first question is where are you arriving FROM. Journey planners tend to route people coming in from NE England (via Edinburgh) into Queen St because it's a bit quicker to Glasgow but you can get from Edinburgh to Glasgow Central direct and that puts you a bit closer to your destination. According to both Google and Traveline the hotel is about 5 mins walk from Drumbreck rail station which is served from Central (6 minute journey) not Queen St. A taxi would also be a bit cheaper from Central than Queen St as it's closer, less than 4 miles. The rest doesn't look easy.

main scottish travel palnner is http://www.travelinescotland.com - sorry, I hate traveline software, it's some of the most user unfriendly I've come across - I know a Polish bus planner that I can user easier and that doesn't have an English option!! Anyway, to use traveline it's best to have the postcodes of the hotel and places you are visiting, it also struggles with railway stations as names.

Hi Sue,

You might find it useful to have a look at the SPT website at:

http://www.spt.co.uk/index.aspx

If you click on the journey planner then it will take you into the Traveline website which, as Steve suggests, isn't that easy to use unless you have some background knowledge already about the area youa ae visiting but it does have some useful transport maps that you can download.

I would suggest that the easiest thing for you might be to phone their Travel Centre at Buchanan Street bus station on 0141 333 3708 - I have found them very helpful with regards to any public transport (bus, train and underground) in the Greater Glasgow area and the advantage is that you will be speaking to someone local and knowledgeable about the area. The phone service only operates during standard office hours (9-5 Mon-Sat) even though the Centre is open for longer for inquiries in person.

Queen St and Central stations are linked by a regular frequent shuttle bus which is the easiest way of getting between the 2 of them. Glasgow Central is served direct by both East Coast and West Coast train services but presumably you've already bought a train ticket and are coming via Edinburgh? The fastest most frequent services between Edinburgh and Glasgow do run between Waverley/Haymarket and Queen Street (4 per hour) and though you can go direct to Central, there's much less choice of trains (approx 1 per hour for most of the day) and they can take close to 90mins rather than around 50mins to Queen St. Depending on what time you are arriving in Edinburgh the fastest way to get to Central is usually going to be via Queen St and the shuttle bus.

But depending on where exactly you are staying you might be quicker still to just get a bus from Queen Street straight there - it should only take about 20mins and would save a lot of messing around. If you phone the Travel Centre above they can give you details.

As for getting from the hotel to the crematorium then the easiest thing is probably to ask the hotel to book you a cab - if it's the one I'm thinking of at Craigton cemetery then it's only just over a mile away so won't cost much and will take you right there.

Getting to Rutherglen is more problematic - you'll be staying to the southwest of the city centre and they are to the southeast of it. You'll probably find that you'd have to go into the city centre and back out again or else get a 'cross country' bus that will literally take you all round the houses. It might be easier to suggest to your friends that you meet up in the city centre - there are lots of places you could meet for a meal or a quiet drink.

SM

SMa

Thanks a million for the very useful and comprehensive information. Yes my train is Harrogate York Edinburgh Glasgow. The one stop York to Glasgow was £120 single and £80 for the return journey to too expensive and that was standard.
As it is I paid £76 which is enough in my opinion. I would have prefered the 09.04 or the 10.04 but again absolutely sky high prices so have settled for the 11.04 and arrive Glasgow 15.35. Later than I would have prefered but prices dictated
What I did yesterday was to send an email Glasgow Taxi and they replied with all the times how far and cost etc. Least expensive Queen St to Sherbrook hotel £8
To Crematorium ££10
To Burnside either £12 or £15 I think.
I also found on line that the train from Central Station to Dumbreck Station which is apparently just a few hundred yards to the hotel and it runs every 30 minutes 00.07 and 00.37 and the journey takes 6 minutes and costs £1 36p per single or less than £2 return.
Apparently the 59 bus also runs near to the hotel in Sherbrook Avenue.
Will call the number you have given me so that if I find a better mode of transport.
I will take the train I think tomorrow and will walk down to Central as I only have a little overnight trolley case I may go into M&S from the Station and I think the Argyl St store would be best and I could then walk along to Central Station.
Take a taxi to the Crematorium and in fact depending what I am doing Thursday am I might go into town in the morning and then go from the city centre and the funeral is at 2pm.
This looks a beautiful hotel so may well decide to stay there and enjoy a little bit of pampering! I think I deserve it!
My train on Friday is 3pm so I will go by train I think and do a little shopping in Buchanan Street or where ever. Not often in a big city so make a change from Harrogate.

Thanks again

Warm regards

Sue

Never mind the Glasgow local info, where did you get your main rail info from???

according to National Rail Enquires, on the dates you give the standard off peak RETURN fare from Harrogate to Glasgow is £81.70 and is valid on any journey via York, including the direct York-Glasgow Central trains. There don't appear to be any peak hour restrictions on that journey.

see for yourself at http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query - just put in the stations as HGT and GLC , click the litt;e Gold button to add a return date then click Go. then click Check Fares, then click where it says As return from.. Click the little circles next to the price for 1005 from Harrogate and 1550 from Central, then scroll down a little as it may be off the screen but your total is displayed in the blue box - £81.70. That fare is actually flexible so you could use any of the trains shown or go vua Queen St.

You don't have time to buy it online and have it posted but that fare could be bought at Harrogate station if it has a ticket office or off the first conductor if not.

I bought my ticket on line on Friday night and believe me this was the best fare I could get. I was excluded from a lot of the trains due to the high price of the tickets. I did buy 2 single tickets and I looked at all the train booking agents but National Rail puts you through to East Coast.
I looked again yesterday and the fares were even higher!

