Distance between airport and main train station in Glasgow?
Apr 4th, 2007, 09:06 AM
#1
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Distance between airport and main train station in Glasgow?
Hi all,
I will be flying in to Glasgow from Germany and from there taking a train to Edinburgh. I have booked the flight already - it arrives at 8:40 in the evening. What I'm wondering is how far apart are the airport and the main train station? I'd like to book my train tickets ahead of time but without knowing how long it will take to get there, its really hard to do!
If anyone could provide me any information as to how long I could expect it to take to get from the Glasgow airport to the main train station and HOW I can do this, I would much appreciate it. Thanks!
I will be flying in to Glasgow from Germany and from there taking a train to Edinburgh. I have booked the flight already - it arrives at 8:40 in the evening. What I'm wondering is how far apart are the airport and the main train station? I'd like to book my train tickets ahead of time but without knowing how long it will take to get there, its really hard to do!
If anyone could provide me any information as to how long I could expect it to take to get from the Glasgow airport to the main train station and HOW I can do this, I would much appreciate it. Thanks!
Apr 4th, 2007, 09:20 AM
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Glasgow Internation airport is 15 km or about 9 miles; buses take 25 mins to the Buchanan Street bus station, which i believe is near the two major stations in Glasgow. Buses run every 15 minutes in day; every 30 at night.
There are 2-3 trains an hour from Glashow Queen St station to Edinburgh and fare is so cheap i wouldn't worry about getting tickets in advance. These are basically commuter trains and you should never have a problem getting on. Plus you don't know exactly when the plane would land. I'd just go to station and buy ticket. Or maybe there is a direct bus from airport to Edinburgh that would be quicker and cheaper.
Note the above is for Glasgow International and not Prestwick which is much farther out.
There are 2-3 trains an hour from Glashow Queen St station to Edinburgh and fare is so cheap i wouldn't worry about getting tickets in advance. These are basically commuter trains and you should never have a problem getting on. Plus you don't know exactly when the plane would land. I'd just go to station and buy ticket. Or maybe there is a direct bus from airport to Edinburgh that would be quicker and cheaper.
Note the above is for Glasgow International and not Prestwick which is much farther out.
Apr 4th, 2007, 09:24 AM
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Errrr....guess I should have specified - I was asking about Prestwick. I didn't know there were two airports in Glasgow! Good to know though 
Ok, so same questions apply but to Prestwick...
Ok, so same questions apply but to Prestwick...
Apr 4th, 2007, 09:29 AM
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Here is link to the Prestwick airport website which has details of transport options between Prestwick and Glasgow & Edinburgh.
http://www.gpia.co.uk/
http://www.gpia.co.uk/
Apr 4th, 2007, 09:36 AM
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We'll be doing something similar this summer but haven't yet decided if we'll go Glasgow-Edinburgh by bus or by train.
The following site has a journey planner that may help you--
www.travelinescotland.com
Apr 4th, 2007, 09:36 AM
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Prestwick has train service from the airport to Glasgow Central Station, a few blocks from Queen St Station. The airport is 61 km from Glasgow or about 37 miles - trains take 45 mins and leave every 30 mins; hourly on Sundays.
Buy a ticket from the airport to Edinburgh if possible or buy both tickets there to save time.
Apr 4th, 2007, 09:55 AM
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Strictly speaking there's no such thing as "Glasgow International Airport"; GLA is Glasgow Airport, or as its owner BAA calls it, "BAA Glasgow". Prestwick (PIK) is "Glasgow Prestwick International Airport". It does matter which one you're flying into! If you're on Ryanair, you'll be arriving at Prestwick.
From Prestwick, you can get a First Scotrail train (Route 8) to Glasgow Central station (do not get on a train to Stranraer in the opposite direction!) and thence to Edinburgh, or you can take a bus to Glasgow Buchanan Street bus station (about an hour) and walk a short distance to Queen Street.
