Easiest way to/from GLA Airport to Edinburgh City Center
 

I seem to have a slight problem. I booked airfare to Edinburgh for this summer a while ago. The price was really good so I booked 3 tickets. I just checked my reservations as I had a feeling something was wrong and see they have changed my flight to/from Edinburgh to be to/from Glasgow. They never contacted me. I know Edinburgh is only about 1 hr 30 mins by train which I could change my last night in Scotland to be Glasgow instead of Edinburgh but my issue is with one of the tickets as my party is not all traveling home together. One of us is leaving a week earlier and I am not sure they will feel comfortable getting from Edinburgh city center to Glasgow airport by themself. I had planned on taking this person to Edinburgh airport the day they leave. Can anyone recommend the easiest way from Edinburgh City Center to Glasgow airport? I know this may seem odd but I had promised to take them to the airport myself so now looking for other options. The flight is also for 9 am if the time makes a difference for options. Thanks.

I'd contact the airline to see if the flights can be changed to either a more convenient time or to Edinburgh Airport. When an airline makes major changes to a reservation, you have options. You don't have to accept the change. Get in touch with them and see what other options exist. If nothing works, you may want to ask for a refund and find another solution.

I once flew into Glasgow and there was coach service directly to Edinburgh, but it seems to have been discontinued.

That's a real bummer. I've heard of flights changing departure times but never departure locations! Anyway, there is a bus # 500 that leaves Glasgow Queen Street Station ( the station one arrives at if departing from Waverley Station Edinburgh ) at regular intervals. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the airport.

I'd still call the airlines and find out what's going on. Very strange IMO.

I will call the airline tomorrow but trying to figure out some options before I make the call. They also changed the flight times along with the airport location. I've looked at their other flight options and the connection times aren't very desirable. If the 3rd person in my party was traveling home with me this wouldn't be a problem just a very slight inconvenience. I think getting to Edinburgh will be ok as we will all be together.

Renting a car for the return drop off would have been an option but they don't open early enough for a day rental. Canceling to book with another airline will add about $700 pp and don't want to cancel the trip if I can help it. I'll have to think about the two options before calling the airline unless there are other options that I haven't thought of.

Consider renting the car the afternoon before. A rental is, after all, a 24 hour day. Certainly less than starting over.

I once similarly had flights changed by the airline in Asia. I cancelled and spent quite a bit more on tickets with another airline. When I went to the office for my refund, the agent told me I should have spoken to them first, as they'd have booked us onto another airline, if necessary, to get us where we wanted to be and when. So when you speak to your airline, be as firm about it as possible and maybe they'll accommodate you on another airline if it's the only solution. Hope springs eternal.

Thanks MmePerdu. I'm just trying to think of alternatives before I make the call so I don't get locked into something I don't like. I could rent the car the night before but parking might be a problem. We are staying right on the royal mile. There is a car park and to be honest driving there makes me a little nervous. The last time I tired in the UK, I was nearly hit as someone ran a red light but I was able to stop. This was almost immediately after pulling out of the rental place. I know, I should get over it. Maybe if I can get the 3rd person upgraded to business or first class they won't mind. So thanks for that tip.

If it is an insecure traveler what I'd probably recommend is train from central Edinburgh to central Glasgow and then a cab to the airport. A lot less schelpping than w/ train to bus.

I wouldn't rent a car of you are staying in the Old Town. Driving is a bit easier in Edinburgh now than for the years the tram project had all of central Edinburgh torn up. But driving on the Royal Mile and through the city is still a royal pain.


BUT - that is a very early flight so what might be best is for that traveler (with or without you along for the ride) to travel to Glasgow/GLA in the late afternoon or early evening and stay in an airport hotel that night. You could all go to GLA and get him/her situated at the Premier Inn or wherever, then the other two could go into Glasgow for dinner and take a late train back to Edinburgh.

OH - meant to add. IF you do decide to rent a car . . . You can collect it at EDI very early in the AM. Say at 0500, since it only takes about an hour to drive EDI to GLA that would be early enough. Even 0600 would probably be OK.

Let us know how this turns out.

The train/bus thing is really easy. The 500 bus noted above from Queen St. station to the Glasgow airport is one of those airport shuttle type buses...no steps and places for luggage.

Citylink from Edinburgh to Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station and the Airport Flyer from Buchanan Bus Station to the Airport. Couldn't be simpler and avoids walk from Queen St Station to Buchanan St Station or being charged an arm and a leg for a taxi to the airport. Total journey time will not top two hours and price less than 20 pounds.

>>Total journey time will not top two hours and price less than 20 pounds.<<

True -- But I think the main issues are 1) the traveler doesn't want to do it alone or expects the OP to accompany him/her and 2) the morning flight and needing to be at GLA by 07:30

Ordinarily one wouldn't consider something so extravagant, but faced with the costs of ticket changes or the disruption of leaving early to spend nights elsewhere, etc -- how about a private car transfer? Not recommending you book anything without more research but this website produces a quote of approx 70 pounds for the trip -- at today's exchange rate, $100. Painful but not undoable, especially if you start a cookie jar fund now and stuff in some sacrificial money every week between now and June to offset the final blow. But I would shop around for quotes.

Sorry -- forgot the link I used to get an estimate. I used Royal Mile as the key word for a pick up location.

http://www.airporttaxis-uk.co.uk/Tra...13k1lfn0ug85t7

Thanks everyone. I haven't called the airline yet as I am still weighing things, so I'll check out that link sandralist. I have a few more months before the flight but I have an idea of what happened. The flight route was canceled. I still don't understand why no call or email as I read it was canceled on/around 24NOV2014. I might try and switch us all to connecting flights. Once I speak to my 3rd person, I'll call the airline to see what my options are. Either way I'll figure something out even if not ideal. I won't know until I call them but also don't want to call with an attitude as that won't help my cause.

I found the citylink but the earliest time is 13:00 (1PM) so not an option unless I was doing something wrong.

>True -- But I think the main issues are 1) the traveler doesn't want to do it alone or expects the OP to accompany him/her and 2) the morning flight and needing to be at GLA by 07:30<

First bus will get into Buchanan St at O6:25, GLA by 7AM. The time isn't an issue.

>I found the citylink but the earliest time is 13:00 (1PM) so not an option unless I was doing something wrong.<

Definitely doing something wrong. First bus out of Edinburgh will get into Buchanan Bus Station for 6:25 AM buses to GLA are every 15 mins and take no more than 20 minutes so getting into GLA by 7AM isn't a problem.

http://www.citylink.co.uk/timetables...nburgh_8pp.pdf

First departure Edinburgh at 5:15 arriving Buchanan Bus Stn 06:25

http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/glas...r=10&source=sp

Departure from Buchanan Bus Stn at 6:30, 45, 00, 15

Thank you uruabam for the links. If worse comes to worse this could be option. I am not sure why did find these links. Whatever I went to had me pick locations so I must have picked a location that was not at the bus terminal so I appreciate you posting these.

I do hope you still plan to have a chat with the airline. Choosing a flight that's inconvenient for some reason is one thing, but having an airline force it upon you is another. I hate getting up early, personally, and do what I can when I book flights to make sure I don't have to. I still believe you can require them to do better, though they may also do their best to wriggle out of their responsibility to you. Don't let them. Good luck.