Transportation in Glasgow
It takes only five minutes to walk west from Central Station to the business district or east to the Merchant City for food and drink. For city attractions, hop on the underground for a 10-minute ride to the West End, or take a bus to the South Side. Places to see are scattered across the city centre, West End and South Side, but reliable and easy-to-use public transport means everything is accessible. If you want to take a trip out of town, suburbs to the north lead to nature reserves and the Highlands foothills. Shops, theatres and nightlife are in the city centre, which merges into the Merchant City, home to some of Glasgow's grand buildings, such as the Gallery of Modern Art in Royal Exchange Square. The West End has an artistic vibe around Oran Mor, a live music and entertainment venue at the top of Byres Road, and the South Side has parks and museums aplenty.
Read more about transport from and to the airport
Underground
Glasgow's circular underground service, known as the ‘subway‘, or more colloquially still as the "Clockwork Orange" in a nod to the colour of the carriages, is one of the quickest and easiest ways to get around.
Taxi
Catch black cabs at stations and taxi ranks on the street or hail one on the street. Reliable mini-cab and private hire taxis operate in the city.
Bus
Handy to get to areas outside the city centre, such as the South Side for the Science Centre and Burrell Collection, but often busy, especially in rush hours.
Foot
To get around the city centre, arm yourself with an easy-to-follow map and hit the streets. Main shopping streets, such as Buchanan and parts of Argyle and Sauchiehall, are pedestrianised. In the Merchant City and West End, walking is the best way to explore the cobbled lanes and alleyways.
Riverboat
Long neglected, the River Clyde has been brought back to life with regeneration along the shoreline and a daily ferry service runs between the slipways at Renfrew on the south bank and Yoker on the north. The service runs daily except Christmas. There is no fixed timetable, instead the crew sails on demand when they see passengers waiting.
Rent your car
You can drive right across Glasgow on the M8 motorway, but in the city centre be prepared to navigate your way round its one-way system, particularly around Sauchiehall Street. There’s some on-street metered parking but make sure you have a valid ticket at all times to avoid fines.
Transportation Tips
You can buy an All-day Ticket for First Bus services from drivers on the day of travel. A Roundabout Ticket, from train stations, gives unlimited use of the local train and underground network. A Discovery Ticket offers unlimited travel on the underground only. A Daytripper Ticket one-day family travel pass is valid on trains, underground, buses and some ferries in Strathclyde. Driving in the city centre's one-way streets is tricky, but in the outskirts it's easy and parking is not a problem.
