We will be leaving Edinburgh for Glasgow on Saturday evening and there's a big difference in price for a train vs bus-bus is only 15 minutes longer ride. We will have luggage any suggestions which would be better to use?
Also in Glasgow should we buy Hop On Hop Off bus pass, take subway or Taxi/Uber? We will be in Glasgow for 3 nights but taking a day tour on the second day there.
Any suggestion are welcome TIA.
Marcia I made use of the HOHO bus on one of my days in Glasgow because it traveled to many places in my plan (Kelvingore museum, University of Glasgow, River Transportation museum). I just bought a one day pass and it was good for the next morning (24 hr pass). It was really nice to sit up on the higher deck to see all the wonderful architecture of Glasgow and when I was there (October 2022) the traffic wasn’t horrible.
For these locations you might want to check out the YouTube channels Steve Marsh and Planes, Trains, Everything. Both of them live in that area. They focus on details such as the types of questions you are asking and how to do things without breaking the bank.
Take either. It doesn't matter.
The big difference is that on the £16 train fare, you can take any train that day and break journey if you want- at Falkirk for instance, or Linlithgow.
The £4.30 + booking fee you are tied to that particular bus. So your plans are inflexible.If you are OK with that, and are price sensitive go for the bus. Most of the seats are upstairs.
Don't expect your bus to be Megabus liveried- it might be but is far more likely to be in blue and yellow City link livery.
Even if you buy the more expensive tickets from City link it is a specific timed departure you book, and the same buses (literally) you travel on. This is a code share route.
Mix and match your transit options in Glasgow to suit your plans. I think that Glasgow is a city where HoHo actually works, and works well.
The Glasgow Subway is useful for some tourist journeys (the Clockwork Orange as it is locally known). They are in the process of introducing a new fleet of trains- some old and some new presently.
You could just ride it for one circle, for the experience, even if not using it as actual transit.
Also many of the sights are in walking distance of each other. Walking has its own rewards for appreciating the built architecture.
Thanks for all the responses. I may wait until we get there to decide bus or train. We're going at the end of April and it may not be too busy at that time so hopefully neither train or bus routes will sell out.
If I remember correctly from 2022 there is a train about every half hour between Edinburgh and Glasgow. No fear of selling out.
In Glasgow we walked everywhere except a subway ride one morning to the Kelvingrove museum and a daytrip to Stirling Castle.
The trains can not physically sell out (and between the various routes there are 6 or more an hour, also on the two fast routes they are now long trains so there is lots of capacity) and with a bus every 15 minutes there is never any story of them selling out. If it's looking busy they apparently put duplicates on.
Was the subway to Kelvingrove Park easy to maneuver? And how was Stirling Castle? Was it better to visit Stirling Castle than Linlithgow Palace? I 've read the Palace is in ruins.
Was the subway to Kelvingrove Park easy to maneuver?
I'm sure Allan will agree that the subway is very easy to navigate in Glasgow. It's only one circular line.
It is indeed handy for going from the city centre to the west end and back.
The two main stations in the city centre are Buchanan Street and St. Enoch.
Kelvinhall is the nearest stop for Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (a must visit).
Hillhead station is on Byres Road, the heart of the west end for shopping, restaurants and the university.
Kelvinbridge station is on Great Western Road and is good for Kelvingrove Park.
The stops south of the river are maybe less useful to the visitor, but there's some interesting neighbourhoods nonetheless.
https://www.spt.co.uk/travel-with-spt/subway/maps-stations/
The city centre is eminently walkable and there's also a good network of city buses.
Stirling is worth a visit if you have time. Stirling Castle is up there with Edinburgh Castle as best castle to visit in Scotland.
I'm sure Allan will agree that the subway is very easy to navigate in
Glasgow. It's only one circular line.
I definitely will agree with that. It may be the most basic and simple subway I've ever ridden. Idiot proof would define it.
I can't speak for Lithgow Palace but Stirling Castle was our favourite stop in Scotland. We spent 6 hours there.
