Bishopton to Glasgow Airport: the 6 mile trip that should be easy (and sometimes absolutely isn’t)
Bishopton is only about six miles from Glasgow Airport. SIX. You’d think this would be the calmest, most smug little airport run in Scotland.
And then the M8 decides to do… whatever the M8 feels like doing that day.
So if you’re staring at your flight time and wondering, “Do I drive? Do I bus? Do I attempt a train connection like a confident adult?” here’s the real world breakdown, with the stuff that actually matters (time, money, and how much you enjoy unnecessary stress).
The “I’m leaving the house in 10 minutes” cheat sheet
- Distance: ~6 miles / 9.6 km
- Sat nav postcode (main terminal): PA3 2SW
- Driving time (off peak): 8-10 minutes
- Driving time (rush hour): 15-20 minutes (sometimes more if the traffic gods are cranky)
And here’s my quick, opinionated take:
- Flying before 7am or late at night? Drive or taxi. Don’t play timetable roulette.
- Solo + light luggage + daytime? Bus 77 is genuinely easy.
- Two or more people? Driving often wins on cost per person.
- Heavy luggage / mobility needs? Drive or taxi. Transfers are not the time to prove your grit.
- Using connections (train + bus)? Keep a taxi number handy as your emergency parachute.
Option 1: Driving (aka “I like being in control”)
Most days, driving from Bishopton to Glasgow Airport is almost suspiciously quick. You’ll follow signs for the M8 toward Glasgow Airport, peel off at the airport exit, and then it’s well signed from there (past rental car returns, into the terminal/drop off chaos zone).
One tiny practical tip: download your map area before you go. Signal can get patchy in exactly the moment you don’t need it to like when you’re trying to figure out which lane isn’t secretly a drop off only trap.
When traffic gets spicy
If you can leave outside commuter hours, do it. The “this is fine” windows are usually:
- Before 7am
- 10am-3pm-ish
- After ~6:30pm
Traffic tends to get thicker:
- 7:00-9:00am
- 4:30-6:30pm
- And Friday afternoon is the final boss. If you’re travelling then, pad your time like your flight depends on it (because it does).
Parking + costs (the part nobody loves)
Rough ballparks:
- Fuel: about £1.20-£2.00 each way depending on your car (no tolls in Scotland—small mercies).
- Short stay parking (under 2 hours, near terminal): roughly £5-£8
- Long stay (shuttle bus ~5 mins): roughly £12-£18 per day
- Off site lots: often 30-40% cheaper than on site
If you’re going away for a few days, book long stay online if you can. It’s usually cheaper, and it saves you the “why is this so expensive” moment when you’re already tired and hauling a suitcase.
And yes if you’re travelling with 2-4 people, driving suddenly looks very sensible, because you’re splitting fuel + parking instead of everyone buying separate tickets.
Option 2: Bus 77 (my pick for easy daytime travel)
If you want simple and direct without dragging yourself into Glasgow city centre to compare train and driving, Bus 77 is the straightforward one.
- Where from: Old Ferry Road in Bishopton
- Time: about 36 minutes
- Cost: about £6 for a single
- Group ticket: about £14 total for 3 to 5 passengers (which is honestly decent)
No transfers. No sprinting between platforms. Just you, the bus, and your quiet prayer that the person next to you isn’t eating something aggressively crunchy.
Do yourself a favour and check the latest timetable on Traveline Scotland before you commit, especially if your flight is very early or very late.
Option 3: Train + Bus 500 (only if it suits your timing, not your ego)
Can you do Bishopton → Glasgow Central → Bus 500 to the airport? Yes.
Would I do it if I had a suitcase, a tight schedule, and a low tolerance for missed connections? Personally… no. But if the timing works and you’re travelling in the day, it’s an option.
Typical breakdown:
- Train Bishopton → Glasgow Central: ~22-24 minutes (some faster services around 16)
- Then you’ll need to get yourself to Buchanan Bus Station
- Bus 500 → Airport: ~15 minutes
- Total journey: roughly 44-65 minutes depending on connections
- Cost: around £15.50
Bus 500 is frequent during the day (every 10-12 minutes), then drops to hourly overnight, and it’s got the nice to haves like WiFi, USB charging, and luggage space.
This route is mostly for people who already need to be in Glasgow anyway, or who love a connection like it’s a hobby.
Option 4: Taxi (the “no nonsense” choice)
Taxis are 24/7, and if you’re travelling at odd hours, this is often the least stressful non-driving option.
One money saving move: pre-book online if you can. It can be up to ~40% cheaper than just jumping in and hoping for the best.
If you’re relying on buses/trains and it’s an important flight, I’d also keep a taxi number saved as a backup. Missing a connection is not a character building moment I’m interested in.
So… when should you actually leave Bishopton?
Here’s the method I use because it stops me from doing that thing where you “feel like” you have time (and you don’t) when you’re heading out from new homes in Dargavel Village:
- Work backwards from your flight time
- Aim to be at the airport 2 hours before departure for most domestic/EU flights
- Add:
- your travel time (drive/bus/etc.)
- 10-15 minutes for parking + walking in (if you’re driving)
Real example: 10:00am weekday flight (driving)
- Want to be at security by 8:00am
- Add 15 minutes to park and walk in → you need to be out of the car by 7:45am
- Morning rush drive time could be 20 minutes
- So you should leave Bishopton by about 7:25am
And please, for your own peace: check live traffic 48 hours before (Google Maps/Waze “depart at” is great), then check again on the day. The M8 loves a surprise.
My bottom line recommendation
- If it’s early/late or you’ve got bags + anxiety: drive or taxi.
- If it’s daytime and you want simple: Bus 77 is a great shout.
- If you’re tempted by train + Bus 500: just make sure your connections give you breathing room (and have a backup plan).
Six miles shouldn’t be dramatic… but this is travel, and travel loves drama. Give yourself a buffer and you’ll start your trip feeling like a calm, competent person who definitely has their life together. (Even if you packed at midnight. No judgement.)
