I'm a traveler and I use buses very often roaming the beautiful UK, so I had to write a review on Buchanan station! This is the largest, and the main, bus station in Glasgow and one that I've used numerous times during my time in Scotland and I've always had a very positive experience. The first time I came here I couldn't believe just how busy the place can get, you seriously have to be careful crossing the road at the entrance with so many buses coming in and out so quickly! (Defo almost got killed a few times but made it across like frogger!) It's a huge bus station with over 50 different stances with buses that travel all over the UK, the buses also run very regularly all day and night so you are never short of options. So far I've taken buses from here to Edinburgh, Fort William, Prestwick and even once to London when we were stuck for transport (Do not do the London bus trip, I repeat DO NOT! It's the devil!) other than that each of these trips have been ok, the seats on the buses are not the most comfortable for long journeys, but it's cheap travel so you can't really complain. The station offers buses from a bunch of different companies, I've seen buses from Citylink, Stagecoach, Megabus, Parks and even First.
I'd recommend that if you are travelling from here that you book your ticket in advance as it makes the process of getting through the station and on to the bus so much smoother, however, if you are in a rush or it's a last minute thing, tickets can be bought inside the station and sometimes even the drivers of the bus can print you tickets on board which is a big plus. It's also recommended that you arrive at the station 10/15 minutes before departure time, this gives plenty of time to process everything. If you have the opposite problem though, in that you are very early for your bus and have time to kill, the station is pretty well equipped at accommodating people in that situation. There are a bunch of seats outside infront of every stance, so you'll never be left standing. Despite being outdoors these seats are all sheltered so you don't have to worry about being soaked by that constant Scottish rain! If you would rather chill indoors the station is also pretty spacious inside. There is seats in there too and there's also a few newsagents, a coffee shop, toilets, an information desk, a locker area and obviously the ticket office itself. Just a quick point now that I've mentioned the toilets.....I think it's outrageous in this day and age that places still charge for using the bathroom! For such a large and busy station, the place is kept tidy and well cleaned. The station is also situated in a very good location, right in the centre of Glasgow just behind the Buchanan galleries meaning it's very accessible and easy to get to. As you've probably guessed, I like this station and would have no problem using it again or suggesting it to others. read more