Will look again but I did my best and had to pay £5 for express delivery as too late for normal post and Harrogate is one of the stations you can't pick up tickets from.

Thanks anyway

Sue

Thanks I have checked this and the best fare I can get is £80 single for the Harrogate/Glasgow via York Back the best fare is £40 making a total of £120
At the price I paid I am pretty happy and I could have got a first class ticket for £97 on Friday but not now.

Sue

So you didn't click the button for return fares then? The dearest price for this journey is £81.70 return - if you buy the off peak as a return ticket it is only £1 more than the single!!

I was hoping an agent had mis-sold, then we could have put a claim in for the £39 excess.

No I actually paid £71.30 PLUS £5 for express post so £76 30 in total
I did ring the Buchanan Bus Station but the Person I spoke to was only able to find out that the 59 bus goes very near to the Hotel and runs from Jamacia Street and takes around 20-30 minutes so I think it will either be the train or a taxi but again thanks for all your help. Now trying to print off a map for Burnside.
I think I am organised!
Sue

Hi Sue ... looks like you have ruled it out anyway, but the First Bus 59 service is not great. It's a half hourly service from the city centre and would take around 20 minutes to Pollokshields depending on time of day. However, although it stops on Jamaica Street, the most convenient stop for you would probably be on Union Street, between Central Station and Argyle Street. Timetables HERE just in case still of interest.

David

Sorry, I read the £76 as just one leg as you mentioned the £80 single price.

Thanks David I will take your word for it so it is either a taxi or the train. Probably taxi around £8 but I will be arriving and may just want to get from A - B .
looks like a nice hotel so will be pretty happy to spend the evening there. Probably will use the train to make other journeys into town 30 minute service and it just takes 6 mins and cost very little.

Thanks everyone must put some things in a bag now.

Sue

It may not be the most convenient location for public transport to Linn Crematorium Sue, but the Sherbrooke Castle certainly enjoys a good reputation. I hope that you will have a comfortable stay.

David

Thanks all! I arrived here at the Hotel without incident. Trains all on time and in fact I got an earlier one from Edinburgh. I in the end decided to stretch my legs and just walk a little bit in the city centre and not all the changes etc No GPO any more.
I then walked along to Central Station and believe it or not the train fare was 60p yes 60P When I came off the train I could see the turrets of the hotel and it is about 200 yards so fantastic and takes 6 minutes.
I have decided that tomorrow I will go into the city in the morning and then make my way out to the Crematorium from there.
I have a very large room in the hotel which is a traditional Hotel but to date the service check in etc is great.
I have paid nothing although I booked it through bookings.com
I only had to sign a form on check in to say that I would not smoke in the room (Dont in cany case)
How I would pay but no credit card no's taken or anything.
They have free use of the internet and there is a computer station just 10 - 15 yards from my room. Going to have dinner shortly.

Got into the Tourist Centre in George Square and I see some nice things so will do a spot of shopping for Christmas.
I am going to Australia on the 24th November till the 18th Jan so need to shop for Christmas now!!

Thanks to all.

Sue

I don't know if you have caught up with your friends from Burnside or made arrangements to see them but if you're up for the walk, there is one train an hour from Maxwell Park and Pollokshields West stations to Burnside. It's a 15 minute train journey and the trains are around quarter to the hour.

Thanks for that. I spoke to them today and there will be a meal after the funeral tomorrow. I may manage to see Celia again before I leave on Thursday but even to go to the house we are more likely to go back to the Daughters house. It has been a long week for them and I feel that they need some time when all is over.
It is interesting to see that there is always a means to an end and Holiday Truth folks like all of you are so willing to give your assistance and help to people like me when asked.
I now know why Glasgow is so busy this week and why the Hotels are so expensive apparently there is a big conference on! The Hotel is full but quiet at the moment as apparently there is a match at Ibrox and it is so near to this hotel. Mystery solved. Could not understand some of the prices.

Sue

Yes, there are around 3000 delegates in the city for the World Parkinson Congress at the SECC. And quite a gathering at Ibrox tonight too !!

David

It has also been a local holiday weekend in the Glasgow area so a lot of work places were closed Friday and Monday, along with the schools and those of us in South Lanarkshire then had two in-service days tagged on (they only have 7 days back at school before the next holiday!) so there would have been a lot of families around the city as well.

Got home last night with no delays anywhere even on the local train from Dumbreck! Got a DEAL the first 60p turns out the guy recognised I must be in the SENIOR range but I should have had to show a card of some sort The funeral I went for was huge HE WAS A GREAT MAN and it showed.
I am back from Glasgow with not a mark on me!! The Hotel was great. Got my taxi to the Crem. and a taxi back from Burnside which only cost £8 as it was an out of town taxi or I suppose private. I had been told £15 but that was from Glasgow Taxi.
Yesterday I took the train again into the Central Station and put my bag in the left luggage. Did a bit of retail therapy not for me but for those 3 little Granddaughters. Going to Ireland on the 29th Oct. and I always take them a gift.
I have noted that the prices for hotels in Glasgow have dropped dramatically!! so it was just bad luck that the European match was on and this allowed the hotels to inflate their prices!
The one outstanding thing for me was that I had forgotten just how friendly and helpful the Glaswegians are!! Many examples of that and so many humerous moments!!
14 years since I had been there

Sue

Glad to hear that your travels went well, Sue. You would see a lot of changes in Glasgow since you were last here. Perhaps you will stay longer next time and see more of the place. Hope your travels to Ireland are as trouble free.

David