Getting to Glasgow from Edinburgh

Take the train from Edinburgh to Glasgow.
Had enough of Edinburgh? Just want to take a break? Why not take a daytrip to the city of Glasgow?

How does one get to Glasgow from Edinburgh, and how much does it cost? An excellent question, and the answers are quite varied. Step one is getting down to Waverly Station. Almost every bus stops on Waverly Bridge, so no matter where you are, you can get there without much fuss. If you're near the city centre, just walk. It's your best bet. Now you have to find the ticket sales office. I recommend the automatic machines, as you avoid all the lines, and can check all your options without feeling rushed.

Right away three options present themselves, for your day trip: a single day return, a single day return off peak hours, and a single day return National Express lines only. The final option also has peak / off peak options. So what is best for you?

Straight away you'll see that the off peak hours are much cheaper. For the normal lines it's thirteen pounds return, instead of eighteen. And if you want the National Express only line, it's only seven pounds off peak.

So why get the more expensive tickets? If you want to leave Glasgow between four thirty p.m. and six fifteen p.m. then you will want to avoid the off peak hours ticket, but if you do plan on spending the day there, then save your money and stock up on IRN-BRU instead. It'll keep you hydrated on the trip across: four cans from the pound shop. Much cheaper than on the cart.

You'll notice the National Express is even cheaper, but be warned – they run every two hours, so the soonest one you can get is around 8:20 p.m. if you have the peak hours ticket.

Again, I recommend the off peak hour return ticket to Glasgow Central / Glassgow Queen Street Station.

Again, what does this mean? Well Glasgow has a great many train stations, and checking your handy schedule pamphlet you will want to find the best for you. You didn't grab a schedule? Ohh, well there's a big rack right best the ticket machines. Just pick two up. One for Edinburgh -> Glasgow Central and one from Edinburgh -> Glasgow Queen Street. Central station is more convenient, but the Queen Street station is only a three minute walk from the downtown area, and instead of once an hour, trains come and go between the two largest cities in the country every fifteen minutes.

Leaving from Queen Street Station, you can get out of Glasgow at 6:30, and be back in Edinburgh a few minutes before 7:30. At less than an hour each way, and at a price that's right, this is a day trip you won't want to miss.