Scotland Guide
Glasgow
Getting Around
Although it can be tough negotiating Glasgow's steep hills, walking is the best way of exploring any one part of the city. However, as the main sights are scattered – the West End, for example, is a good thirty-minute walk from the centre – you'll probably need to use the comprehensive public transport system.
The best way to get between the city centre and the West End is to use the Underground (Mon– Sat 6.30am–11pm, Sun 10am–6.30pm), whose stations are marked with a large orange U. If you're travelling beyond the city centre or the West End, or to the main sights on the Southside, you may need to use the bus and train networks. The array of different bus companies and the various routes they take is perplexing even to locals, and there's no easy guide to using them other than picking up individual timetables at the Travel Centre on St Enoch's Square.
The suburban train network is swift and convenient. Suburbs south of the Clyde are connected to Central station, either at the mainline station or the subterranean low-level station. The trains are an excellent way to link to points west and northwest of Glasgow, including Milngavie (for the start of the West Highland Way), Balloch (for Loch Lomond) and Helensburgh.
An alternative way to get round the sights of the city is to take a city tour: City Sightseeing (April– Oct daily 9.30am–4.30pm; £9) runs open-top bus tours, which leave every thirty minutes from George Square on a continuous circuit of all the major attractions in the city centre and West End, allowing you to get on and off as you please.