I tried the new Dundee to Glasgow Airport bus – is it a good option for holidaymakers?

Holiday excitement and some pre-flight nerves kick in as we cruise down the motorway through torrential rain towards Glasgow Airport.

I’m on board a green FlixBus coach operating a new route connecting Dundee, Perth and Stirling to Scotland’s second-busiest airport.

The operator has been running nine daily return services between Aberdeen and Glasgow since April 17.

But I have forgotten that on this occasion I’m not jetting off to warmer climes.

Instead, I’m testing out the new service, travelling from Dundee to the airport and back in an afternoon.

How would the bus compare to other transport methods – and would I make it on time for my fantasy flight?

First use of seat reservations for Dundee to Glasgow Airport bus

It’s Easter Monday and West Marketgait in Dundee is quiet as I lean against the walls of the Overgate Centre.

The green coach pulls up on time at 1.25pm and I board with four other passengers.

I’ve never used a reserved seat on a bus like the one FlixBus operates before.

I believe I’m meant to be next to the window, but the man in the window seat doesn’t look like he wants to move over.

The bus is hot and busy with passengers from Aberdeen, where the route starts.

Soon we are cruising towards Perth and I watch the River Tay and the Carse of Gowrie’s colourful patchwork of fields passing by.

It’s plain sailing until we reach the Broxden Roundabout at Perth as traffic slows to a crawl for around five minutes.

I start to put myself in the mindset of a holidaymaker on a tight schedule.

Would this early delay make me nervous?

The driver announces over the loudspeaker that we are approaching Broxden Park and Ride.

We stop here for two minutes and one passenger gets on.

Traffic is similarly busy at the Keir Roundabout near Dunblane, where we are also held up for around five minutes.

I imagine my nerves would be kicking in at this time if I had a flight to catch.

To distract myself, I sign in to the free Wi-Fi, which works well on my phone.

Glasgow Airport is not a popular destination – yet

No one boards the bus at the next stop, which is Castleview Park and Ride near Stirling.

Google Maps reckons it’s a 40-minute walk from Stirling city centre, but a shuttle bus does operate to the park and ride.

The same goes for Broxden, which is a 55-minute walk from Perth city centre.

We are soon speeding down the motorway and towards Glasgow.

The skies darken and it starts to rain more heavily, obscuring the normally impressive view of Stirling Castle.

And at around 3pm, traffic slows to a crawl again near Denny.

I’ve now fully convinced myself I’m catching a flight soon and that my all-inclusive trip to Alicante is hanging in the balance.

The anxiety in the air is palpable on the coach even as we start to speed up again.

At least, I think it is until all but two other passengers disembark at Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station at 3.27pm.

They’re clearly not using this for their holiday after all – though this route is still just days old.

It takes a while to get back to the M8 from the city centre as we navigate windy streets and stop at several red lights.

Soon, it’s 3.40pm and we’re charging through a torrential rain shower on the way to the airport.

At almost bang-on 3.50pm – the planned arrival time – the coach pulls outside the terminal building and I venture out into the wet west coast air.

The good news is, I’m in no danger of missing my make-belief flight.

My fellow passengers will be pleased.

Bus, car or train: What is the best option to Glasgow Airport?

There are more than two hours before my 6.10pm return journey to Dundee.

These are mostly spent trying to sit in the Greggs near international arrivals without raising any suspicions.

It gives me time to consider how getting the bus compares to other travel options, while watching all the miserable faces returning home.

I booked my return ticket with FlixBus six days in advance, which cost me £23.48.

According to the Glasgow Airport website, the cheapest parking option for a three-day stay booked six days in advance is the long-stay car park at £51.99.

Added to that option is a round-trip using about 180 miles of fuel from Dundee or 75 miles from Stirling.

A ScotRail return journey from Dundee to Glasgow is likely to cost at least £28.

Other bus operators like Ember might provide cheaper prices to Glasgow, but there is no option to board the FlixBus from there to the airport.

Instead, both bus and rail passengers have to use the First Bus 500 service, which costs £11.50 for a single 15-minute journey.

However, Courier readers have raised questions about FlixBus’s schedule.

There are no buses running between 12.55am and 1.25pm from Dundee or 8.40am and 4.40pm from the airport – so how practical is it?

I suppose that depends on your flight time.

Verdict on new Glasgow Airport bus service

Finally, it’s time to board again, and I make my way out to stand 10 outside the terminal building.

I stand a bit away from the bus stop due to its proximity to the smoking area.

At 6.13pm, a white coach devoid of any FlixBus livery stops and I’m the only passenger to get on board.

However, the seat numbers don’t correspond with my reservation.

This causes confusion for the 20-odd passengers who board the bus at Glasgow bus station and don’t know where to sit.

Otherwise, the journey is uneventful and it doesn’t take long to reach the two stops near Perth and Stirling.

The bus has started to smell unpleasant, though, and I’m glad to be home in a much drier Dundee.

I’m also feeling a little flat that I didn’t get near any foreign lands – not even the nearby town of Paisley.

However, it’s been a comfortable journey and at two hours and 25 minutes from Dundee, it doesn’t feel too long, especially if you’re excited for your holidays.

Doing a bit for the environment by leaving the car at home before you board a polluting aeroplane is also surely an incentive, as is the cost – even if the timetable won’t suit everyone.

Finn Nixon is a reporter for The Courier’s live news team.

•  The Courier has taken a look at all the long-distance bus services available across Tayside, Fife and Stirling after the launch of three new routes