A city of history, culture, industry and a fierce local footballing rivalry, Glasgow is a great place to visit. By some distance, it’s Scotland’s largest city, larger than the capital Edinburgh, and is home to one-third of Scotland’s entire population. The city grew massively during the Industrial Revolution, and effect of those times remain today. The impressive dockyards and shipbuilding facilities, all now converted to modern uses; the rows of Victorian houses; the dominating public buildings; and the devotion to arts and crafts personified by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who was born in the city.
Modern Glasgow thrives on its incredible people, who keep on creating, winning and working to keep the city at the forefront of Scottish culture. Comedians, football stars and bands just keep on pouring out of the city to influence the world and keep us entertained. Walk the streets and you can’t help but be engrossed by the collective story. You’ll have all your preconceptions of the city destroyed as soon as you meet the friendly people, admire the architecture and sample the food, the galleries and the nightlife.
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Popular Avanti West Coast trains to Glasgow
Glasgow is the official terminus of the West Coast Mainline, although Edinburgh is a little more northerly and 65km to the east. It means there are dozens of services arriving and leaving every day. Here are some of the most popular.
Fastest Journey Times
Things to do in Glasgow
Glasgow is a thriving city where you can spend days just wandering the streets and shops, visiting the cafes, bars and restaurants, and admiring the architecture. The Arts and Crafts movement, Art Deco and Art Nouveau all inspired the builders and designers of their fascinating periods, and you can get a real appreciation at places like the Willow Tearoom. The best way to see it all is to book a tour.
There are few footballing rivalries in the world to match the Old Firm in Glasgow. Celtic v Rangers ties are the highlight of the Scottish footballing calendar, and the two teams have dominated the top flight since the year dot. In fact, no other clubs have won the title since Aberdeen in 1985. If you’re a neutral on the Old Firm but love football and its history, you simply have to partake in the tours of Ibrox and Celtic Park. Don’t expect much neutrality in Glasgow, though.
If you appreciate Scotland’s national drink, you simply have to go on a distillery tour. Probably the best known is the Clydeside Distillery in Glasgow, and they put on a brilliant tour of the place, complete with stories, technical details and, of course, a wee dram at the end.
Planning your next trip to Glasgow?
For more ideas for your trip to Conde Nest’s Best UK city break in 2021, visit our partner’s Visit Glasgow website:
Find out more about visiting Glasgow
Ways to save
You don’t always have to pay the full fare when you travel with Avanti West Coast. There are plenty of ways to save, depending on when you travel, where you buy the ticket and whether you have a Railcard. Read on to find out more, or go straight to our ways to save page.
If you travel by train frequently, you should really consider buying a Railcard. For a one-off price, you get a year’s worth of off-peak discounts that can really add up. For example, most people qualify for a Railcard that gives you a third off all your travel outside peak hours, but if you are 16 or 17 years old, that discount can be a massive 50%. Have a look at our Railcards and see if any are appropriate to your needs. We also do digital Railcards that you keep in your phone, so you can’t lose your card, and if you do lose your phone, it’ll still be usable when you replace it.
Another money-saving tip is to book directly through our own website or app rather than an external travel service. Not only will you pay no fee for the purchase, but we also offer the price promise: find the same ticket cheaper elsewhere and we’ll refund the difference. You can even collect Nectar points when you buy from us.
Other popular destinations
Blackpool
Chester
Milton Keynes
Carlisle
Shrewsbury
Glasgow Station Information
Everything you need to know about Glasgow Central Station can be found here:
Glasgow Central station information
There’s information from accessibility to parking and ticketing to WiFi coverage. More details on our wider network can be found on this page.
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