So Uber has arrived in Glasgow. I've used this service in many other cities but really wasn't sure…read moreabout using it in Glasgow as I've never really had an issue getting taxis. We'd finished a boozy brunch yesterday and I decided to book an Uber home. Firstly, you need to watch for surge pricing. This pops up as a notification when you try to search for a taxi but I think they could have another reminder in the process, just so you really know what you'll be paying. It came up with 1.5x surge (meaning you pay 1.5x the normal rate because there's a high demand). I just cancelled and waited a few minutes before checking again, and the surge period had finished. I like the app and find it really easy to use - no worrying about where your taxi is because you can see it on the map, no worrying about paying by card or having cash as it's all done in the app so you just hop out at the end. Our taxi arrived within a few minutes and we were on our way. A trip into the city centre for us with our usual taxi company is £12.50, this ride was just £14, so the prices aren't really too different (our taxi company had a 15 minute + wait). I'm not going to say that I'd use Uber all the time in Glasgow but they're definitely handy to have. Also, in my experience (probably 30+ rides with Uber in various cities) the drivers tend to keep the cars in excellent condition.

I visited Glasgow yesterday for a day trip and as we arrived at the bus station I thought I'd check…read moreif there was any Uber cars around and was pleasantly surprised to find there was about 10 cars in and around the area. Über has only recently arrived to Belfast so any time I've checked there is never any cars available. Our car arrived within minutes - I think this is my favourite thing about Uber - you can tell exactly how much time you have before your car is going to arrive. So you can finish off your drinks and walk outside exactly as your taxi arrives. Our driver was pleasant and chatty. He mentioned that he can review passengers and that passengers can also rate him. (Little did he know that we were Yelp Elites and he was getting reviewed anyway). The fair from the bus station to the west end area of Glasgow cost less that £5 and the receipt was emailed to me within minutes of getting out of the car. It just comes straight out of your bank so there's no worrying about stopping for cash. All in all a great experience with Uber and I'll definitely use them again!

It's only a little station but it's a good one. There's only two platforms and this is a terminus…read morestation so trains just shuttle back and forth taking passengers to Glasgow, Edinburgh or Motherwell, stopping at other small stations along the way. There's a staffed ticket office but there are machines to buy tickets from as well. The station also has bike racks, a small car park, a coffee kiosk, waiting rooms and free WiFi via the Cloud. You can reach Milngavie centre via an underpass just outside the station. Also right outside the station is a small but pretty little square with a couple of benches - possibly a nicer place to sit in sunny weather. It's a well kept station with baskets of flowers and plants around and is apparently a grade B listed building.

One of the slicker stations offered on the local line, Milngavie is well maintained and relatively…read moreaesthetically pleasing. Unsurprising, I guess, given the affluence of the area. With an elaborately decorated underpass leading into the town centre, it's a nice way to welcome the abudance of visitors the town gets who are preparing to start the West Highland Way. Indeed, it gets an extra star for the provision of bike lockers, which is obviously particularly handy in this location.

I ended up here by accident when hopping on the wrong train whilst their doors were closing - damn…read moremy eagerness to be on the move! It's a central station - opposite the Playdrome and a 5 minute walk from Clydebank Shopping Centre, and is right beside the bus station - which is handy when you need to get someplace else quick. The station itself is busy and has good areas to shelter in from the rain and cold. Not bad.

Clydebank doesn't have as many trains as its sister station Singer, but it does provide a quicker…read moreroute to Glasgow, passing through Yoker, Garscadden, Scotstounhill and Jordanhill before Hyndland. It's convenient for buses, the newsagent and the shopping centre. Unlike Singer, it has wheelchair access. A disgusting story; years ago, while waiting for a bus at night, I stared into the wall underneath Clydebank Train Station. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw tons of rats scurrying inbetween the bricks, their tails waggling and noses twitching. I continued to stare, mesmerised. It was like looking at one of those Magic Eye pictures when you realise there has been something jumping out at you all along.

