Best way to travel from London to Glasgow
Travelling from London to Glasgow
Situated on the River Clyde, Glasgow is one of the best cities in the UK and the ideal place for a weekend break. Over the last few years, Glasgow has transformed from an industrial city to the cultural hub of Scotland. Home to fascinating museums, leafy parks and vibrant venues, Glasgow is brimming with personality.
When considering a trip from London to Glasgow, there are various modes of transport to choose from, including train, plane, coach and car. Unsure which is the best option to take? We’re here to give you all the information you need!
If you’re travelling from London to Glasgow, you’ll travel from one side of the country to the other, covering over 345 miles on your way. When trying to choose the best option for you, there’s a lot to consider, including price, journey time, CO₂ emissions and more.
To make your decision simpler, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide on the best way to travel from London to Glasgow.
What's in this guide?
Comparing travel from London to Glasgow
When choosing the best way to travel from London to Glasgow, there are lots of factors to consider. We've put together a guide for each mode of transport to make your decision simpler.
| Transport | Price | Duration | CO₂ emissions | First/last departure time | First Class | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train | From £32.80** | From 4 hours and 29 minutes | 22.7kg* |
04:27 23:50 | From £109.70 | Free WiFi, at-seat catering, access to an onboard entertainment system, comfortable seating, onboard shop, charging sockets, quiet coaches, tables, priority seating, reserved seating, plenty of legroom, generous luggage storage, bike storage |
| Plane | From £24.00 | Around 4 and a half hours including check-in times and travel to/from the airport | 158kg* |
07:25 23:10 | Depends on airline | Luggage storage |
| Car | Depends on petrol prices | From 7 hours | 74.8kg* | Anytime | n/a | n/a |
| Coach | From £14.90 | From 9 hours | 17.3kg* |
08:30 22:30 |
n/a | Free WiFi, power sockets, air conditioning |
Surprised by those CO₂ emissions? Find out more about I came by train - a collective movement to help fight climate change. Because switching to train is one of the single best things you can do to lower your CO2 emissions.
Travelling from London to Glasgow by train
Looking for a quick, simple and low-cost way to travel from London to Glasgow? Take the train! Compared to plane and car, the train is a far more environmentally way to travel from London to Glasgow. Did you know? A single train journey from London to Glasgow emits 67% less CO₂ than by car and 86% less than by plane.
From start to finish, the journey from London to Glasgow by train takes just 4 hours and 29 minutes on the fastest high-speed services. As there are around 46 direct trains running on this popular route each day, you can sit back and make yourself comfortable as you don’t need to worry about changing along the way.
If you’re travelling on this route, there are two services to choose from. If you decide to travel with London North Eastern Railway (LNER), you’ll board a train at London Kings Cross station. However, if you opt for Avanti West Coast, your journey will begin at London Euston station.
Once you’ve boarded the train, you can find your seat and look forward to the journey. As soon as you’re settled, you can begin to enjoy all the advantages of train travel. Use the power sockets to charge your devices and connect to the free WiFi to watch your favourite TV show, catch up on some work or engage with your friends on social media. If you’d like to relax, you could read a newspaper or book, or simply enjoy the breath-taking views of the Great British countryside.
Unlike travelling by plane, the train offers you the opportunity to sit back and enjoy the scenery. Once your train has departed, you’ll travel through the outskirts of London, through the heart of England and over the Anglo-Scottish border. If you decide to travel by train, make sure you book a window seat to take advantage of the best views.
If you prefer to travel in style, why not upgrade to First Class? You’ll enjoy all the onboard amenities of Standard Class, as well as an array of additional extras. Upgrade to LNER First Class and you’ll enjoy larger tables, reclining seats, plenty of legroom and complimentary food and drink. Also, while you’re waiting to board the train, you can relax in the First Class lounge at London Kings Cross station. With Avanti West Coast First Class, you’ll take advantage of bigger seats, a guaranteed table, onboard entertainment, complimentary food and drink, as well as access to the First Class lounge at London Euston station.
No matter who you travel with, your train will arrive promptly at Glasgow Central station, in the heart of the city. From here, you’re conveniently located close to Glasgow’s most popular sights!
Travel from London to Glasgow on the Caledonian Sleeper night train
Want to maximise your time in Glasgow? You can take the Caledonian Sleeper night train. Running six nights a week, the Caledonian Sleeper’s Lowlander route takes you from London Euston station to Glasgow Central station. Travelling on a sleeper train is a special experience, as you go to sleep in England and wake up feeling refreshed, in the heart of Glasgow. For a truly unique experience, upgrade to First Class and you’ll enjoy a complimentary breakfast, en-suite with shower and toilet, access to the station lounge and more.
