Getting around in Glasgow

The airport bus 500 is the way to go.
There was a plan for a rail line but that is now abandoned.
There is a local bus into the city which takes an eternity, and another bus to Paisley Gilmour Street station for train.

But the 500 is the sensible route.

On this google maps the stop is outside the Duty Free Shop- https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Glasgow+Airport/@55.8639492,-4.431534,17z/data=!4m7!3m6!1s0x48884eb90111e0dd:0x24a888b519aa330b!4b1!8m2!3d55.8697587!4d-4.4332077!16zL20vMDFwbmxt?entry=ttu

Straight outside the terminal and you can't miss the purple double decker bus (it is called Stance 1- Stance is a Scottish word for bus stop).

The subway (locally known as the Clockwork Orange, because the trains are painted orange and it's a circular line) is only in the city centre, the suburban rail system is excellent. At both Queen Street and Central it leaves from 'Low Level' (underground) platforms, not the main line overground platforms.

Take the 500 to George Square/Queen Street station (the same place) and you'll get to wherever you need to be from there.

Hi, Garrison, as isn31c noted, the Airport Express bus (Bus 500) leaves from the airport at regular intervals. To find it, when you walk outside from the airport in Glasgow, turn left and continue down the walkway until you get to a taxi queue. Directly past the queue will be the Stance (stop) for the bus. It's a big purple bus (double decker) and you can't miss it if it's there. If it's not, just wait and one will be along presently.

Paying is easy - you can download the First Bus app and buy a ticket ahead of time to show the conductor, or just tap and pay with a credit card. Very easy. The ride takes about 20-25 minutes depending on traffic.

To figure out which stop you need to get off, you can use Google maps with the public transport option, which is pretty accurate (that's what I used) or use the First Bus app to plan your trip to the hotel.

Thank you isn31c and Mardee for this detailed information which will make our journey to Glasgow easier. Perhaps others will benefit as well.

Thanks also for explaining the term "Stance" which I'd seen, but didn't understand. Always more to learn!

Garrison

You can't miss the Airport Express, it's big and purple.

Some of the suburban rail lines do leave from the upper levels at the two stations. Not that familiar with Queen Street, but at Central these are the Inverclyde, Ayrshire lines, and to some destinations in Lanarkshire. However all the suburban lines are operated by ScotRail and they will have uniformed staff on the platforms and in the concours to give advice.

Garrison, I don't know if you are planning any day trips, but Stirling Castle is a short 30 minute train ride from Glasgow, and is well worth seeing just for the history and the views from the castle. The train to Stirling leaves from the Queen Street station, which is about a 15-20 minute walk from the Central Station. The town of Stirling also has some wonderful and historic sights worth seeing. I loved it here and would recommend a visit if possible.

I have copied and pasted the pertinent portions of the text above about the bus from the airport. I just have to say, when my twenty-three year old daughter read it, she said "we're riding the night bus!!!", which is a Harry Potter reference if there is anyone left that hasn't read the books/seen the movies.