The Subway Survival Guide By Archie McFadzean

As most people may know, the subway is a very useful tool for travel in Glasgow. 

However, it is not idiot-proof. The routes the subway offers are excellent and can take you wherever you need to go in Glasgow. Entering the stations of the subway for the first time can be overwhelming, so these are a few points to consider. Make sure that you have a valid ticket. These can be purchased at the ticket office, which is usually located near the ticket gates, and you can also buy a ticket at the ticket machines. The prices are as follows: Single, £1.80; for a child, £0.85. Return: £3.40, £1.60. All Day (unlimited travel), £4.30, £2.15; in other words, the procrastination circuit. 

Check the route you’re planning to take; there’s a choice of outer or inner, it’s very easy to get the two mixed up. The subway runs on two loops: the inner circle, which runs clockwise, and the outer circle, which goes anticlockwise. Sounds simple, right? Until you’ve worked out, with absolute confidence, that you have got on the inner and are now making your way to a different part of the city. Check online, and if need be, at the ticket office if there are any disruptions that may affect your journey. And remember that even if you have got off or on at the wrong stop, not all is lost, as with a little patience you will get there, because it is a loop. 

Now you’re probably wondering what makes me so confident in giving this advice. Well, let’s just say that I wish I had the understanding that I have now on my first week in Glasgow. I excitedly jumped on the tube with no real reason other than wanting to explore the city. Within minutes of being on the tube, I was totally confident that I was heading in the right direction, and then it hit me: I was passing my stop, so I did the responsible thing and sat there like it was all part of the plan.  

That little mishap taught me the golden rule of the subway: make sure you pay attention to what stops you are passing, and before you get on the tube, double-check what stop you are getting off at, as there’s no phone reception on the tube. Survival tips: Headphones are essential unless you want to hear three different conversations about the same flat party in grating detail. Avoid rush hour unless you enjoy being closer to strangers than you ever imagined. And for tube’s sake, do not take your curry on with you unless you want to be universally hated by carriage three. 

The subway may not be idiot-proof, but with a little preplanning and humour, it can be a great experience. In the end, the subway will always get you where you need to go, even if it takes a few scenic loops to teach you how it works.