Car rental in Glasgow

Glasgow by car

Glasgow spreads across both banks of the Clyde, packed far denser than anywhere else in Scotland and built on shipyards that have largely gone. Loch Lomond and the Argyll sea lochs are near enough for an easy afternoon, which is why the western exit stays busy.

Driving in Glasgow

Glasgow is reached by M8, M74, M77, M80 and A82. Glasgow has a low-emission zone, Low Emission Zone (LEZ). It is enforced by number-plate cameras rather than windscreen stickers: check that the car meets its emission standard before driving in. Parking in the centre is paid and marked by zone.

Where to park

The closest commuter-station car park is Shields Road, where drivers switch to the Subway, but it shuts when the Subway does and is not for overnight stays. No park and ride route has its own connecting bus. Central multi-storeys are signposted by East, West, North and South zones, with displays of free spaces, and Duke St Car Park lies near the cathedral.

Arriving by road

The city centre is a Low Emission Zone, bounded by the motorway, the River Clyde and High Street. Drivers coming from the western Highlands can cross the Clyde on the Erskine Bridge rather than crawling through West End traffic, and those heading to the airport from Edinburgh can bypass the centre on the M73 and M74.

From the airport without a car

Glasgow Airport has no railway station, so the Glasgow Airport Express bus runs to Buchanan Bus Station via Dundas St, handy for Queen Street Station. Bus 77 takes the slower route through Renfrew, Braehead, Govan, Partick and Kelvingrove, while McGill’s Bus 757 links to Paisley Gilmour Street railway station for trains to Glasgow Central. Glasgow Prestwick Airport has a direct rail link from Glasgow Central.