Public transport

Public Transport

In Glasgow, you have the choice between the bus or the train (and the subway but I hardly use it, until now only 6 times).

The difference between France and Scotland is that in France we you live in a city you only got one bus company per city (Bus Océane in Le Havre, RATP in Paris…). But in Scotland you have at least 4 companies: First company, Arriva, Mc Gill, Dickons (and 2 other, I think).

So when you buy a day ticket with the First company (3,75£) you can only use it with the buses First. So be careful when you enter in a bus to be sure that’s the right company. I went once on a Dickons bus but with my First ticket. The driver clearly explained me for which company he was working for (the logo on his shirt).

And also at the station you’ve to raise your hand to show to the driver that he had to stop. I told you do it if not you’ll feel stupid when your bus pass in front of you (and you’ll have 20 minutes to wait).

So choosing a bus card depends on:

-          Your destination. Some bus companies are only traveling in a specific area,

-          The timetable: Some companies stop their service at 9 P.M. And the frequency of the buses.

It’s also possible to use the train or the subway in Glasgow, but when you’re traveling inside the city center most of the time you’ll use the bus (or subway).

I mention that I find that the public transport prices are quite expensive. When you take a bus ticket the price will depend on the destination and area (from 1,10£ to 1,90£) and you have to give the exact amount of money to the bus driver (if you haven’t got the change, what a pity! The bus driver doesn’t give the change*) *Well some company does.

From city center to Paisley

If you have decided to live in Glasgow center (or near the center) you’ll have to use the public transport to travel to the UWS.

From the city center (= the central station) you can take the bus 9 (First company) that’ll go directly to Paisley (and then 6 minutes walk to the UWS). By bus it takes around 50 to 70 minutes (one way) according to the traffic. So it takes quite a lot of time.

So I’ll advice you to take the STP, the commuter train that leaves every 20 minutes from Central station to Gilmour Street (the station where you have to stop) and then walk 7 minutes. It takes around 15 minutes one way.

So as you can see the train is the most time saving and efficient way of traveling from the city center to the UWS. But regarding the prices… it’s not the same.
It's £ 4,5 for a turn-return ticket (before 10 AM with or without the 16-25 Railcard) ; £ 3,50 (after 10 AM without the  16-25 Railcard); £ 2,50 (after 10 AM with the 16-25 Railcard). 

What do I do?

I’m not leaving in the city center. I’ve to take a bus to join the city center, walk 12 minutes to join central station, take the bus 9 and then I arrive at Paisley and walk 6 minutes to the UWS. So I only use 2 buses (from the same company: First). The 10 weeks card costs 85£ (unlimited bus for zone 1 and 2). But of course it takes me more time to join the university.

You can also take the train from Central Station to Gilmour Street.

Turn and retrurn tickets (before 10 AM) costs 4,40£. After 10 AM it's 3,30£ (or 2,20£) if you purchase the 16-25 Railcard that gives you discounts. The price of the card is 26£ for one year.