Glasgow and Edinburgh

[Wiinblad]

This is a general "help" question and I would appreciate any input. We are planning to spend some time in Glasgow and Edinburgh, post cruise next September. We are timid about renting a car (and driving over there!) Any suggestions for tour companies and must sees; moderately priced accomodations for 3(two of us and our adult son) and just any advice would be welcomed. Thanks in advance!

[handfordr]

If most of what you want to see is in the cities then there is little point in a car, it will just be a millstone around your neck.

Both cities have hop on, hop off sightseeing buses to get around the city sights.

Its hard to advise hotels as there is so much choice, from no frills chain hotels, bed & breakfast, the usual 4 star chain towers and many grand hotels and boutique hotels.

Really depends on your budget and needs.

Rates in Edinburgh are very seasonable - if you go during August when the festival is on you have to book many months in advance and rates are many times that say in May.

 

Presuming you want to explore the Highlands, St Andrews, Loch Ness thats the time to consider a hire car.

Of the tour company options, I would choose Rabbies, based in Edinburgh.

http://www.rabbies.com/

 

There are many trains and bus services each hour connecting Glasgow & Edinburgh.

[Wiinblad]

Thank you for the info. We will be using a tour company, so will check this out.

[stowaway2k]

This is a general "help" question and I would appreciate any input. We are planning to spend some time in Glasgow and Edinburgh, post cruise next September. We are timid about renting a car (and driving over there!) Any suggestions for tour companies and must sees; moderately priced accomodations for 3(two of us and our adult son) and just any advice would be welcomed. Thanks in advance!

 

September is a good time to go, the weather should be decent and most of the sights are still on summertime hours of operation.

 

Both cities have Jury's and Ibis, two clean mid-priced major hotel chains.

In Edinburgh, both have locations right off the Royal Mile.

 

As Handford said, unless you are planning on sightseeing outside of the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, there is no need to rent a car.

 

Edinburgh is quite walkable, if you have the time, for all the major tourist sights save for the Royal Yacht Britannia. The bus from the city center to Ocean Terminal where Britannia is berthed is very convenient. Any bus from the city center on the main-drag of Princes St. that says "Ocean Terminal" will have you there in a few minutes. "Hop-on Hop-off" also will take you there.

Besides Britannia, time permitting, in Edinburgh the major sights are the castle of course, and the Palace of Holyrood House. The Royal Mile goes from one to the other, downhill from the castle to the palace, and uphill from the palace to the castle. It is a very intersting walk with much history and much to see.

For something interesting and different in Edinburgh, consider The Vaults tour, a walking tour of the centuries-old vaults beneath the George IV bridge. Book through Mercat Tours, their kiosk is on the Royal Mile at the Mercat Cross at St. Giles Cathederal, near Starbucks of course. :rolleyes:

They offer several other interesting walking tours.

Save some time to explore the gorgeous Georgian-era New Town, a Unesco World Heritage Site along with the Old Town, which is the area surrounding the Royal Mile. Stroll up Calton Hill for some stunning views, and visit Greyfriars Kirkyard, an incredible historic graveyard and church.

All are within walking distance to each other.

 

In Glasgow, the Transport Museum has a wonderful collecton of vintage cars and busses, plus they have The Clyde Room, a stunning collection of models of ships built on the Clyde River, including the first Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Elizabeth 2.

And speaking of the Clyde and ships, try to find the time to visit the Titan Crane at the former John Brown shipyard in nearby Clydebank. You can get there from the city center by train and then walk or taxi to the shipyard, now sight of Clydebank College. The Titan Crane is a listed landmark, erected in 1907, and has stood sentry over the shipyard since. It is open to visitors (seasonal, check first!! but should be ok in Sept.) and the views from the top are awesome.

Glasgow is home to some fantastic architecture, most notably the art-nouveau style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. You can get information on a Macintosh tour if you like art nouveau.

 

Have fun! :)

 

 

 

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[Budget Queen]

Both these cities have Hop on Hop off buses that are a great value. Not sure what kind of "tour" you want?? In my opinion, not needed for these cities. There is the train between the two, but also the excellent City Link bus. They run specials all the time, and I've gotten their 1 pound special several times. Any "tour" is going to be much more.

[june1]

Go to the Edinburgh Tattoo in August if the time frame works out. It was one of the hightlights of our cruise last August. Also loved No. Ireland's beautiful Antrim coast, St. Peter Port, and Stonehenge.

[GlasgowGuy]

This is a general "help" question and I would appreciate any input. We are planning to spend some time in Glasgow and Edinburgh, post cruise next September. We are timid about renting a car (and driving over there!) Any suggestions for tour companies and must sees; moderately priced accomodations for 3(two of us and our adult son) and just any advice would be welcomed. Thanks in advance!

 

Hi there,

 

You won't need a car, much better to use the HoHo's and local transport. Glasgow has a fantastic underground service which will get you around quickly and cheaply. Regarding accommodation I would suggest trying Travelodge and Premier Inn, both often have special offers and there are a few around the city centre of both cities.

 

The train from Glasgow to Edinburgh is around 45 mins, bus takes roughly an hour. While in Edinburgh you should try to fit in the Mary King's Close tour, very interesting and it will give you an insight into old Edinburgh.

 

Have a great time.

[Budget Queen]

I have been to Glasgow the last three years, and stay at the Theaterland Holiday Inn Express, a block from the bus station (train station has a comp bus between the two). Great location and nice hotel. I have purchased this using their prepurchase option, which has significant savings. Paid around 79 pounds/night. I've had less baragins in Edinburg and only stayed there once. Easy to just go back and forth from cheaper Glasgow for me. :)

[tartanexile81]

Agree with much of what has beeen said. If you choose a centrally located hotel, transport in both Glasgow and Edinburgh is excellent but car parking is very expensive. Edinburgh is an amazing city full of history and Glasgow isn't far behind. The Holiday Inn Express on Picardy Place Edinburgh is a budget hotel in what I think is a really good location although haven't stayed there. It's just at the end of Princes Street around which most of the main sights and shops are located and close to Waverley station (main railway station in Edinburgh) as well as the hoho base and various bus routes.

[ILoveScotland]

I much prefer not going with a tour company, but that does mean a lot of homework prior to leaving home. As others have said Edinburgh and Glasgow are infinitely doable by walking or taking HOHO busses. I've also done day tours out of the city which can be booked at the local tourist office.

 

I agree that driving is tricky, but once out of the cities, I've not found it difficult, plus you get to explore some wonderful areas not on usual tours.

[Wiinblad]

:) Great information...thank you to all who posted. We are newbies to travelling "on our own", so suggestions from experience are really appreciated.

[euro cruiser]

We stayed at the Ambassador Hotel in Glasgow this spring (http://www.glasgowhotelsandapartments.co.uk/ambassador/index.htm). They have a huge triple room (on the first floor, in the building next door to the main building) that was perfect for us. It has three twin beds, plus a sitting area and large bathroom. We liked the location, on the northern edge of the botanical gardens. There was easy public transit from there to anywhere in the city.

 

In Edinburgh we rented an apartment, which was terrific. It's a primarily residential complex, with a few vacation rentals available. The rental office is right there in the building, which made it as easy as checking into a hotel. The downside is that it's about a mile from the heart of Edinburgh, but the price was fantastic and the apartment was wonderful (http://www.oakhillapartments.co.uk/).