Last Day in Glasgow, fly out of Edinburgh

I, personally, would not stay in Glasgow overnight out of an abundance of caution. You just never know what could happen on the motorway (freeway) next morning.
There is a citylink coach (the Air which runs all night, 1 hour from Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport, every hour through the night.
There is also the 900 which runs to central Edinburgh 1/2 hourly until midnight then hourly all night.
The last train back to Edinburgh Waverley doesn't leave until 2330 either.
So you can have a great night out in Glasgow and still get back easily, not being fussed about how much of a night owl you want to be.
The coaches are turn up and go, if you don't want to book.

Do Glasgow as a day trip on the train - not only does it save any worry about getting back to Edinburgh in time for the plane next day it also means you don't have to pack, unpack and pack again!

Thank you so much for the advice. Knowing we can head back fairly late is helpful and calms my worries about not making it to the airport the next day.

I'd pick Stirling ahead of Glasgow - and do a train based day trip

Both times that I’ve traveled to and stayed in Edinburg it was quite easy and convenient to take day trips to Glasgow. I took the train to Glasgow and also to the airport each time because my hotel was near the station. When researching options in 2019 bus service was available to/from the airport.

I don't know how anyone took the train to either Edinburgh or Glasgow airport, as neither has a railway station.

@isn31c Is it all bus schedules we should be looking at? I will look at the schedule links you posted. Are there less routes available on Sundays?

@Stuart (isn31c),

Be nice!

Mike (Auchterless)

To the OP- the bus schedules (at least on those routes) are the same 7 days a week (elsewhere in Scotland they differ)-

There are two main train lines between Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street- that via Falkirk High (this is the main line- it runs half hourly on a Sunday, 1/4 hourly on a weekday to Queen Street High Level), and that via Bathgate- which is also half hourly- to Queen Street Low Level. There are at least two other lines to Glasgow Central, but that is just over complicating the issue- they take quite a lot longer.
Really just take a train from Edinburgh which has its destination as Glasgow Queen Street (a Falkirk route train).
Keeps it very easy, which it is.
Usually there is always a train waiting at either end of the route.
You would normally use the train between the two cities if your hotel is in central Edinburgh, but the coach if your hotel is at EDI airport and/or if you are going to be in Glasgow "after the clock strikes 12".
Buy a return ticket at Edinburgh station. It is only 20 pence more than a single.
But if you are really enjoying your night out and miss the last train then there is always a coach back.

To Mike- I was being kind, but that is how people become confused, when posters write that they took non existent trains or buses.

The train is my preferred way of traveling between Edinburgh and Glasgow if going from city center to city center.

The bus if I'm going to or coming from the airport.

What hotel are you staying in in Edinburgh? If you are in the western edge of Edinburgh, you might be better off taking the train from Haymarket rather than Waverly. Smaller, easier station. And the late train from Glasgow stops there. Ticket prices are the same.

Thank you for the additional info. So train goes to Edinburgh stations but bus if we want direct to the airport;.

I think we will do the day trip to Glasgow by train, take it back to Waverley on one of the last goes. We are staying at Ten Hill Place Hotel so its a fairly close walk from there. We check out of our RS Tour hotel that day (Wilde Aparthotels Grassmarket) to Ten Hill on that day so hopefully we can find some luggage storage that day and just take our day packs with us.