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Making Your Way Here Via
Glasgow International Airport
My one-stop guide to travel
via Glasgow International Airport
Here's my Top Ten Tips for getting to & from the Glasgow International Airport once you're here, and for ensuring your time actually in the airport doen't make your hair fall out...
Click on the tips below
1. CHEAP FLIGHTS TO & FROM GLASGOW - Don't break the bank booking flights - you don't need to!
2. AIRPORT ARRIVALS - Do a fast online check on the status of your flights
3. HOW TO GET TO & FROM THE AIRPORT - Travelling to & from the Airport? - Get the Bus
4. CHECK-IN & ARRIVALS - Relax & prevent nervous breakdown at Check-in or when coming off your flight
5. LUGGAGE TIPS - Know what to pack & what Security will pull you up for
6. DELAYS? HAVE FUN AT THE AIRPORT - It all starts here - Make your airport experience part of the fun of travelling
7. AIRPORT CAR HIRE - Find out the essentials on car hire & the only worthy rental firms
8. AIRPORT PARKING - If you've got a car, you'll want to know where to park
9. AIRPORT HOTELS - Scared of the City? Stay for cheap in the best airport hotels
10. AIRPORT MAP - Have a look around the airport before you get there
 Tip One - Don't break the bank booking flights - you don't need to!
I book flights in and out of Glasgow International Airport on a regular basis.
The first few times I tried to get decent deals flying from & back to Glasgow International Airport, it took me longer than my holiday actually lasted!
So to save you time & effort I've gathered some tips and recommendations learned along the way you might want to take a look at first, and I hope to save you time enough to pack!
One warning though if you're planning on saving money through budget airlines, if you're getting a connecting flight (especially from abroad), all budget airlines are point-to-point services.
Even if you're travelling on to Glasgow International Airport by the same airline via London Stansted, you should always leave at least 3 hours overlap at the connecting airport.
As I've learned in the past, the late arrival of one flight could leave you stranded on the second leg (even if it’s by the same carrier) - the budget airlines won’t wait, and you could find yourself buying another ticket for the second leg of your journey.
Read my Top Ten Glasgow Flights Guide
and keep your cash to spend on your trip.
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Tip Two - Do a fast online check on the status of your flights
Keep it simple - no need to phone the airport or wait decades trying to find the status of the flight you or your friends will be travelling on.
I use this quick online check for flights to & from Glasgow International Airport and it's reliable & up to the minute.
Glasgow Airport Flight Information
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Tip Three - Travelling to & from the Airport? - Get the Bus
Other than by sneaking a ride from relatives, the easiest & cheapest way of getting to & from Glasgow International Airport is by bus. Some folks prefer trains or taxi - I say save yourself some cash and hassle, because with this bus you'll find you won't be compromising much on comfort! Of course, if you have the cash, other forms of transport are available.
If you've just arrived in Scotland, collect your bags and make immediately for the exit at the main terminal building, following the yellow signs for the bus (you can't miss them).
Head for the bus stop bays 1 and 2 right outside if you're going into Glasgow or on to Edinburgh. Don't sweat it if there's no bus there yet, the only bus you'll really need is the Arriva Glasgow Flyer, which is a 24/7 service that replaced the old Citylink (or Fairline) number 905 or 950 Glasgow Airport bus in 2007, and looks a bit like the one below. It runs about every 15 or 30 minutes throughout the day and night, with greater frequency during the day, so I've found that you never need to wait long at all.
 The bus will take you from Glasgow International Airport into the City Centre & connects to Edinburgh from there. You're looking at around £3.90 (or £6.30 open return - compare this to about £16 for a taxi!) for the ride which will only take about 25 minutes. Just tell the driver where you're headed (they're usually quite friendly) and you'll be dropped off at the nearest point.
If you're leaving Glasgow (more's the pity), again your best bet is the Arriva Glasgow Flyer to Glasgow International Airport. The best places to get the bus are at Buchanan Bus Station (you'll arrive here if you're coming back from Edinburgh by bus) and George Square outside the Information Centre. The same timetable applies, but I'd suggest anyway that you pick up a timetable from the driver on your way into the City.
If you're connecting to somewhere else in Scotland though, save yourself another wad of cash and travel just as comfortably with
Megabus
. To be honest, I don't know why folks continue to pay the higher fares around Scotland when this service is just as fast and reliable for next to nothing price-wise.
