Edinburgh and Glasgow, separated by less than 80km (50 miles), are the primary cities of Scotland and significant metropolises in the United Kingdom, as well. Each has an increasingly busy international airport and a city center railway terminal that regularly receives trains traveling north from London, other cities in England, and from places elsewhere in Scotland.
Although Scotland likes to think of itself as a separate country, the central United Kingdom government in London regulates all issues regarding international visitors and immigrants, and the same rules apply to travel to Scotland as to traveling in any part of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
This section is devoted to the when, where, and how of your trip -- as well as the advanced planning required to get your traveling act together and take it, literally, on the road.
Ecotourism -- Scotland has begun to capitalize on "Green Tourism" but, as such, it doesn't apply to visits to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
You can find ecofriendly travel tips, statistics, and touring companies and associations -- listed by destination under "Travel Choice" -- at the TIES website, www.ecotourism.org. Ecotravel.com is part online magazine and part ecodirectory that lets you search for touring companies in several categories (water-based, land-based, spiritually oriented, and so on). Also check out Conservation International (www.conservation.org) -- which, with National Geographic Traveler, annually presents World Legacy Awards (www.wlaward.org) to those travel tour operators, businesses, organizations, and places that have made a significant contribution to sustainable tourism.
Pre-Departure Checklist
Did you find out your daily ATM withdrawal limit in dollars, keeping in mind the pound's recently strong exchange rate?
To check in at the airport with an e-ticket, do you have the credit card you bought your ticket with or a frequent-flier card?
If you purchased traveler's checks, have you recorded the check numbers, and stored the documentation separately from the checks?
Did you make sure your favorite attraction is open? Call ahead for opening and closing times, especially for travel off-season.
Do any hotel, theater, restaurant, or other arrangements need to be booked in advance -- especially if you're going to Edinburgh in August?