From GLA, it's as PalenQ says. The bus number from the airport to Buchanan Street is 905. Or you can take the bus the short distance to Paisley Gilmour Street station and catch the same train to Glasgow Central as you would have from Prestwick, or others besides (eight trains an hour versus one at Prestwick).
From Prestwick, you can get a First Scotrail train (Route 8) to Glasgow Central station (do not get on a train to Stranraer in the opposite direction!) and thence to Edinburgh, or you can take a bus to Glasgow Buchanan Street bus station (about an hour) and walk a short distance to Queen Street.
From GLA, it's as PalenQ says. The bus number from the airport to Buchanan Street is 905. Or you can take the bus the short distance to Paisley Gilmour Street station and catch the same train to Glasgow Central as you would have from Prestwick, or others besides (eight trains an hour versus one at Prestwick).
Apr 4th, 2007, 10:36 AM
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Fnar- i just copied the Glasgow International from Thomas Cook Timetable 5, airport connections and for all the airports i know they seem to have the proper names.
That said i know you're right and Cooks in wrong - I guess it's not the bible it's touted as being, even though it's a U.K. operation - maybe German owned but i don't know how it's related to Thomas Cook Travel, which was bought by German interests - maybe the timetable operation was split and it still English owned?
That said i know you're right and Cooks in wrong - I guess it's not the bible it's touted as being, even though it's a U.K. operation - maybe German owned but i don't know how it's related to Thomas Cook Travel, which was bought by German interests - maybe the timetable operation was split and it still English owned?
Apr 4th, 2007, 03:09 PM
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I have no idea. I'm just going by their own corporate website. Wikipedia says "Glasgow International Airport", but WP can be wrong. The corporation presumably knows what it's called. Of course, there's a bit of a rivalry with Prestwick; they both seem to spend an inordinate amount of space bragging about the various ways in which they are bigger (GLA has more passengers, Prestwick more land). God, there's probably some kind of Rangers-Celtic angle there too that I don't know about (though I did fly into Prestwick once from London Standsted with a planeload of beefy red-faced Rangers shirt-wearers).
Apr 4th, 2007, 04:08 PM
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Erin464,
The quickest way to make the journey from Prestwick to Edinburgh would probably be to take the train from Prestwick Airport to Glasgow Central & then take another train from Glasgow Queen St. to Edinburgh.
But....
I'm trying to put myself in your shoes, arriving in a strange city late at night. If you want to travel by train on any part of your journey it will involve having to transfer across Glasgow city centre - either from Glasgow Central train station to Queen St. train station (if you get the train up from Prestwick) or from Buchanan Bus Station to Queen St. train station (if you get the bus up from Prestwick).
It's not far from either Glasgow Central or Buchanan Bus Station to Queen St but, as I say, it might not be such a great idea for you to try it late at night if you don't know were you're going.
If I were you, I would do the whole journey by bus i.e. take the bus from Prestwick to Buchanan Bus Station & then another bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Edinburgh. It will take a bit longer it terms of actual journey time but at least you would only have to go from one bus stance to another within the bus station itself.
As far as I'm aware the stance for the incoming Prestwick bus is pretty close to the stance for the outgoing Edinburgh bus so you should be able to make your way from one to the other without too much trouble.
Jim
The quickest way to make the journey from Prestwick to Edinburgh would probably be to take the train from Prestwick Airport to Glasgow Central & then take another train from Glasgow Queen St. to Edinburgh.
But....
I'm trying to put myself in your shoes, arriving in a strange city late at night. If you want to travel by train on any part of your journey it will involve having to transfer across Glasgow city centre - either from Glasgow Central train station to Queen St. train station (if you get the train up from Prestwick) or from Buchanan Bus Station to Queen St. train station (if you get the bus up from Prestwick).
It's not far from either Glasgow Central or Buchanan Bus Station to Queen St but, as I say, it might not be such a great idea for you to try it late at night if you don't know were you're going.
If I were you, I would do the whole journey by bus i.e. take the bus from Prestwick to Buchanan Bus Station & then another bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Edinburgh. It will take a bit longer it terms of actual journey time but at least you would only have to go from one bus stance to another within the bus station itself.
