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Original poster

Driving in Glasgow

44 replies

Tagagzjskva · 17/03/2021 15:04

Hello

I am moving to Glasgow in May. I’ll be living in the partick area in the short term (until august). After that I’ll probably live somewhere slightly further out. My flat has parking.

Anyway, what is Glasgow like for driving? I’ve been driving on/off for 4 years and more so in the last 9 months. I’ve got used to it for the convenience.

My family (quite negative folk) seem to think Glasgow will be horrific to drive in/ I shouldn’t be driving. However I have a car and don’t want to be really limited come September.

I currently live in a city in England, but a small one. I don’t drive loads and due to my job mainly drive early mornings/ late evenings.

Thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
Tagagzjskva · 17/03/2021 15:05

When I said they think I shouldn’t be driving I meant in Glasgow not in general^

OP posts:
dancemom · 17/03/2021 15:05

No issues, I avoid the city centre but more so just for traffic / bus gates however the rest of the city is easy to get around and well linked.

chipsandpeas · 17/03/2021 15:06

its fine, the city centre has a few one way roads and once you know which one you can go down etc makes life a bit easier

LadyDanburysHat · 17/03/2021 15:07

I used to live near Partick. If you are going into the city centre it is easier to get the subway or train, as it will be cheaper than parking.

I find Glasgow quite easy to drive in because the streets are in a grid system. Edinburgh however always gives me a migraine.

Original poster
Tagagzjskva · 17/03/2021 15:08

Thanks guys. I probably won’t drive in the centre unless by accident.

Looking at my actual flat address I’m actually in broomhill, not partick 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
Tagagzjskva · 17/03/2021 15:10

I used to live in Edinburgh too but only drove near the end.

I would deffo get public transport into the centre.

I’ll mainly be driving to my new work (qeuh) and the shops. Wild life

OP posts:
FishyFriday · 17/03/2021 15:11

Glasgow isn’t any worse to drive in than any other city. It’ll be completely fine.

Original poster
Tagagzjskva · 17/03/2021 15:13

Thanks guys. One of my parents is drive sharing on the way up as it’s quite a long drive, and because of this (I am grateful like) has been very opinionated

OP posts:
prettybird · 17/03/2021 15:27

Parking will be an issue in Broomhill if you've just got on-street parking - but you get very good at parallel parking in tight spaces Wink

I learnt to drive in the South East and used to drive into London occasionally (always against the traffic Wink) so was a confident driver. Years later I moved back to Scotland /Glasgow. The only difference I noticed is that the drivers in the SE are more assertive - maybe because of the sheer volume of traffic - and as such more predictable.

I'd say the worse driving I came across was in Bolton (where I moved to after the SE) - but maybe I was just unlucky Hmm

You should also be aware that most of Glasgow city centre, which is fine to drive in BTW because of the grid pattern and the one way system (which a previous poster has mentioned), is a 20mph zone, which is very badly signposted.

carnations23 · 17/03/2021 15:28

It's fine once you learn the local potholes 🙈 , just obviously avoid city centre

prettybird · 17/03/2021 15:28

...sorry - just reread your post: you say your flat has parking Blush

Original poster
Tagagzjskva · 17/03/2021 15:32

Thanks for the heads up guys

@prettybird yes it has parking but I’ll bear in the mind parking issues when looking for something more long term. I currently live not far from Bolton.

Luckily I drive a very small car 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
Tagagzjskva · 17/03/2021 15:33

My current city is 20 mph nearly everywhere, I sometimes have to drive rurally to remind myself of the speed the car can go lol

OP posts:
nancywhisky · 17/03/2021 15:33

Broomhill to QEUH couldn't be easier - straight through the tunnel.
You'll be fine .

randomsabreuse · 17/03/2021 15:35

The M8 has some oddities - junctions with traffic leaving and joining from the "fast" lane, but these are north of the river.

Other than that usual city hazards of being difficult to be certain you're in the correct lane and if you pick the wrong lane in the wrong place you can get stuck in a one way system for ages...

Original poster
Tagagzjskva · 17/03/2021 15:41

Thanks so much

I’ll bear all this in mind

I’ve only been to Glasgow a few times and was drunk on nearly all these trips, so also have no real awareness of the geography of the city which probably shows. 😬

OP posts:
HoldontoOneMoreDay · 17/03/2021 15:43

Oh I'm having one way system flash backs and they are not pretty... This was in the very early days of sat nav when they would just tell you where to go without taking one way streets into account! However, that's just the city centre and parking there is so dear that you'd probably avoid it anywhere. Everywhere else is just like everywhere else.

Grumpycatsmum · 17/03/2021 15:58

Glasgow is fine for driving but I found signage/one way system a nightmare when I first moved here - and I had been driving in London for 15 years. Satnav will be very useful.

Original poster
Tagagzjskva · 17/03/2021 15:59

😂 thanks @HoldontoOneMoreDay like you said I probably won’t frequent the centre that much, and if I do I can walk/bus it.

I hardly go into the centre of my current city, same with Edinburgh when I lived there

OP posts:
LizzieMacQueen · 17/03/2021 16:05

Beware of the speed limits as they change throughout the length of the M8, for example.

Original poster
Tagagzjskva · 17/03/2021 16:10

Will do, thanks xx

OP posts:
continuallyconflating · 17/03/2021 16:39

The M8 through the City is one of the most confusing pieces of road in the UK and should be avoided at rush hour (and in rainy weather as there are 3 or 4 places that always get badly flooded!)

But the actual roads in the city are pretty easy and I find drivers are far more considerate than in the SE of England

Mylittlesandwich · 17/03/2021 16:59

Driving in Glasgow is fine. I used to drive to work (back when that was a thing) in finnieston and would pop through to see my sister in Maryhill. No issues at all. I'm not a huge fan of all the one way streets in the city centre but I only usually have to do it in the dark when one of the cats needs a emergency vet so it's a stressful time anyway. I love Glasgow, can't wait to be able to spend time there again.

emmathedilemma · 17/03/2021 17:07

I'm a confident driver but Glasgow gives me the fear!! It's the only place where i've come across a motorway exit sliproad on the right hand side of the road!! I've had people who've lived their whole life try and drop me off at hotels in the city centre and still get stung by the one way system!
I also find it quite bad for street names being very high up tenement walls and totally illegible in the dark.
Although if you're coming from near Bolton you'll probably find it relatively civilised as in my experience everyone drives like a bat out of hell as soon as you leave the M6 for the M62!!

sleepyhead · 17/03/2021 17:07

It's completely fine. Once you know your way around the city centre (bus gates etc) you'll have no problems driving anywhere.

The only "trick" junction on the M8 is junction 18 for Charing Cross/Kelvingrove as it's on the right hand side, but again once you're used to it then it's no biggie (at that point the traffic is all crawling towards the Kingston bridge so it's just a case of making sure you aren't way over on the left if you want to come off there).

In no time you'll be sitting in traffic cursing the breakdown in the Clyde Tunnel with the best of us Grin