There is no best time to visit as there is something going on all year round. If you plan to take a trip out of the city then you may want to check what the normal range of weather conditions are for the time you plan.
There are a number of ways to get there. Virgin trains serve Glasgow Central hourly from London Euston, with stops such as Crewe and Lancaster; returns from Euston cost from £80. British Airways flies to Glasgow International from Heathrow, Gatwick and City airports with returns from £80. The Glasgow Shuttle bus links the airport and the city for £10 return. Glasgow is a compact city and many of its key attractions are within walking distance of each other. Local buses serve the wider city and you can get a ticket which offers unlimited journeys for £5. A taxi from the city centre to somewhere like Finnieston will cost around £8.
You are spoilt for choice when looking for somewhere to stay in the city. Radisson Blu has an unbeatable location by Queen Street station. It has stylish doubles and a good swimming pool with rooms from £129 per night. If you want something more boutique then go for Citizen M, it has chic, modern if small rooms, from £65 per night.
Where to eat is another area where there is almost too much choice. Glasgow’s dining scene is booming, with many outstanding new restaurants opening recently. You could head to Finnieston’s Crabshakk for succulent seafood, or try Butchershop for perfectly cooked steaks of all cuts and sizes, with views overlooking Kelvingrove. However, there is so much going on it’s hard to pick any.
Art has always been a big part of the city and you can start by following the footsteps of one of Glasgow’s most famous sons, architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh. There was no better way to admire his art nouveau work than by taking a tour of the Glasgow School of Art on Renfrew Street and admiring what is arguably the world’s first Modernist building completed 1899. However, two recent fires have left this as a shell. So take the short walk to the Willow Tea Rooms which is a traditional Scottish tearoom and was designed by Mackintosh in 1904. He chose everything from the windows to the waitresses’ outfits. Stop here for a drink of loose leaf tea and admire his elegant style.
Next, stroll east to Merchant City where the elegant sandstone buildings proclaim the city’s successful industrial past. This area was once home to tobacco lords and cotton kings. Today it is the haunt of Glasgow’s new wave of exporters; the designers, artists and musicians who work in Glasgow’s creative industries. Explore the art galleries and boutiques around George Square before going into the Gallery of Modern Art on Royal Exchange Square. Housed in a neoclassical building this free museum feature works by Hockney, Warhol and Scottish artists John Bellany and Ken Currie. Just outside, check to see if the Duke of Wellington statue has its usual traffic cone hat, an unofficial addition that is said to represent the city’s light-hearted attitude to authority.
There’s only one way to end your first day and that’s with a wee dram in one of Merchant City’s many excellent bars.
There are a number of ways to get there. Virgin trains serve Glasgow Central hourly from London Euston, with stops such as Crewe and Lancaster; returns from Euston cost from £80. British Airways flies to Glasgow International from Heathrow, Gatwick and City airports with returns from £80. The Glasgow Shuttle bus links the airport and the city for £10 return. Glasgow is a compact city and many of its key attractions are within walking distance of each other. Local buses serve the wider city and you can get a ticket which offers unlimited journeys for £5. A taxi from the city centre to somewhere like Finnieston will cost around £8.
You are spoilt for choice when looking for somewhere to stay in the city. Radisson Blu has an unbeatable location by Queen Street station. It has stylish doubles and a good swimming pool with rooms from £129 per night. If you want something more boutique then go for Citizen M, it has chic, modern if small rooms, from £65 per night.
Where to eat is another area where there is almost too much choice. Glasgow’s dining scene is booming, with many outstanding new restaurants opening recently. You could head to Finnieston’s Crabshakk for succulent seafood, or try Butchershop for perfectly cooked steaks of all cuts and sizes, with views overlooking Kelvingrove. However, there is so much going on it’s hard to pick any.
Art has always been a big part of the city and you can start by following the footsteps of one of Glasgow’s most famous sons, architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh. There was no better way to admire his art nouveau work than by taking a tour of the Glasgow School of Art on Renfrew Street and admiring what is arguably the world’s first Modernist building completed 1899. However, two recent fires have left this as a shell. So take the short walk to the Willow Tea Rooms which is a traditional Scottish tearoom and was designed by Mackintosh in 1904. He chose everything from the windows to the waitresses’ outfits. Stop here for a drink of loose leaf tea and admire his elegant style.
Next, stroll east to Merchant City where the elegant sandstone buildings proclaim the city’s successful industrial past. This area was once home to tobacco lords and cotton kings. Today it is the haunt of Glasgow’s new wave of exporters; the designers, artists and musicians who work in Glasgow’s creative industries. Explore the art galleries and boutiques around George Square before going into the Gallery of Modern Art on Royal Exchange Square. Housed in a neoclassical building this free museum feature works by Hockney, Warhol and Scottish artists John Bellany and Ken Currie. Just outside, check to see if the Duke of Wellington statue has its usual traffic cone hat, an unofficial addition that is said to represent the city’s light-hearted attitude to authority.
There’s only one way to end your first day and that’s with a wee dram in one of Merchant City’s many excellent bars.