Induction Information

Travelling around Glasgow

Please note that the Royal Conservatoire’s designated halls of residence, Base Glasgow, is within easy walking/wheelchair distance of the campus. Travelling on public transport in Glasgow is convenient as the city is well served by a number of local bus services, local trains, and an underground train system.

Subway

The Underground train system (subway) is a quick way to get around the City Centre and West End of Glasgow. Running every four minutes at peak times, it takes just 24 minutes to complete a circuit of the fifteen stations and costs as little as £1.55 for an adult single to travel anywhere on the system. The nearest Underground station to the Conservatoire is either Cowcaddens (on West Graham Street), or Buchanan Street. Further information on the Subway can be found with this link. Wheelchairs are permitted in the Subway but only if folded. This is due to the small size of the trains. Guide dogs and assistance dogs may use the subway.

Bus and Train

Buchanan Bus Station is the main terminus in Glasgow and operates services locally and nationally. Not all local services stop at Buchanan Bus Station but the city centre has frequent stops spread through the city centre. The nearest bus stops to the Conservatoire can be found on Renfrew Street and Hope Street. If you are doing a lot of travelling on public transport within Glasgow, you could save time and money by buying either a ‘FirstWeek’ or ‘ZoneCard’ pass. FirstWeek can only be used on First Glasgow buses but ZoneCard is a flexible season ticket for unlimited travel by rail, Subway, most buses, and some ferries in the Strathclyde region. ZoneCard costs more than FirstWeek as they offer a greater degree of flexibility. Both are available for periods of one, four or ten weeks and prices vary depending on how many ‘zones’ in Glasgow you need to travel to/through. Either pass can be bought from the SPT centre in Buchanan Bus Station. FirstWeek can also be bought directly from the driver or any local PayPoint and ZoneCard can also be bought from any staffed ScotRail station. ZoneCards require a passport size photograph. Further information can be found here.

If you are planning to travel outside Glasgow by bus or train it might be worthwhile investing in a Student Discount Card or Student Railcard, which entitles you to cheaper travel. For a Student Discount Card on CityLink buses visit the SPT centre in Buchanan Bus Station. The main national bus companies in Glasgow are CityLink, MegaBus and StageCoach.

A 16-25 Railcard costs just £30 for one year or £70 for three years and will save you a third on most rail fares throughout Great Britain. If you are in full-time education and over the age of 25, you can apply for a 26-30 Railcard, again this is £30 for one year.

If you are over 25 you will have to meet a number of conditions to be eligible to apply for this Railcard. The conditions are:

  • You attend a recognised college or university, for over 15 hours a week, at least 20 weeks a year – for degrees at the Royal Conservatoire, you will be eligible. Continuing Education students and those on part-time programmes will not be eligible for a Railcard.
  • The mature student section of the 16-25 Railcard application form will have to be completed by RCS. Please bring your application form to the AAS office and ask for the Student Records team who will authorise your form. If you are making an application for the first time, you will also require a passport photograph which will be verified and stamped and you should then submit with your application. Please note that there is a minimum turnaround time for this of two to three days. At the start of the academic year it will be significantly longer – up to two weeks.
  • You will need proof of identity – your matriculation card will be accepted as proof of identity.

Generally, if you are travelling by rail to the north or east of Glasgow (e.g. Inverness to the north or to Edinburgh in the east) you will travel from Queen Street Station and if you are travelling south or west (e.g. to destinations in England) you will travel from Central Station.

The Traveline Scotland website and mobile app’s allow you to plan your journey through any mode of transport, find the next departure time from a specific bus stop, and view timetables.

Driving

If you are a student from overseas and plan to drive in the UK, it is important that you fulfil the legal requirements and are aware of the correct procedures. All motor vehicles in the UK must be registered, taxed and insured. If you plan to drive whilst in the UK, you should obtain a copy of the Highway Code in order to familiarise yourself with the legalities of driving in the UK. For further information on driving in the UK contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) www.dvla.gov.uk. You can also refer to the UKCISA website.

Cycling

Many students decide to buy a second-hand bike while in Glasgow in order to save money and/or keep fit. Covered cycle storage is available in front of the Renfrew Street campus. It is easy to find bikes advertised in publications such as Adtrader and on websites like Gumtree. Second-hand bikes are also available to buy from:

A bike hire scheme called Nextbike operates in the city centre. It enables users to hire bikes for short periods of time at a low cost.