Arriving & Departing

By Plane

Glasgow International Airport (tel. 0870/040-0008 or 0141/887-1111) is at Abbotsinch, near Paisley, only about 16km (10 miles) west of the city via M8. Regular Glasgow CityLink bus service runs to and from the city center, terminating at the Buchanan Street Bus Station. The ride usually takes only about 20 minutes (but can be much longer at rush hour) and costs £5 ($9.25). A metered taxi to the city center costs about £17 ($31).

Monday to Friday, British Airways runs almost hourly shuttle service from London's Heathrow Airport to Glasgow. The first flight departs London at 7:15am and the last at 9:15pm; service is reduced on weekends, depending on volume. For flight schedules and fares, call British Airways in London at tel. 0870/551-1155 or log onto www.ba.com, which offers a slight discount on ticket prices.

The schedule of direct flights from North America is subject to change. In recent years, American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300 or 0845/778-9789; www.aa.com or www.americanairlines.co.uk) offered a daily nonstop flight to Glasgow from Chicago between mid-May and October, Continental has offered similar direct service from Newark International, and US Airways ran flights to Philadelphia. Air Canada has flown nonstop between Glasgow and Toronto.

BMI, formerly British Midland (tel. 0870/607-0555; www.flybmi.com), offers internal U.K. and international flights. Aer Lingus (tel. 800/223-6537 or 0845/084-4444 at Dublin Airport; www.aerlingus.ie) flies daily from Dublin to Glasgow.

South of Glasgow is Prestwick International Airport (tel. 0871/223-0700), favored by some of the low-budget airlines, such as RyanAir. It is on the railway line to Ayr, about a 45-minute (£5.70/$11) ride from Glasgow's Central Station. Remember, as well, that Edinburgh International Airport is not far away and should not be discounted as it greets many European and internal U.K. flights.

By Train

Trains from London arrive in Glasgow at Central Station in the heart of the city (National Rail Enquiries: tel. 0845/748-4950 for rail and fare info). The trains that directly link London and Glasgow (via Preston and Carlisle) on the West Coast Main Line don't have the same reputation for timeliness and efficiency as those going to Edinburgh do. The semiprivatized company responsible for railway maintenance, Network Rail, is spending literally billions to upgrade the line and create a faster service.

But work has been slow and while it's ongoing, travel is subject to delays. The trains (operated by Virgin; tel. 0845/722-2333; www.virgin.com/trains) on the West Coast Main Line depart from London Euston Station every hour or so, and the trip generally takes 5 1/2 hours these days. If you plan a trip on the West Coast Main Line, however, call and find out if any major "track works" are scheduled during your trip. If so, you can expect delays and the possibility of riding on a bus for a portion of the trip. Virgin prices, similar to all the U.K.'s train operating companies, are diverse and complicated. In general, you might get a one-way ticket for as little as £35 ($65) although the standard advance purchased ticket is more likely to be between £90 and £100 ($166-$185).

You might prefer trains -- run by operators GNER -- from London Kings Cross up the East Coast Main Line via Newcastle, Edinburgh, and across (via Motherwell) to Glasgow. The time it takes is about the same.

Central Station is also the terminus for trains from the southwest of Scotland and a hub for numerous trains to city suburbs in most directions. A 10-minute walk away (or via shuttle bus no. 398) is Queen Street Station. From here, a shuttle service to and from Edinburgh runs every 15 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes in the evenings until about 11:30pm. The one-way fare during off-peak times (travel after 9:15am and not between 4:15 and 6:30pm) is £8.80 ($16).

Trains to the north (Stirling, Aberdeen, and such Highland destinations as Oban, Inverness, and Fort William) -- as well as to Glasgow's suburbs -- also run frequently through Queen Street Station. Glasgow has the biggest commuter rail network in Britain after London.

By Bus

The journey from London to Glasgow by bus takes at least 8 hours. National Express (tel. 0870/580-8080; www.nationalexpress.com) runs buses daily (typically 9am, noon, and 10:30pm for direct service) from London's Victoria Coach Station to Buchanan Street Bus Station (tel. 0870-608-2608), about 2 blocks north of the Queen Street Station on North Hanover Street. The round-trip fare is £37 ($68), although cheaper if you book more than 7 days in advance. Scottish CityLink (tel. 0870/550-5050; www.citylink.co.uk) also has frequent bus service to and from Edinburgh, with a one-way ticket costing £3 to £5 ($5.50-$9.25).

By Car

Glasgow is 74km (46 miles) west of Edinburgh, 356km (221 miles) north of Manchester, and some 625km (388 miles) north of London. Motorways link London to Glasgow. From England and the south, Glasgow is reached by the M1 or M5 to the M6 in the Midlands, which becomes the M74 at Carlisle. The M74 runs north to southeastern conurbation of greater Glasgow, where drivers can link with the M8, which runs right through the city center before heading west. The M8 also links Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Other routes into the city are M77 (A77) from Ayr and A8 from the west (this becomes M8 around the port of Glasgow). A82 comes in from the northwest (the Western Highlands) on the north bank of the Clyde, and A80 also goes into the city. (This route is the southwestern section of M80 and M9 from Stirling.)