Glasgow by car · Glasgow by car
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Glasgow by car
Glasgow by car
The main approaches to Glasgow are the following:
from England on the M74 motorway; Glasgow is about 150 km north of the border
from Edinburgh (east) or Glasgow Airport (west) on the M8 motorway
from Stirling and all points north and east on the M80 motorway
from the West Highlands on the A82 dual carriageway
Note - in 2011 the M74 Extension was completed, now allowing an alternative route into the city centre via the South Side. As of November 2011, many GPS services still do not recognise the new route, and therefore bear this in mind if using sat-nav to navigate your way into the city
All routes converge on the M8, which carves through the city centre. Glasgow has no credible park-and-ride system, but some of the subway and suburban railway stations do have small car parks. There are several expensive multi-storey car parks near the motorway in the city centre. The NCP ones are the most expensive, while those run by the city council are a lot cheaper. Those run by the city council are Concert Square (near the Royal Concert Hall), Cambridge Street (just off the pedestrianised area of Sauchiehall Street) and Charing Cross. There is also one on Cadogan Square, part of the old Anderston Centre complex, but this is closed on weekends and is in a fairly unwelcoming part of the city centre.
There is also the Shields Road Park and Ride site , which services the city centre.
In general, driving in Glasgow's central area should be avoided if you are not a confident driver, as there are one way systems, bus lanes and pedestrian precincts. Glaswegians are not the most patient drivers in the world, and they particularly dislike hesitancy (taxi drivers being the worst culprits). Parking restrictions are strictly enforced, and vehicles parked illegally or in an obstructive manner will be towed away and the owner of the vehicle will be liable for a £150 release charge to recover it. If, however, you are confident enough to hire a car or require it to save money on your travel, all the major rental companies and some lesser ones are at the airport. You should book your car rental in advance to avoid disappointment and can do so from price comparison companies such as Glasgow Airport Car Hire . Visitors from the United States and Canada should note that car rental companies will allocate you a manual transmission car by default, unless you specifically ask for an automatic.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Glasgow
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Glasgow - updated May 2024
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Glasgow Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.