Getting from Glasgow to London (and return)

Glasgow is the biggest city in Scotland and is located on the banks of the River Clyde. The third largest city in the UK remains an important industrial center, but over the years, the culture, architecture and music have gained a lot more importance. It is now a center of tourism, commerce and culture, being one of the most visited cities in the UK. Glasgow boasts one of the best shopping scenes outside of London.

With so many low cost carriers serving the UK cities, it’s not fast, easy and cheap to travel between them. But, many travelers prefer to take things slowly and choose to travel by land.

Quick summary

If you are on a budget and don’t mind spending 8h to 10 h in a bus, then this is definitely the best option to travel from Glasgow to London as fares start at £12.50 one way.
However, if you are in a hurry and don’t mind spending some money on transfer to/from the airports, then flying is a good choice. The flight time is 1h 10 min and the fares start at £34 on EasyJet .

Flights from Glasgow (GLA) to London

Glasgow is served by two airports located close to the city:

Glasgow International Airport (GLA): is an international airport, located 8 miles from the city center. It is the second busiest airport in Scotland, after Edinburgh and the eights busiest in the UK. It is hub for Loganair, as well as base for EasyJet, Flybe , Jet2 , BMI , Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomson Airways.
Flights from Glasgow to London are operated by: British Airways (Gatwick, Heathrow, London City) and EasyJet (Gatwick, Luton, Stansted).
During the shoulder season (late November 2011), expect to pay from £34 one way on EasyJet (to Luton – LTN). Should you plan to fly for the winter holidays, single fares start at £33 on the same airline. Similar single fare (from £32) can be found for spring on the same airline. The flight time is 1h 10 min.
Glasgow Prestwick International Airport (PIK): is the second international airport serving Glasgow and is located about 32 miles from the city center. Ryanair uses this airport as hub. There aren’t any flights to/from London.

Trains from Glasgow to London

Glasgow is served by two railway stations:

Glasgow Central: south of Scotland, England, southern suburbs
Glasgow Queen Street Station: Edinburgh, north of Glasgow

Trains to London depart from Glasgow Central and arrive at London Euston.

First Scot Rail runs trains from Glasgow Central to London Euston every 20 to 40 minutes, each day. The journey takes between 4 ½ h and 5h, depending on how many stops there are along the route. Trains from London Euston depart to Glasgow every hour. The cheap single standard ticket is £57.35 and the cheapest off peak return ticket is £114.70.

>>read more about the Railway Stations in London

Buses from Glasgow to London

Coaches from Glasgow to London are operated by:

Megabus : links Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station to London Victoria Coach Station. There are five departures a day and the travel time is between 9 h and 10 h, depending on the stops along the way and traffic. Single fare is £23.00.
National Express also links Glasgow to London Victoria Coach Station. There are also five departures per day and the fastest connection takes 8 h 20 min. Other connections take up to 10 hours. Single fare starts at £12.50 and depends on the date and time of travel.

Driving from Glasgow to London

There are three possible driving routes between Glasgow and London:

M6: 403 miles, 6h 50 min
M6 and M40: 415 miles, 7h
M1: 405 miles, 7 h 10 min

Regardless of which one you choose, make sure to plan some stops along the way.

The map shows the driving route also M6:

View Larger Map

Photo credits: Glasgow Airport , London Euston