Either way, if you're heading somewhere other than the City Centre once you're out of Glasgow International Airport and need a hand sorting everything out, just
let me know
& I'll get you there in no time.
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Tip Four - Relax & prevent nervous breakdown at Check-in or when getting off the plane
Now, if you're anything like me you'll hate standing in a queue. Here's a quick guide I follow any time I'm travelling via Glasgow International Airport.
The information you'll need about checking in will be on your flight ticket. For Glasgow in particular, if you're travelling with Easyjet, My Travel & Thomas Cook, unless your ticket states otherwise you should make your way to Terminal Two, desks 41-64. It's well sign-posted & connected by walkway to the right of Terminal One.
Any other flights? Terminal One desks 1-38 is where you want to be (i.e. the big building you'll likely enter first).
The best thing to do is to arrive early to avoid the queues (International flights 2hrs before departure & Domestic 1hr) and immediately check the screens at the entrance to see your flight info.
Please beware - Glasgow International Airport normally does not announce flights, so you should keep an eye on the screens throughout your time there.
Check-in is normally pretty quick - they try and whip you through in under 20 minutes even in peak time, so you won't have to bring a fold-away chair! Just grab one of the free trolleys dotted about and you should find you'll be in the pub in no time.
If you have special needs you'd be best telling the airline or your travel agent if you're are a charter. Ramps, lifts and disabled toilets are all there to make the passage through the airport pretty comfortable.
As for when you're arriving from a plane, it's a straight road to the well-signposted baggage area (there's even TV screens along the way for you to see anyone who might be waiting for you!).
I'd suggest that if you're coming from a non-EU Country and have been asked to fill in the wee form, do it on the plane when you're relaxed. Then when you arrive you can dart for your baggage and go through customs hassle-free.
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Tip Five - Know what to pack & what Security will pull you up for
You'll also save time by knowing how Glasgow International Airport security prefer you to pack. Sort this one out before you travel & you won't anxiously waste time having to read the packing guidelines at the desk.
In short, anything you're not sure about security-wise - stuff it in the luggage you're checking in.
 That means things like scissors, needles (although you can take these onboard with you if you prove your medical condition at check-in), razor blades and so on.
The best way to look at it is you should only take onboard with you what you'll need on the flight, for example passports & other travel documents, spare clothes, books, music, sweets, baby necessities etc. Again though, I'd suggest that you take five minutes to read your tickets, as everything should be on there.
Also, put any undeveloped camera film in your hand luggage - I've had a bad experience with this - let's just say that the X-Ray machines at Glasgow International Airport didn't like my photos!...
As for how much luggage you'll need? Take one piece of hand luggage for onboard (usually not larger than a hold-all or smaller carry case) and for the weight of the rest you'll need to check your tickets.
 All seems pretty straight forward I know, but I'm sure you'll have seen a great number of goons arguing with airport staff about their luggage & holding up the queue.
At Glasgow International Airport, rules is rules - I've learned that you can save some hassle by following them in advance!
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Tip Six - It all starts here - Make your airport experience part of the fun of travelling
You might very well be a bit like myself a few years ago when it came to airports and delays.
I always saw being at the airport just the painful operation you get through before the enjoyment really begins. You know?
But then I met my wife Tracey. She gets excited about everything ...yup, pretty much everything. And after a few years of feeling a bit like a boring twat, her raw enthusiasm is finally beginning to rub off on me.
She absolutely loves travelling. I mean yeah, she loves going on holiday (well who doesn't?), but she loves the actual travelling part!
Insane or what?!!
So anyway, Tracey's brought me around to thinking that being at the airport, well, it really is part of the holiday, the beginning of the adventure.
And when I think about it a little, I can see that Glasgow International Airport has a lot on offer to convince me of that.
 When you get there you'll find a great deal to keep you amused and entertained, and that goes for those poor parents out there just hoping their kids don't start on that public boredom-borne mania!
I won't show you around in detail, because that'll take away from your time there.
Suffice to say though, that you should check out the following Glasgow International Airport survival guide -
For those with kids.
There's a superb play area for children in the international departures lounge (I wish I was a kid again!). Kids' videos are shown there on busy periods, and you'll also find puzzle tables throughout the terminal building. Come to think of it, I've also seen jugglers and clowns drafted in when it gets really busy!
