Buses
Local bus services in Dumfries & Galloway provide services to local areas and across the region, with a number of routes covering local towns including Dumfries, Stanraer, Castle Douglas, Newton Stewart, Annan, Lockerbie and Moffat.
Details of local bus services and timetables can be found at Dumfries & Galloway Buses
Trains
Trains in the region serve a number of routes across Dumfries & Galloway and the surrounding areas. From Carlisle station there are services to London Euston station the journey time is approx 3 hours 35 minutes, the service is operated by Virgin Trains. From Carlisle station there are local train services available to Dumfries station with a journey time of 35 minutes. Alternatively there are local bus services operating between Carlisle and Dumfries.
From Dumfries station there are services to Glasgow Central and Newcastle stations.
There are also mainline stations at Annan, Kirkconnel, Gretna Green, Lockerbie, Sanquhar and Stranarer.
For more information including timetables, connections and tickets please see Scotrail
Coach
Dumfries and Galloway is accessible by coach with regular coach services available to the area from London Victoria coach station, the journey time from London to Dumfries is between 8 and 9 hours depending on the service, time of day & traffic. There are also services from London to Stranraer. Coach services are provided by National Express.
Alternatively Stagecoach provides regular services from a of UK destinations including Glasgow, London, Edinburgh and Manchester to Carlisle. From Carlisle there are local buses that go to Dumfries.
Whilst travelling by coach to Dumfries & Galloway is usually more time consuming than using rail and road, it is usually more cost effective.
Public Transport Safety Tips
Most journeys on public transport in the Glasgow & Dumfries & Galloway area go ahead without incident, in order to minimise the chances of any incidents, passengers may wish to consider the following safety tips:
- Be aware of your belongings at all times.
- Do not leave your bags and belongings unattended at any time.
- Stay alert and aware of your environment and those around you.
- Do not show valuables including money and jewellery in public.
- If you are carrying a bag/handbag, ensure you use a bag that has a strong good quality strap and wear it across your shoulder (not on your shoulder), with the pockets closed facing towards your waist. Carrying the bag on your shoulder makes it much easier for criminals to snatch the bag or cut the strap.
- Be careful and cautious in crowds and beware of pickpockets, do not leave anything valuable showing in public including wallets in back trouser pockets.
- Sit in carriages with other passengers do not sit in carriages with no/fewer passengers.
- Try not to use smaller/isolated stations especially at night.
- When waiting for buses, trains, boats and taxis stand with other passengers in an area that is well lit, do not stand/wait in isolated areas.
Car
There are a number of car hire firms in Dumfries & Galloway that offer car rental services for both short and longer term car hire offering a range of vehicles from small budget cars to family cars to larger mini-buses and luxury cars.
The region has good road connections to other areas in Scotland and to England. The M74 motorway and A702 links Dumfries to both Glasgow and Edinburgh. The journey time by car from Glasgow & Edinburgh to Dumfries is approx 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours depending to traffic and the time of day. The West Coast of Scotland is accessible via the A75 to Stanraer and A70 and A76 to Ayr and Troon.
North South and East Dumfries & Galloway is assessable via the motorway on the M77 with major A roads including the A737, A71, A76 and A77.
Parking in Dumfries is available in the main car parks and on street parking. Among the main town centre car parks in Dumfries are located on English Street, Dobie’s Wynd, Munches Street and Dumfries Southergate.
Drivers should note there are parking restrictions in the city and there may be driving restrictions in and around the city centre. Following the rules is advised as any infringement is likely to be met with strict enforcement of fines.
Cycle
Dumfries and Galloway offer cyclists a number of cycling routes offering an alternative way to see the area. The area includes some wonderful landscapes, scenery and coastlines which exploring by bicycle allows visitors to see up close. There are a range of long distance routes, forest trails and quiet country roads with hundreds of miles of routes to explore. For more information please see: Cycling in Dumfries & Galloway
Ferry
There are services between Larne in Northern Ireland and both Troon in Dumfries & Galloway and Cairnryan in Dumfries and Galloway. In additional there are services from Cairnryan and Belfast in Northern Ireland services are operated by P&O Ferries.
The port of Troon is approx 60 miles from Dumfries, the port of Cairnryan is located approx 70 miles from Dumfries.
Air
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is located approx 60 miles north west of Dumfries. Glasgow Prestwick airport has a railway terminal located at the airport. There are trains from Glasgow Prestwick Airport to both Dumfries and Stanraer.
Glasgow Airport is located approx 80 miles from Dumfries. The airport is used by approx 30 airlines serving 90 destinations around the world.
For more information on public transport in Dumfries & Galloway including information on public transport and timetables please see: Dumfries & Galloway Transport from Dumfries & Galloway Council.
Disclaimer: The information given in on this website is given in good faith and to the best of our knowledge. If there are any discrepancies in no way do we intend to mislead. Important travel details and arrangements should be confirmed and verified with the relevant authorities.
