Station.
Glasgow Airport to St Andrews
The bus is the most convenient way to travel from Glasgow Airport to St Andrews. The direct bus service (no transfers required) is Stagecoach X24. It travels to St Andrews bus station, the last stop on the service. The journey takes quite a while (more than three hours), but the buses are comfortable and have plenty of space for luggage.
A one way ticket is £14.50. Depending on the time of day, there may be slightly faster journeys traveling through Dundee, but these will require two or more transfers. For more information, see the Stagecoach website.
Edinburgh Airport to St Andrews
Edinburgh Airport (EDI) is closer to St Andrews than Glasgow. First, travel from Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh Haymarket train station. There are two ways of completing this journey:
- Take the Airlink (Service 100) bus, which departs from directly outside domestic arrivals. You can buy tickets at the Airlink Kiosk, on board the bus, or in advance at the Lothian Buses website. The journey will take around 30 minutes to Edinburgh Haymarket train station in the city centre. Airlink buses run 24 hours a day.
- Alternatively, from Edinburgh Airport you can get a tram to Edinburgh Haymarket train station. Trams run every 8 to 12 minutes and take 35 minutes.
From there, you can take a train to Dundee, Aberdeen or Dyce; these services will also stop at Leuchars Station. Train tickets can be purchased at the station ticket office or from a machine on the station concourse. From Leuchars there are buses to St Andrews every 10 minutes at peak times and 20+ minutes until midnight (Service 99, 99A, 99B, 99C, 99D).
Alternatively, you can travel from Edinburgh Airport to St Andrews via Halbeath Park & Ride. Take the 747 Airport bus from Stance G outside the airport to Halbeath Park & Ride (operated by Stagecoach buses and running every half hour). Then transfer to the Stagecoach X24 or X59 bus to St Andrews. This normally takes no more than two hours, requires fewer transfers, is cheaper, and generally less busy. You can buy a single ticket from the airport to the destination (called a Fife Day Rider). If you take the trains, buses and tram you will need at least 3 tickets from three different companies, although it is faster.
Glasgow to Loch Lomond
There are two main train services that will take you to Loch Lomond:
- Glasgow to Balloch: A direct line from Glasgow Queen Street and the journeys takes around 50 minutes and runs approximately every 30min.
- Glasgow to Oban/Fort William: The West Highlands Line is extremely scenic. Get off at Tarbet and Ardlui to connect with Waterbus services across Loch Lomond to the eastern shores and the West Highland Way, Ben Lomond and Balmaha.
Glasgow to Stirling
There is a direct train from Glasgow to Stirling which departs Glasgow Queen Street and takes approximately 30 minutes. The M80 motorway runs between the two cities and the journey takes about 30-35 minutes by car, but it can be much longer at rush hour. The First Bus X36 service runs from Glasgow Buchanan Street to the bus terminal in Stirling; this is close to the train station in Stirling. Both the train and bus service will leave you a short walk from Stirling Castle.
We hope this is helpful. If you have other queries, please send them directly to us by e-mail, and we’ll try to help you the best that we can.
Cheers,
Marilyn and Martin
Marilyn Lennon, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Martin Halvey, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Email: local@chi2019.acm.org
