Budget Travel - glasgow Prestwick - Fort William/Kyle of Lochals

Hello, I'm new here. An amaizing forum this is.
I like to do some budget traveling finding the cheapest ways to get around with some experience in Europe with Ryanair in particular.

It will be my first short stay in UK, so it would be really nice if someone could give me an advice on how to get from Glasgow Prestwick airport to Fort William (my friend could pick me up here) or Kyle of Lochalsh (or here) the budget way.
I'm arriwing on saturday evening around 11 pm., probably going to stay at the airport in my sleeping bag and continue early in the morning - as early as I can i mean because i would like to get to Fort Wlliam before midday :)

So any tips bus or train - which one is more convenient.. should I get the tickets online (is it possible to do it from abroad)..

Thank you in advance
Mila

Mila;

Welcome to FlyerTalk.

It has been a couple of years since I travelled in Scotland, so my memory is a bit sketchy on the details.

First of all, I believe that if you are arriving on Ryanair then you get a 50 % discount on train tickets from Prestwick to anywhere in Scotland. That information should be somewhere on the Ryanair website.

Secondly, I believe you will have to stay at / near Prestwick if you arrive at 11 P.M. as you will have missed the last train of the day, and a cab to Glasgow will be very costly. Check www.sleepinginairports.com for tips on sleeping at the airport. Also check the airport website to make sure it is open all night. I think there may also be reasonably priced hostels / b and b's close to Prestwick.

You should have no trouble getting to Fort William if you set out early in the morning from Prestwick, you will probably have to connect in Glasgow. And IIRC you have to change train stations in Glasgow, but it is only a short walk between the two stations.

If you are planning any other travel in Scotland you might want to check and see if the "Freedom of the Highlands" railpass still exists.

Apologies for any out of date information. If I find something more current and relevant I will update my post. Enjoy Scotland.

thebobmc is correct except in one important respect.

The last train from PIK to Glasgow Central is 2308. After that you have a bus (http://www.gpia.co.uk/AirportInfo/HowTo/bus.asp) at 2359. For deals on accommodation in Glasgow - check this site (http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/glasgow.html)

The problem is travelling to the Scottish Highlands by rail on a Sunday is difficult. The only train from Glasgow leaves at 1220 and arrives at 1608. Details and fares here (http://tickets.southernrailway.com/sn/en/JourneyPlanning/MixingDeck). You can order tickets online and collect at the station.

The best alternative is by coach - details here (http://www.citylinkonlinesales.co.uk/JourneyPlannerController?mn=1&op=4)

If you decide to sleep in the airport, you can take an early morning train from PIK to Glasgow Central, walk to Buchanan Bus Station (10 mins). That way you can take advantage of the Ryanair 50% discount on train travel - just show the conductor your boarding pass.

PM me for any other questions

Farci, thanks for the correction. I had completely missed the "Sunday" travel part in the original post.

Although travelling by coach from Glasgow to Fort William is certainly a good option, if the OP doesn't mind getting into Fort William later in the afternoon I would still consider taking the train from Glasgow. I recall it as being a very scenic trip by rail.

Here is the page from the Scotrail website that talks about the 50 % discount, http://www.scotrail.co.uk/travelinfo/ticketsandfares3d5f.html . Make sure you have a copy of your plane ticket to show the conductor.

Will the conductor on the train from Prestwick be able to sell a ticket to Fort William ( connecting in Glasgow of course ), with the 50 % discount for the whole journey ?

If the OP's budget is tight I would much prefer spending the night in a sleeping bag at Prestwick, rather than at a train or bus station in Glasgow !

Thank you Farci and thank you thebobmc twice :)
you've been really helpful especially with the links you provided.

I've been doing some research as well..
Citylink homepage provides some Super Single tickets which seem affordable, but for the Sunday 07.00 bus from Buchanan to Fort William it looks like only 19.50 pound tickets are left.. kyle lochals is 32.00! :)
so probably staying at the airport and taking a morning train to Glasgow and later further north would be the answer..

So advice for everyone try Citylink.co.uk e-tickets for rides around Scotland are really cheap but make sure to get them in advance..

Now looking for a couch in case ill have to spend a night in Glasgow.)
P.s.
I just buy i ticket from a conductor on a train when he cmes up to me?
And if anyone has an idea whether it's possible to get a ticket from a conductor straight from PIK to Fort William please don't hesitate :)

From Prestwick Airport, yes, you just buy a ticket from the conductor, as there's no ticket office in the station. You can indeed buy a ticket all the way through (and they do take credit cards) - in fact, you need to do this if you want the half-price offer. This will cost you £18.10 for the one-way.

If you want cheap accommodation in Glasgow, you could look at the £19 room offer (http://www.travelodge.co.uk/saver_rooms/) from Travelodge.