Travel tips · Glasgow · United Kingdom
Glasgow travel tips: what to know before you go
The etiquette, money and practical details that make the first day easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Glaswegians have a reputation for friendliness and dark, quick humour, and strangers will happily chat at a bus stop or bar. The city has a strong working-class and industrial identity, deep football loyalties and a creative scene built around its art school and music venues.
Key facts
- Language
- English
- Currency
- GBP
- Plugs
- Type G sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink and is soft and good-tasting.
- Emergency
- 999 or 112
Things to know
- In pubs, order and pay at the bar; table service is less common outside restaurants.
- If you join a group in a pub, expect to take your turn buying a round of drinks.
- Avoid wearing Celtic or Rangers colours casually, and steer clear of football-related sectarian chat.
- Queue for buses and at counters; pushing in is frowned on.
- Scotland is a separate nation within the UK; calling Scots 'English' causes offence.
- Most of the city's major museums, including Kelvingrove, the Riverside Museum, the Burrell Collection and GoMA, are free.
Tipping
Around 10% is usual in restaurants with table service; check the bill first, as some add a discretionary service charge. Tipping is not expected for drinks at the bar or in cafés with counter service.
Language
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aye | Yes |
| Wee | Small |
| Cheers | Thanks |
| Messages | Grocery shopping |
| Dreich | Grey, damp and miserable weather |
What to wear
Dress for changeable weather: a waterproof jacket and layers are needed in every season, along with shoes that cope with wet pavements.
Practical details
- Plugs and voltage
- Type G sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Drinking water
- Tap water is safe to drink and is soft and good-tasting.
- Emergency number
- 999 or 112
- Phone and internet
- Mobile coverage and 4G/5G are good across the city; many cafés, museums and the Subway stations offer free Wi-Fi.
- Time zone
- Europe/London
Glasgow is generally welcoming for visitors, but keep an eye on bags in busy shopping streets and late-night areas. Some streets around the city centre can be rowdy at closing time on weekend nights, and football match days bring large crowds.
Entry requirements
Visa and passport rules depend on your nationality and change often. Check United Kingdom's official government guidance and your own government's travel advice before booking.
Plan the trip
Questions travellers ask
+Do you tip in Glasgow?
Around 10% is usual in restaurants with table service; check the bill first, as some add a discretionary service charge. Tipping is not expected for drinks at the bar or in cafés with counter service.
+Can you drink the tap water in Glasgow?
Tap water is safe to drink and is soft and good-tasting.
+What plugs are used in Glasgow?
Type G sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
+What language is spoken in Glasgow?
English.