Getting Around Glasgow
Glasgow is an incredibly easy city to get
around when using Public Transport. The city has numerous forms of
transport, stretching from local buses all the way to river boats
and its very own subway. As Glasgow has been chosen as the city to
host the 2014 Commonwealth World Games, city chiefs have vowed to
invest heavily in the city infrastructure starting with motorway
upgrades, new bus routes and a £300m investment in the city subway.
Glasgow has never been easier to move around in.
Information and tickets can be obtained
from the Travel Centre, St Enoch Square
(Monday-Saturday 08:30 hrs-17:30 hrs) and at Buchanan bus
station (Monday-Saturday 06:30 hrs-22:30 hrs and Sunday
07:00 hrs-22:30 hrs). There are Travel Centres at domestic arrivals
at Glasgow Airport and Hillhead underground station.
The Discovery Ticket pass
offers unlimited underground travel for one day for £1.70 (not
valid before 09:30 hrs Monday-Saturday), while the
Roundabout Ticket costing £3.50 allows for
unlimited travel by train and underground for one day (not valid
before 0900 hrs Monday-Friday). The Daytripper
Ticket costs £8 for one adult plus two children (£14 for
larger families) and is valid for the underground, rail, most buses
and some ferries. Passes are available at Travel Centres and larger
rail stations.
SPT Subway
The Glasgow Subway is an underground
metro line in the
city with 15 stations running in a twin circular line every
four-eight minutes, Monday-Saturday 06:30 hrs-23:20 hrs and Sunday
11:00 hrs-17:50 hrs.
The Grand Central Hotel is located
conveniently less than five minutes walk from two subway stations,
St. Enoch Square and Buchanan Street Stations. Key stations for
visitors include Hillhead (Byres Road- Vibrant Pub Scene and
Kelvinbridge- Kelvingrove Park)
For more info visit: http://www.spt.co.uk/subway/
City Buses
Glasgow has an expansive bus network
serving all areas of the city and its suburbs. Run by a number of
operators, the city’s bus routes are accessible, clean and safe and
offer a cheap and reliable mode of transport for getting around
Glasgow.
Dedicated Airport buses also run from
various points in the city with two stops located within 3 minutes
walking of the hotel. The journey to the airport takes close to 25
minutes. Our concierge team will be happy to provide you with any
information you require.
For more info visit: http://www.spt.co.uk/bus/
Cycling
Glasgow has a fantastic cycle network with
routes stretching as far as Loch Lomond. New routes are promised in
the coming few years as part of the legacy of the 2014 Commonwealth
World Games. Cycling is an effective, healthy and environmentally
friendly form of transport and one which we highly advocate here at
the hotel. There are secure bike racks in Central Station, only 2
minutes from the hotels door. Our team would be happy to supply
maps and routes for you to use but other websites of interest
include:
http://www.cycle-route.com/
http://www.spt.co.uk/travelinfo/cycling.aspx
Walking
At The Grand Central Hotel we want to
encourage people to incorporate walking into at least some part of
their daily travel routines. Factoring some walking into your
journey can help to make you fitter, feel better and save
money.
Walking is beneficial because:
- It is free and requires no special
equipment, other than appropriate footwear;
- It is accessible to all regardless
of age, income, location and ability
The Hotel is located right in the heart of
the city and it doesn’t matter if guests are looking to shop till
they drop, catch up with friends or visit companies in the area,
walking is a quick and easy way to do so in the city centre. So get
those walking shoes on and feel better about the way you
travel!!
Helpful sites:
http://www.spt.co.uk/travelinfo/walking.aspx
http://www.walkit.com/
Taxis
Glasgow has a huge number of Black Cabs and
Private Hire cars available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days
of the year. Our concierge team will be happy to organise any
journeys for you and find the best rate available so that you don’t
need to pay any more than you have to.
We can organise to have you picked up from
the airport, dropped to a concert or have a car ready to bring you
to one of the city’s many restaurants and bars in various
fashionable districts in the city.
The largest operator is Glasgow Wide TOA Ltd (telephone: 0141
429 2900).
Rail Travel
Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city and has
a fantastic network of local and national rail links. With Glasgow
being only 50 minutes from Edinburgh, you can pop between both
cities in the blink of an eye. Soak up the culture and sights of
Edinburgh, before taking a leisurely train ride back to the
bustling shopping capital of Scotland in Glasgow and walking
literally 1 minute from the door of the train to reception here in
The Grand Central Hotel.
With train rides from London to Glasgow
taking little more than 4hrs 30 mins, rail is an incredibly
efficient, comfortable and hassle free way to travel. Why not pop
into Champagne Central where you can even see the timetables for
the next trains, from your stool while sipping on a nice glass of
bubbly.
Some useful links for travelling by train
can be found below.
http://www.scotrail.co.uk/
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
Car hire
The minimum age for hiring a car is 25
years – drivers aged 23-24 years might be able to hire a
car, although extra charges applies. Overseas driving
licences and International Driving Permits are
accepted.
Avis, 70 Lancefield Street (telephone:
(0141) 221 2827), Budget Glasgow Airport (telephone:
(0141) 243 2047), Europcar, 38 Anderston Quay
(telephone: (0141) 248 8788), Hertz, 138 Hydepark Street
(telephone: (0141) 248 7736), National/Alamo, 76 Lancefield
Quay, Strathclyde (telephone: (0141) 204 1051), and Sixt Rent-a- car/Kenning, 1530 London
Road, Parkhead (telephone: (0141) 556 7471).
Bicycle Hire
Bicycles are available for hire from
West End Cycles, 16-18 Chancellor Street, Partick
(telephone: (0141) 357 1344).
More information is available from the Cycling Development Project
(telephone: (0141) 287 9000) and the Cyclists Touring Club (telephone:
(0870) 873 0060), which has information on local cycling clubs.
Sustrans (telephone: (0131) 624 7660 or (01179)
290888) provides a list of cycling publications.