If they don't like that or they're looking for a well-earned break from playing their Gameboy, they might like the amusement arcades dotted around the place.
For the even younger kids, there are babycare rooms in the main concourse area,
international departures lounge,
international pier and international baggage reclaim.
What I'd suggest is that you don't take all that for granted though. I know loads of parents who take their own games, colouring books & stories to keep their kids from embarassing them at the airport.
For older travellers
Pack some books & magazines or buy them at WH Smith's at the airport. Stop all this growing up trash & stuff your carry-on bag with games like Travel Monopoly or Battleships. Take a walk around the place, listen to some music, go shopping (Tracey forced me to say that!), hit one of the many bars & restaurants, or book a relaxing time in the Glasgow International Airport Skylounge or (if you're richer than me) the Servisair Executive Lounge...
One cool point about shopping at Glasgow International Airport while I think about it - it won't break your back!
Glasgow International Airport operates a free shopping collection service to make shopping there even easier. I guess that means us guys won't have to carry all the bags everywhere - yey!
If you're going anywhere in the European Union, you can shop till you drop & collect your purchases from the designated area in the International Arrivals Hall when you return, saving you the hassle of carrying them around with you while you're away.
...I mean it's all good - Glasgow International Airport? It's got the lot and even if your flight isn't delayed you should have enough time to have a great experience there.
These days I like to think of it as a small town I'm passing through before I get to my destination - somewhere else to explore!!
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Tip Seven - Find out the essentials on car hire & the only worthy rental firms
If you're hiring a car in Scotland you should bear in mind that in the UK we drive on the left!
On roundabouts this means that you should give way to traffic coming from the right.
Many urban and country areas now have speed cameras, so if you speed and are caught on camera you'll find that the car hire / rental company will usually deduct the speeding fine from your credit card (one reason you have to give a credit card security deposit).
Also, in the UK many car hire companies now ask for further forms of identification other than a driving licence and passport.
For example, you might be asked for a utility bill to confirm your home address. This is really because of the problems they've experienced with theft & damage to their cars...
click here for more of my tips on car hire at Glasgow Airport
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Tip Eight - If you've got a car, you'll want to know where to park
First thing's first, to save money on parking when I'm travelling via Glasgow International Airport, I always always pre-book. I've found that you can save up to 60% off the standard rates plus you can grab yourself a guaranteed space (pretty useful during busy periods).
Next up, parking at the airport is normally more expensive but if you're parking offsite you should check how frequently the connecting shuttle runs.
Also, it can sometimes work out cheaper just parking at the airport hotel you're staying at, and hey, if anything this could well reduce your stress before the flight!
I've set out a little guide on
parking at Glasgow Airport
that might come in handy for you.
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Tip Nine - Scared of the City? Stay for cheap in the best airport hotels
The key thing to consider when going to book a hotel at Glasgow International Airport is this -
Glasgow ain't that big!
I mean yeah, it's Scotland's largest City, I admit.
But here's the thing - and I might be the first person to openly admit this to those who don't know Glasgow yet - if you're booking a hotel next to the airport simply for convenience, it's not that necessary.
- The City Centre & suburbs are pretty near Glasgow International Airport anyway
- So there's a great number of (probably cheaper) hotels on offer elsewhere if you can put up with just a quick journey to them
- And this will ease the pain of finding out that all 5 of the airport hotels are sold out or just plain too expensive
That said, if you're set on the idea of your hotel being just a few minutes away from the airport, I'm pretty certain you won't be disappointed by the five hotels available.
Here are some more tips on Glasgow Airport Hotels
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Tip Ten - Have a look around the airport before you get there
I've included at the end here links to a great map of the Glasgow International Airport terminals, and to where the airport is in relation to the rest of Glasgow and beyond.
If more than one of you are travelling together, it's normally a good idea to pick a location on the map as a meeting point in case someone goes astray. That said, I used to do this before the trusty moblie phone was invented (!), but it's still a useful idea just in case.
Click here for the airport terminal maps
Click here for a map of where Glasgow Airport is in Glasgow
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Well that's my top ten Glasgow International Airport guide. I hope you find that it helps but again, please just let me know if you need any further information.
Arrabest oan yer travels an that!
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