We are also interested in a quick tour (self-guided) of Glasgow the day of our arrival, 21 September. Cameron House customer service (via email) was very helpful and said a short taxi ride away is the train station to Glasgow, and also there were things to do around the hotel. It looks like a lot of travel and effort to get to Glasgow (on no sleep), but we will probably do that. So far, I have no suggestions about what to do in the half day--will research that--but am interested in others' experience of getting from the airport to Cameron House to Glasgow back to Cameron House.
Once again, I would say that a half day amount of time to get to Glasgow from Edinburgh is not enough time to be worthwhile, I assume you mean about four hours half day? It takes about an hour by car or train to get there, traffic jams and rush hour not being in the picture. It is a large city and you cannot just go around on foot, it is too spread out and even the museums are not in the center. I actually learnt to drive in Glasgow. I lived in Glasgow for three years. The architecture of the city is great, showing the buildings and especially the tenements people lived in when Glasgow was a rich industrialized city. We lived in a flat in a Georgian home in a Georgian Crescent rather like those you see in Bath. But the main reason anyone should visit Glasgow is for the Excellent museums and a half day would not be enough to even see one. For future visitors on the Scottish tour, I recommend arriving several days early and being in Glasgow for at least two full days.
We are thinking about taking this trip in 2019 and going to Glasgow & Oban early before arriving at Cameron House on Loch Lomond for the start of Tauck's tour. So I have started doing some research about Glasgow and also the Isles of Mull and Iona.
We are thinking about taking this trip in 2019 and going to Glasgow & Oban early before arriving at Cameron House on Loch Lomond for the start of Tauck's tour. So I have started doing some research about Glasgow and also the Isles of Mull and Iona.
Kalcat, if you are going in 2019 you might also consider a tour that our UK TD told us about that is suppose to start in 2019. It's a small ship tour that starts in Edinburgh, goes counter-clockwise around Scotland hitting many of the islands then ends in Glasgow. We probably won't see the detailed itinerary until this winter or spring. I'm thinking it would be a good one to pair with an Ireland trip - just hop a ferry between Glasgow and northern Ireland at the end of the tour. Something to consider.
We are also interested in a quick tour (self-guided) of Glasgow the day of our arrival, 21 September. Cameron House customer service (via email) was very helpful and said a short taxi ride away is the train station to Glasgow, and also there were things to do around the hotel. It looks like a lot of travel and effort to get to Glasgow (on no sleep), but we will probably do that. So far, I have no suggestions about what to do in the half day--will research that--but am interested in others' experience of getting from the airport to Cameron House to Glasgow back to Cameron House.
Have you checked with Tauck? Tauck provides transport from the airport to Cameron House, regardless of when you arrive. If you arrange for your own ground transportation from the airport to Glasgow and back to the airport or start and end a local tour of Glasgow at the airport, Tauck might still pick you up at the airport or possibly somewhere else like the train station. You might need to store your bags at the airport if they can't be stored in a tour car. It doesn't hurt to ask. It would be a waste of time and money to go to Cameron House first then back to tour Glasgow, then back to Cameron House.
Another option is to check again with the Cameron House. If they handle or also deal with the company that handles Tauck airport transfers, it might be possible for them to transport your bags to Cameron House, then arrange for transport into Glasgow and follow-on transportation to Cameron House. Lots of possibilities- just a matter of time and money.
First check with Tauck then check again with concierge, then local (private) tour providers to see what they can arrange. They are usually very accommodating. We arranged with the concierge at the Old Ground for transportation to Bunratty Castle upon our arrival in Ennis for the Ireland trip- the driver was the one who picked us up at the airport earlier in the day!
However . . . . you don't want to wear yourself out before the tour starts.
Uber is popular, not sure how the airport views being picked up there because cars certainly cannot linger outside British airports like we often see happen in the US despite so cAlled extra security. But you should easily get an Uber from Cameron to the airport.