Just off the queen street train station and right out the door your in the middle of the city…read more Loaded up with bars, restaurants, shopping and museums. The heart of the city center. Well it's kind of a mess right now as it's going through some major renovations. From what I've heard is things are being removed and replaced. Hopefully by the next time I've visited, it should be complete. The nice thing about this area, everything is all walking distance from each other. You can start off at a pub, move over to next. Get some shipping done, grab a meal and finish off at another pub. So many good restaurants that's all nearby. Both quick and easy places and sit down dining. Even loads of more upscale bars and restaurants. Just popping into different places and seeing what's there is really great. Major plus, with the train station ending there, it sure brings in loads of people. Daily and especially during the weekend.

This train station connects Glasgow with regional destinations such as Edinburgh and Inverness. It…read moreseems to serve as the secondary station behind Glasgow Central for the city. Queen Street's city-centre location is convenient as the two stations are geographically not far apart. It's a busy station most parts of the day every day as it's a hub for both routine and getaway travel. It's very close to several businesses and institutions (U of Strathclyde, Glasgow City Offices, etc.) making it a convenient commuting hub. Weekend getaways to the Highlands would begin here as well. The station saw 14 million-plus travelers in 2024, being fiercely taxed by revenge travel from COVID which saw only about 2 million travelers pass through in 2020/2021. I would not be surprised if the station caught up this year to the 16 million-plus travelers it saw in 2019 pre-COVID. It's the third busiest station in Scotland. The station, although it has been in operation almost two centuries since 1842, actually has a very modern, up-to-date feel thanks to recent renovations completed in October, 2021. The attractive facade on George St. is actually quite impressive and the spacious feel of the main terminal is quite nice. The amenities are plentiful enough if you want a coffee or a snack to take on the train (or while you await your train or the passenger you're meeting). The signage is reasonably decent allowing the novice the ability to navigate. We found its usage to get to Balloch and ultimately also to Inverness to be rather easy.

We flew out from here. We decided to go to the airport early since we were done with being out and…read moreabout while it was raining. We came here 3 hours before our flight, which is a bit excessive. We couldn't even check in our luggage until 2:30 before the flight. Afterwards we made our way to the security screening. There was only one lane open and it took about 30 minutes. There are some restaurants, but not much else to do. We ended up being here even longer since our flight was delayed over an hour due to strong winds.

Another day another airport. Well, the same that I was at a couple of days ago. The good thing…read moreabout this airport that getting through security is so much easier than LA. Even when you check in at the counter. The line isn't that long and there's always a good amount of someone working the counter. International airport and it's easier to maneuver, that's a win in my book. Also there's plenty of weigh stations that you can use for a pound to see if your luggage weight limits is correct before checking it in and having to readjusts. Security is upstairs. Scan your boarding pass to enter through before security. It's alway nice to have something that speedy and easy. The waiting area has a good amount of eating places. There's some fast food restaurants as well as sit down. Shopping is available as well with duty free at the beginning. What I don't like is they won't display your gate until it gets close to barding time. The airport isn't that big so it wouldn't be too much of a struggle trying to get to the correct one.

I don't know what it is about some subway stations but some of them suck and some of them are…read morepretty darn cool ~ Cessnock falls into the latter category thankfully. My first visit to Cessnock subway was quite a while ago (it was still referred to as the 'underground' then...) and my purpose for alighting at Cessnock was to visit a dear friend of mine who lived only a hop, skip & stumble from Cessnock's fair steps. Instantly I fell for (not over, for once) the beautiful Cessnock signage. Now I have only recently found out that that Cessnock is the only subway left that still retains its 'pre-modernisation livery and signage' (thank you Wiki!) That will be the reason why it appeals to me so ~ the signage is beautiful. I bet most folk don't even notice or take time to stop & wonder at it's beauty *sigh* Cessnock was opened in 1896 so that wee subway has been around a loooong time, shoogling folk from Cessnock to Buchanan Street and the like. It must be tired, poor thing. I mainly go to Cessnock now as it is the closest subway to Bellahouston Park/Leisure Centre/Palace of Art, being only a 15/20 min walk or short bus journey away. If ever you are at Cessnock subway then please take a minute to stop, look & appreciate it's beautiful signage, metal arch & steps before it is no longer...they have already removed one of the metal arches and there is apparently plans to do so with the other. Such a shame.

