Where To Stay

Glasgow has a good range of accommodation. Most of the hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs and hostels are in the city centre and the West End or south of the river, around Queen's Park. The best area to find good value mid-range accommodation is the West End, around Kelvingrove Park and the university. Many of the hotels and guesthouses here are restored Victorian townhouses This is a good area to stay in - it's convenient for several of the city's major sights as well as many of the best bars and restaurants. Finding a decent room for the night can be difficult during the peak season in July and August and it's best to book ahead at these times. The Tourist Information Centre (TIC) can help find somewhere to stay and also publishes a free accommodation guide. Many of the expensive business hotels offer substantial discounts at weekends, making them excellent value for a weekend break. Details of these are also available at the TIC: 11 George Square, T0141-2044400, F2213524, open May daily 0900-1800; June and September daily 0900-1900; July and August daily 0900-2000; October-April Monday-Saturday 0900-1800.

Getting Around

The best way to explore the city centre sights is by walking, although some of the hills are very steep. If you want to explore the West End or South Side, you'll need to use the public transport system, which is efficient and comprehensive. The best way to get from the city centre to the West End is to use the city's Underground, or subway as it's also known, whose stations are marked with a huge orange 'U' sign. This is less effective for the South Side but there's a vast range of buses from the city centre. There's also an extensive suburban train network which is a fast and efficient way to reach the suburbs south of the Clyde.

Transport information South of George Square, in front of the giant St Enoch Centre, is the Strathclyde Travel Centre, T0141-2264826 (open Monday-Saturday 0830-1730). They can provide maps, leaflets and timetables. Their free Visitor's Transport Guide includes a particularly useful map of the city. There are other travel information centres at Buchanan bus station, T0141-3327133 (open Monday-Saturday 0630-2230, Sunday 0700-2230), Hillhead Underground station, on Byres Road, T0141-3333673 (open Monday 0800-1730, Tuesday-Saturday 0830-1730), and at Glasgow airport. For enquiries about public transport call Traveline on T0870-6082608.

Bus

Bus services are operated by First Glasgow and Arriva. Full details of bus routes and timetables are available from the Travel Centre in St Enoch Square. Short trips in the city start from £0.80. On most buses you'll need to have the exact change. After midnight, till 0400-0430, there's a limited night bus service (more frequent at weekends). All the sights outside the city centre listed in this book include details of how to get there by bus.

Car

It is relatively easy to get around Glasgow by car, especially as the M8 runs right through the heart of the city. Parking is not a problem either. There are sufficient street meters and 24-hour multi-storey car parks dotted around the centre, at the St Enoch Centre, Mitchell Street, Oswald Street, Waterloo Street and Cambridge Street.

Taxi

Taxis are plentiful and reasonably priced and can be hailed from anywhere in the city. There are taxi ranks at Central and Queen Street train stations and Buchanan bus station, and outside Curlers on Byres Road. The main cab operator in the city is TOA(Taxi Owner's Association) who can be contacted 24 hours a day on T4297070. They also run city tours. Minimum fare around the city centre is £2. To the Burrell Collection from the city centre (about three miles) should cost around £7-8. There are lots of smaller firms who offer cheaper fares if you phone and book.

Train

Trains leave from Glasgow Central mainline station to all destinations south of the Clyde, including to Greenock (for ferries to Dunoon), Wemyss Bay (for ferries to Rothesay), Ardrossan (for ferries to Arran) and to Prestwick airport. There's a low-level station below Central station which connects the southeast of the city with the northwest. This cross-city line serves the SECC and a branch runs north to Milngavie, at the start of the West Highland Way. There's also a line from Queen Street station which runs west all the way to Helensburgh, via Partick and Dumbarton. Branches of this line run to Balloch, at the south end of Loch Lomond, and to Milngavie.

Underground Locals affectionately refer to it as the 'Clockwork Orange', as there's only one circular route serving 15 stops and the trains are bright orange. It's easy to use and there's a flat-rate fare of £0.90 per journey. Better value is the Discovery ticket, which offers unlimited travel for one day for £1.60 after 0930 Monday-Saturday and all day Sunday. Trains run roughly every four minutes during peak times and every six to eight minutes at other times. Trains run from 0635 till 2310 Monday-Saturday and from 1100 till 1750 on Sunday. The Roundabout Glasgow ticket covers all Underground and train transport in and around the city for one day and costs £3.50 (child £1.75). The ticket also gives a £1.50 discount on a city bus tour. It's valid Monday-Friday after 0900 and all day at weekends. There's also a Daytripper ticket which gives unlimited travel on all transport networks throughout Glasgow, the Clyde Coast and Clyde Valley. It's valid for one day.