As far as I'm aware the stance for the incoming Prestwick bus is pretty close to the stance for the outgoing Edinburgh bus so you should be able to make your way from one to the other without too much trouble.
Jim
Apr 4th, 2007, 04:30 PM
#11
JJBhoy is heading you in the right direction. But I'd make a slightly different suggestion. You will not be on a bus or train to Glasgow until 10:00 p.m. or even a bit later.
If it were me - I'd get a room at a hotel at Prestwick. And then the next morning after a good night's sleep follow what JJBhoy suggested
If it were me - I'd get a room at a hotel at Prestwick. And then the next morning after a good night's sleep follow what JJBhoy suggested
Apr 4th, 2007, 05:02 PM
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I was under the impression that some of the trains from Glasgow to Edinburgh leave from Glasgow Central Station? I'm pretty sure that when I was leaving Edinburgh by train to Glasgow this summer I had to make sure I got on the right train, as one was going to Queen Street (easy walk to my lodging) and the other - by a slightly longer route - was going to Glasgow Central.
For the record, I agree with janisj - stay at Prestwick for the night and start for Edinburgh early the next morning. I don't like Buchanan Bus Station late at night.
For the record, I agree with janisj - stay at Prestwick for the night and start for Edinburgh early the next morning. I don't like Buchanan Bus Station late at night.
Apr 5th, 2007, 03:16 AM
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Yes, some trains go from Central but not many, and they finish quite early. They also take longer (c. 1hr 15min inmstead of 50min) but I don't think that would be so important if there was one late enough - but I don't think there is.
Apr 5th, 2007, 04:20 AM
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Important-please note that you will get half-price fares from Prestwick airport to anywhere in Scotland on production of your flight docs - I just wave my boarding pass stub at the ticket man on the train.
(no ticket office at station)
This still applies if changing trains, so you can buy half price tickets all the way from Edinburgh.
Trains are every half hour & take 45 mins to Glasgow Central.
(no ticket office at station)
This still applies if changing trains, so you can buy half price tickets all the way from Edinburgh.
Trains are every half hour & take 45 mins to Glasgow Central.
Apr 5th, 2007, 06:51 AM
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Thank you all for your help! I have been looking at the website www.nationalrail.co.uk and I can see that the last train from Glasgow to Edinburgh departs at 11:30 pm. But what I can't tell is what station it departs from. Maybe someone more familiar with the website can fill me in?
As much as I understand your recommendations to stay overnight in Glasgow (and believe me, I considered it too), I don't want to waste any valuable time the next day travelling. We are only in Edinburgh for that one day and heading on to Aberdeen later that night (Aberdeen is where I'll be living, so I guess I should become more acquainted with the UK rail website!)
...that said, if anyone can help me figure out what station the train to Edinburgh departs from, that would be a great help in figuring out where I need to go! Thanks again!
As much as I understand your recommendations to stay overnight in Glasgow (and believe me, I considered it too), I don't want to waste any valuable time the next day travelling. We are only in Edinburgh for that one day and heading on to Aberdeen later that night (Aberdeen is where I'll be living, so I guess I should become more acquainted with the UK rail website!)
...that said, if anyone can help me figure out what station the train to Edinburgh departs from, that would be a great help in figuring out where I need to go! Thanks again!
Apr 5th, 2007, 07:19 AM
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To see the specific station, look at details.
How would taking a taxi from Prestwick to Queen Street station work, Scottish experts? That would simplify the trip. Shouldn't be much traffic at this time of night. Too expensive?
Erin, if you will be renting a car, you could pick it up in Glasgow and drive to Edinburgh.
How would taking a taxi from Prestwick to Queen Street station work, Scottish experts? That would simplify the trip. Shouldn't be much traffic at this time of night. Too expensive?
Erin, if you will be renting a car, you could pick it up in Glasgow and drive to Edinburgh.