This tube stop advertises itself as being close to the Glasgow Science Centre, and is in close…read moreproximity to the STV and BBC buildings as well. They are building a new music auditorium down near SECC that should be up and running soonish which might make this a more popular stop. I quite enjoy the long stroll through the huge overpass at the Exhibition Centre train station before heading down that way to be honest, so I rarely go to this tube stop. Check out the the picture for details of the times that the tubes run here.

For many years, this travel agents has amused passersby with a large cardboard cut out of a bunch…read moreof men, half in suits and half in Hawaiian shorts. That is sadly gone now, although the shop has never quite shaken off the old fashioned, slightly yellowing appeal. Experts in package holidays, and longer flights, this is not a bucket shop- despite its proximity to the University, and offers a fairly broad range of deals: the staff don't have the same enthusiasm as the more informal shops, but are linked to major holiday companies. A good place for capturing a longer break, or arranging travel to exotic climes, this is a fixture on the Great Western Road and one to find a good family package.

Definitely, something of an institution this travel agents has been here for years. It may be…read moreyellowing, it may not look bright eyed and bushy tailed but it has some sort of old school charm about it. It's very lived in and homely (in the I'm too busy to clean my windows kind of way). I've never noticed it being particularly busy, or busy at all really, but it must keep business ticking over considering how long it's been here. This is not surprising given that the staff are very friendly, helpful and genuinely know their stuff. None of this - yes, one moment..I think it's close to...oh wait no - while they click away on computers or frantically flick through brochures. Instead of acquiring the same information you could have from reading their brochures you feel that the staff genuinely know what they are talking about. Always a major plus, in today's travel agent world. Plus, don't fall into the student 'honey trap', they cater for all folks and have good up-to-date knowledge about longer holidays, further afield places and long haul flights. They are also affiliated with bigger companies so can offer a range of good deals which won't break the bank. Perfect. If only they still had the cardboard cutout men in the window...

When considering my high points of 2009, undoubtedly in my top three is the opening of a kiosk in…read moreHyndland Train Station. Indeed the difference this has made to my quality of life has been astounding. No longer is there scrapping with fellow dreary commuters for the last Metro in the stand to brighten up the slog into work. Gone are the days of worrying about a quite colossal rumbling of the stomach interrupting a meeting, as I forget to have breakfast and leave myself with no options en route. And no more is the wait for the train enough to make you want to throw yourself in front of it, as time is spent reading the front covers of magazines I'd be too embarrassed to buy otherwise. And to be fair, Hyndland Train Station has always been one of the better ones on the local line circuit. Hidden just off Novar Drive, access to the station comes via a long tunnel which has been loudly decorated by the children of Hyndland Secondary School (all of whom must be hitting 40 soon, given the mural first appeared in the 80's). The people of Hyndland simply couldn't cope with the lack of facilities afforded to, for instance, the people of Yoker and Kilpatrick so needless to say there's a heated ticket office complete with a generous number of seats, both inside and outside. Proper seats as well, not those benches which resemble a football crossbar and ensure a numb backside for the length of your journey. The addition of a kiosk has unquestionably made Hyndland one of the best non-interchange stations on the line and if there's anywhere you are likely to see a commuter crack a smile, it's here. Still unlikely though.

Hyndland station is a small, two-platform island station serving the Hyndland and Broomhill areas…read more It's the closest station to Gartnavel hospital. It's quite a busy station for such a small one and is served by all services on the Argyle Line and North Clyde Line. From here it's easy to get to the centre of Glasgow, Edinburgh Waverley (although via a slightly slower route and it may be better to change at Partick), Balloch, Dalmuir, Helensburgh, Milngavie, Hamilton and on and on. The station has a small, indoor waiting room on the platform as well as a few outdoor benches. The waiting room has a staffed ticket office but there's a machine as well for those hours when no staff are available. There's also a small coffee kiosk on the platform which sells coffee, tea, small snacks and newspapers. The underpass that leads to the station has a 45 meter long tiled mural with a train theme that was created by students at Hyndland secondary school in 1990.