Flying from London to Glasgow
Flying is the quickest way to travel from London to Glasgow, but it’s worth remembering that it’s also by far the least sustainable option. In fact, a single plane journey from London to Glasgow emits six times more CO₂ than taking the same journey by train.
If you decide to fly from London to Glasgow, you’ll travel with either EasyJet or British Airways. With EasyJet, you’ll fly from London Stansted, London Luton or London Gatwick airport. However, with British Airways, you’ll depart from London City, London Heathrow or London Gatwick airport. No matter which airport you fly from, you’ll have to make your way out of Central London to get there.
Generally, the flight times from London to Glasgow are around 1 hour and 20 minutes. However, you must also consider the time it takes to travel to the airport, as well as the time it takes to go through check-in, security and baggage control. Usually, airports recommend you arrive two hours before your flight. Then, once you’ve landed at Glasgow Airport, you’ll need to travel to the city centre, which will take at least 15 minutes. Once you’ve factored in everything, the total travel time to fly from London to Glasgow is around 4 and a half hours.
Taking a coach from London to Glasgow
If you’re looking for a simple and cheap way to travel from London to Glasgow, you could take the coach. Although coach travel technically emits the least amount of CO₂, the journey takes twice as long as train and plane.
On average, it takes around 10 hours and 40 minutes to get from London to Glasgow by coach, but the fastest services will take you there in around 9 hours. However, it’s worth noting that journey times vary depending on traffic conditions.
If you’re travelling on this route, National Express will pick you up from London Victoria Coach Station. Once you’re on board, you can sit back and relax as you don’t need to make any changes during your journey. After 9 hours of travelling, your coach will arrive at Buchanan Bus Station in the centre of Glasgow. Depending on which service you travel on, your coach may stop at various points along the journey, including Birmingham and Manchester. During your journey, you can enjoy the onboard amenities, including WiFi, air conditioning, power sockets, luggage storage and toilets.
Driving from London to Glasgow
If you have a car, or plan on hiring one, you could drive from London to Glasgow. Although, you need to remember that driving from London to Glasgow emits three times more CO₂ than taking the train. Driving is a flexible choice of transport, as you can leave from anywhere at any time and stop anywhere along the way. Although, it’s worth considering that the drive from London to Glasgow is around 400 miles and on a good day with stopping, you’re looking at a 7-hour drive.
If you’re driving, you won’t be able to sit back and soak in the views or enjoy benefits such as free WiFi or a catering service. Also, in terms of price, you’ll need to factor in petrol prices and parking. London and Glasgow are two of the UK’s busiest cities, so driving can be challenging and parking can be expensive.
What is the best way to travel from London to Glasgow?
Planning a trip from London to Glasgow and want to choose a quick, cheap and sustainable option? Choose train!
Travelling by train emits significantly less CO₂ than other modes of transport, like plane and car. In fact, research shows that travelling by train to Glasgow emits around 22.7kg in CO₂, whereas the car emits 74.8kg and the plane emits a huge 158kg in CO₂. Although coach emits less CO₂ than train, the journey is twice as long.
There’s no doubt about it, if you want to travel from London to Glasgow, train is the way to go!
Fact: By choosing to travel from London to Glasgow by train instead of car or plane, you save a whopping 67% and 86% of CO₂ respectively. We think that's pretty amazing!
Things to see and do in Glasgow
Famed for its nightlife, museums and football teams, Glasgow is the perfect place to visit, whatever the weather! From the colourful flowers of Glasgow Botanic Gardens to the gothic architecture of Glasgow Cathedral, there are so many things to see and do in this city!
Frequently Asked Questions
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* CO₂ calculations are based on:
Plane = Domestic flight with radiative forcing 0.24455 kg CO₂/passenger km
Car = average petrol car 0.17363 kg CO₂/km / 1.5 (average loading for cars based on DFT statistical data set for vehicle mileage and occupancy) = 0.1157533 kg CO₂/passenger km
Train = National Rail 0.0351 kg CO₂/passenger km
Conversion factors are all scopes published by the UK Government
**Average savings on fares booked prior to day of travel vs full price fares on day of travel in the UK. Subject to availability. Excludes coach.
Prices and flight times collected from Skycanner and Kayak on 04/08/22