Kalcat, if you are going in 2019 you might also consider a tour that our UK TD told us about that is suppose to start in 2019. It's a small ship tour that starts in Edinburgh, goes counter-clockwise around Scotland hitting many of the islands then ends in Glasgow. We probably won't see the detailed itinerary until this winter or spring. I'm thinking it would be a good one to pair with an Ireland trip - just hop a ferry between Glasgow and northern Ireland at the end of the tour. Something to consider.
Kalcat, if you are going in 2019 you might also consider a tour that our UK TD told us about that is suppose to start in 2019. It's a small ship tour that starts in Edinburgh, goes counter-clockwise around Scotland hitting many of the islands then ends in Glasgow. We probably won't see the detailed itinerary until this winter or spring. I'm thinking it would be a good one to pair with an Ireland trip - just hop a ferry between Glasgow and northern Ireland at the end of the tour. Something to consider.
Claudia, we've now had a chance to look at the new small ship cruise for 2019, but we're not really ocean-going people and don't want to spend that much time trying to find our sea legs (LOVE the river cruises, though, and are headed out for Rhine & Moselle trip on May 13 this year). Also, we've already covered Ireland thoroughly and loved it.
So I just called and signed up for A Week in Scotland departing May 26, 2019. They've made an itinerary change for 2018 and presumably 2019 with starting hotel in Glasgow instead of Cameron House, which seems like a good decision based on reviews and also the comments above. We do plan to arrive early and do Mull & Iona, as well as the Jacobite Steam Train.
Comments
The San Francisco Chronicle had a nice feature article about Glasgow yesterday with suggestions on what to do there in one day: http://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/One-Day-One-Place-Exploring-visual-culture-of-11823956.php
West Coast Tours also has hop on/hop off bus tours of the city: http://www.westcoasttours.co.uk/great-days-out/city-sightseeing-glasgow/#
Kalcat, if you are going in 2019 you might also consider a tour that our UK TD told us about that is suppose to start in 2019. It's a small ship tour that starts in Edinburgh, goes counter-clockwise around Scotland hitting many of the islands then ends in Glasgow. We probably won't see the detailed itinerary until this winter or spring. I'm thinking it would be a good one to pair with an Ireland trip - just hop a ferry between Glasgow and northern Ireland at the end of the tour. Something to consider.
Have you checked with Tauck? Tauck provides transport from the airport to Cameron House, regardless of when you arrive. If you arrange for your own ground transportation from the airport to Glasgow and back to the airport or start and end a local tour of Glasgow at the airport, Tauck might still pick you up at the airport or possibly somewhere else like the train station. You might need to store your bags at the airport if they can't be stored in a tour car. It doesn't hurt to ask. It would be a waste of time and money to go to Cameron House first then back to tour Glasgow, then back to Cameron House.
Another option is to check again with the Cameron House. If they handle or also deal with the company that handles Tauck airport transfers, it might be possible for them to transport your bags to Cameron House, then arrange for transport into Glasgow and follow-on transportation to Cameron House. Lots of possibilities- just a matter of time and money.
First check with Tauck then check again with concierge, then local (private) tour providers to see what they can arrange. They are usually very accommodating. We arranged with the concierge at the Old Ground for transportation to Bunratty Castle upon our arrival in Ennis for the Ireland trip- the driver was the one who picked us up at the airport earlier in the day!
However . . . . you don't want to wear yourself out before the tour starts.
Thanks, Claudia!! I'll keep an eye out for that.
Claudia, we've now had a chance to look at the new small ship cruise for 2019, but we're not really ocean-going people and don't want to spend that much time trying to find our sea legs (LOVE the river cruises, though, and are headed out for Rhine & Moselle trip on May 13 this year). Also, we've already covered Ireland thoroughly and loved it.
So I just called and signed up for A Week in Scotland departing May 26, 2019. They've made an itinerary change for 2018 and presumably 2019 with starting hotel in Glasgow instead of Cameron House, which seems like a good decision based on reviews and also the comments above. We do plan to arrive early and do Mull & Iona, as well as the Jacobite Steam Train.