Travelling Glasgow to London

I’ve been down to London quite a few times and I’ve tried out different ways to get there. There are pros and cons to each but the main things I am looking at are price and ease of travel. Keep reading to hear my opinion about travelling from Glasgow to London by train, plane, and car.

1. Train

This can vary depending on where in London you want to go. The first couple of times I went down I was going to the outskirts, which meant that I had to get three trains to get there. This was time consuming, expensive, and difficult considering at the time I was on crutches and had a suitcase with me. There were also delays which meant that I missed my transfers and had to rearrange everything. Then, because I was booked onto the alternative trains at the last minute, I didn’t get a seat and had to stand with my crutches or sit on the floor. I got there in one piece, but was exhausted, sore, and disappointed considering how much money the journey had cost me and the fact that it had taken up a whole day of my trip. This journey would take up about 7 hours, have between 2 and 4 transfers, and costs around £150 for one-way.

However, it is much easier to get into the centre of London, with a direct train running between Glasgow Central and Kings’ Cross Station. This is much quicker at only about 4 hours and, if you book online in advance, you can get a one-way ticket from as little at £30! As it is direct it also means that you can settle down for the 4 hours and relax, read, or even sleep. You can also specifically book a quiet carriage if you are hoping to sleep or get some work done. I did this as I have anxiety and was also planning on reading for the journey. It was much more relaxing and I would definitely do it again.

2. Plane

Each time I have travelled Glasgow to London by plane it has been very hassle free. The flight itself is only about an hour and a half, so you are in and out of the airports in less than 3 hours if you include the arrival and departure. And it will only cost you around £30 one-way. The only issue with this is that it doesn’t take you directly into the centre.

However, there are plenty of ways to get to the centre from the airports. A taxi will be very expensive but is the easiest way to get to where you need to be. There are the buses and, from some airports, the underground. However, if you do not know your way or have a lot of luggage this may not be ideal, although it is the cheapest option. An alternative is that some of the airports have trams or other direct links to the city centre. These are slightly more expensive, but still much cheaper than a taxi and are very simple to use. This is how I prefer to get from the airport from the centre, and from there I can get to anywhere using the underground! These generally cost less than £20 and are available to purchase online or from the airport once you arrive.

3.  Car

I know what you’re probably thinking: “Why would you drive that whole distance if the other options are quicker and easier?”

There are some downsides to driving. The drive itself is at least 7 hours, and then you have to add in breaks and petrol/food stops. You would definitely have to take regular breaks if driving this far, and so that can take the journey up to about ten hours! Depending on your car model, this can cost around £100 in fuel (remember that this could be for multiple people in the car though, so split the cost). You would also have to make sure that your car was up to the journey, checking oil levels, tyres, etc.

If you are going to the outskirts of London or would like to have your car to travel whilst you are there then this is a great idea. However, if you are going to the centre then I doubt that you will touch your car, as it is so much easier to travel by public transport (the London Underground amazes me). Another pro of driving there is that you are not restricted by luggage. When we drove down it was for a family birthday, and so we had a cake and lots of other stuff with us. The car make it much easier to transport all of this, and it also meant that we could leave when we were ready and take the journey at our own pace. We got comfortable with blankets and, if you’re lucky enough to have multiple drivers, you can even split the journey between you. It also allows you to drive directly to where you are going and not have to worry about transfers and transporting luggage.

I can’t say which mode of transport is best – it all depends on you and the journey that you are making. But hopefully this will give you an idea of the pros and cons of each one and help you in planning your trip.

Have you had any good/bad experiences travelling from Glasgow to London, or do you have a preferred method not mentioned here?