Glasgow to Edinburgh: Best Ways to Travel

Glasgow and Edinburgh are only 47 miles apart along the M8, and thousands of people travel between them every day for work, football, concerts, flights and days out. The best way to do it depends on where exactly you're starting and finishing, how much luggage you have, and how many of you are travelling. This guide compares the train, the coach, driving yourself and a private car.

Quick comparison

Option	Journey time	Best for	Downsides
Train	around 50 minutes station to station	Solo travellers going centre to centre	You still need to get to and from the stations. Busy at peak times
Coach	1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes	Budget travel	Slower, and luggage space is limited
Driving yourself	about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes	Onward travel by car	City-centre parking in both cities is expensive and limited
Private car	about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes door to door	Groups, luggage, business travel, airport runs	Costs more than the train for one person

By train

The fastest direct service runs between Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley, and takes around 50 minutes. There are also slower services via Airdrie and Bathgate, and via Shotts, which are useful if you're starting from east Glasgow or West Lothian. Trains run frequently through the day.

The train is quick and good value for one person heading from centre to centre. It's less convenient if you're starting at Glasgow Airport, going to Edinburgh Airport, or carrying lots of luggage, because you'll need extra taxis, buses or trams at each end.

By coach

Scottish Citylink runs regular coaches between Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow and Edinburgh. It's usually the cheapest option but takes longer than the train, especially when the M8 is busy at rush hour. Coaches are fine for a day trip with a small bag.

Driving yourself

The M8 connects the two cities directly. Outside rush hour it's about an hour. But parking in central Edinburgh is limited and pricey, and Glasgow has a Low Emission Zone in its city centre, as does Edinburgh, so check your car meets the standards before you go. Unless you need the car afterwards, driving yourself rarely saves time or money for a city-to-city trip.

By private car

A private transfer takes you from door to door: hotel to hotel, office to office, or airport to wherever you're staying. With Cabslink the fare is fixed and agreed when you book, so M8 traffic doesn't change the price.

A private car makes the most sense when:

• You're flying. Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh, or Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow, is awkward by public transport and easy by car.
• You're a group. For three or more people, the cost per person gets much closer to the train, especially once you add taxis at each end.
• You're carrying luggage, golf clubs, sports kit or equipment for an event.
• You're travelling for business. You can take calls or prepare for a meeting in a quiet car, and invoices are straightforward.
• It's late. After evening concerts at the OVO Hydro or a big match, trains are packed and taxi queues are long.

See our Glasgow to Edinburgh and Edinburgh to Glasgow route pages for vehicle options and fixed prices.

How much does a private car cost?

Private car fares are fixed and cover the whole vehicle. From Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow city centre, guide fares are around £100 in a saloon, £135 in an MPV, £145 in an executive saloon and £195 in an eight-seater van. Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow Airport is around £110 in a saloon.

For four people, that saloon or MPV fare often works out close to four train tickets plus taxis at each end, and you go door to door. For a city-to-city quote, enter both addresses on our booking page and you'll see the fixed price before you pay.

Airport to city journeys

Two routes cause the most confusion:

• Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh: there's no direct train. The usual public-transport route is a bus into Glasgow or to Paisley Gilmour Street, then a train. By car it's around 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow: the airport sits on the west side of Edinburgh, close to the M8, so by car it's only 55 to 70 minutes to Glasgow city centre. By public transport you'd go into Edinburgh first, then back out again.

If you're arriving at one airport and staying in the other city, a direct transfer saves a lot of hassle. Read our Edinburgh Airport transfer guide for more.

Travelling for football, concerts and events

Glasgow hosts big events at Hampden Park, Celtic Park, Ibrox and the Scottish Event Campus (SEC and OVO Hydro). Edinburgh has Murrayfield, Easter Road and Tynecastle, and the Festival every August. On event days, trains and roads between the two cities fill up. Book early, and agree a pick-up point away from the stadium, where traffic is lighter after the final whistle. Our stadium transfers page has more on event travel.

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