Every year, numerous holidays are celebrated in Glasgow. Below are the main dates for these festivities:
January 1: New Year's Day (national)The New Year is celebrated with enthusiasm in Scotland! In the streets, the pubs, and the restaurants, the population comes together to dance and cheer in the new year. And to have time to recover, 2 January is also a holiday.
Friday before Easter: Good Friday (national)Scotland celebrates Good Friday instead of Easter Monday (as the rest of Great Britain does).
May 1: May Day (national)To celebrate the arrival of spring, the main Scottish cities have traditional parades: kilts and bagpipes are all around!
Last Monday in May: Spring bank holiday (national)Historically a day of bank closure, the day has become a holiday for all of Great Britain.
First Monday in August: Summer bank holiday (national)The holiday (day off for workers) is on the first Monday of the month in Scotland and the last Monday of the month in the rest of Great Britain.
November 30: Saint Andrew's Day (national)Saint Andrew's Day is celebrated throughout the country. Family dinners, public speeches, traditional dances, theatre events, and a visit to the local pub are all on the agenda!
December 25: Christmas (national) 26 December: Boxing Day (national)As of the Middle Ages, this holiday was the day when a present or gratuity was given to an employee, or a gift was given to the needy. In addition, it was a day for the distribution of food and monetary donations to the poor. In recent years, it has also become known as the day the post-Christmas sales are launched in Great Britain.
| Month | Min. Average Temperature (°C/F°) | Max. Average Temperature (°C/F°) | Average Rains (MM) | Best Time to Travel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2 | 7 | 57 | Not the best period to go |
| February | 2 | 8 | 42 | Not the best period to go |
| March | 3 | 9 | 51 | Not the best period to go |
| April | 5 | 12 | 41 | Good period to go
|
| May | 7 | 15 | 51 | Good period to go
|
| June | 10 | 18 | 51 | Good period to go
|
| July | 12 | 19 | 57 | Good period to go
|
| August | 12 | 19 | 65 | Good period to go
|
| September | 10 | 10 | 67 | Good period to go
|
| October | 8 | 13 | 65 | Good period to go
|
| November | 5 | 10 | 63 | Not the best period to go |
| December | 2 | 7 | 58 | Not the best period to go |
The Glasgow International Airport is located 11 kilometres (about 7 miles) northwest of the city centre.
The city of Glasgow enjoys an excellent public transport network. It's the ideal way to discover Scotland's largest city!
Downtown Glasgow has many one-way streets and a small number of parking spaces. Car rentals are best used only to leave the city for a visit to the Scottish countryside.
The First Glasgow bus company manages a large network of buses covering the entire city with 60 lines, including night buses that take over for the usual bus lines at 1:00 a.m. Buses come often and timetables are reliable.
Prices vary depending on the destination: short routes ‘intra-muros' cost 1.85 GBP. Day passes (valid until 1:00 a.m.) cost 4.50 GBP.
You can buy your ticket from the bus driver, but be sure to have correct change.
The Glasgow subway, nicknamed ‘Clockwork Orange' due to the colour of the trains and the shape of the line, has just one line that runs in a circle serving 15 stations in the centre, west, and south of the city. With the Smartcard, a one-way adult fare is 1.40 GBP. There is also a day pass for 2.70 GBP. Paper tickets cost more: 1.80 GBP for a one-way fare, 3.00 GBP for a round-trip, and 4.00 GBP for a day pass. You can get tickets from distributors or in the stations.
The subway is open from 6:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Taxis can be easily hailed in the streets of the city or found in reserved taxi stands. A reliable means of transport, they are, of course, more expensive than public transport. Daytime fares cost 6 to 7 GBP for just under two miles (three kilometres) in the city centre. Prices are 30-50% higher at night.
There are numerous bike lanes set up in and around the city. Next Bike offers more than 500 bikes in self-service, spread around 43 stations across town. Count GBP 1 for 30 minutes and GBP 10 for 24 hours (for more information, visit https://www.nextbike.co.uk/en/glasgow/).
Furthermore, various independent shops offer bike rental services. Count GBP 20 per day on average.
Once in Glasgow, don't hesitate to get in touch with tourism professionals for information and help in organising your stay.
Glasgow iCentreThe official tourism site in Scotland is a treasure trove of information for Glasgow.
The currency used in the United Kingdom is the British Pound (GBP).
1 CZK = 0,03 GBP
1 GBP = 33,33 CZK
The above exchange rate is given for information because is variable.
See your doctor before you travel. It is also recommended to take out insurance covering medical expenses and repatriation before your trip. Glasgow counts several hospitals and medical institutions, as well as quality medical practitioners and health specialists.
VaccinationThere are no vaccination requirements for visitors to the United Kingdom.
For more information, contact Air France's international vaccination centre:
There are no food safety risks in Glasgow.
WaterTap water is safe to drink in Scotland. In some regions, the water may be ‘peaty' and slightly discoloured, but it remains safe to drink.
Some citizens of certain countries may need a visa to enter the territory of the United Kingdom.
For more information, check the website of the UK government information service:
https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y
To travel serenely in the United Kingdom, check the website of the Foreign Ministry of your country.
Tipping
In Scotland, tipping is only common in restaurants, where one generally tips 10 to 15% of the bill. In bars and taxis, tipping is not expected.