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Europe is the top destination for Americans seeking cultural immersion and old-world charm this summer, but we totally understand if you’re not exactly sold on the usual Paris-London-Rome combo.
I live in Paris myself, and people may have their reasons to love it or hate it, but it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Still, I understand why some people think it’s a bit overrated and touristy, especially after all Emily in Paris schtik.
Rome isn’t that bad, believe it or not, but if they start charging Instagrammers to take pictures at the Trevi Fountain, it’s time to wrap it up.
The problem for (most) Americans is that more often than not these are their only points of entry into Europe. As in, they operate the most non-stop Transatlantic flights… with a few exceptions.
This summer you will fly directly to one of the coolest underdog cities in Europeand it just so happens to happen in rugged, rainy Scotland. No stopovers at Charles de Gaulle Airport or Heathrow Airport required:
Welcome to the New York of Europe
Do you want to be cooler than your friends this summer?
Give Europe’s tried and true cities a try and spend a long weekend – all week, why not – getting all riled up, scanning burgers at 2am and chatting to strangers in smoky pub gardens in Glasgow.
Listen, I love Edinburgh myself. It’s a literal Gothic fever dream, what with the tall spires, cobblestone streets, hilltop castle and all, but if i’m looking for real fun and a slightly chaotic city break that will leave me reeling for months, glasgow is my favorite place.
No, it is not the capital, but it is the largest, most industrial center and economic powerhouse. Edinburgh has about half a million inhabitants. The Glasgow metropolitan area includes more than 1.2 million. There is simply no comparison.
It’s no wonder they call it the New York of Europe:
Think towering skyscrapers, Victorian sandstone facades and graffiti-covered alleyways. New York City-esque, but on a much smaller scale. Cozier and much less pretentious.
Even the subway just makes sense.
It’s the only other city in Britain outside London with a subway, the iconic, quirky ‘Clockwork Orange’, as the locals call it:
Apart from the usual half-cocked drunks wandering the subway at night, and the stench of chips and lager, what’s unique about it is that there are only two lines, running both clockwise and anti-clockwise. Why does this matter?
As you’ll soon realize, Glasgow seems built around the convenience and survival of night owls.
You happen to be lulled to sleep on the way home from a West End pub crawl, all you have to do is wait for the clock’s hands to line up again to get off or change lines to get home. Not that it’s ever happened to me personally, mind you.
Pub crawls and Harry Potter sights
I’ve already brushed it off, but if you think New York City’s nightlife is the best thing that ever happened to you in your twenties, wait until you’re three pints deep and blue-eyed in the heart of Glasgow’s pub-lined West End on a normal weekend.
From dirty, poorly lit pubs such as The Belle, where you can enjoy yourself Scottish pub fare As you guzzle copious amounts of draft beer into the winding cobbled streets around Ashton Lane, where it’s all about live music, student life and greasy takeaways, this is the perfect send-off you need to say goodbye to your carefree years.
That’s Glasgow at night.
If you’re heading out during the day, the West End is home to the University of Glasgow, a Harry Potter-esque campus not yet featured in the Scottish-born, world-famous saga. feels just like a Hogwarts set piece.
In Finnieston you get what is essentially Glasgow’s ‘cool strip’ for food and drink.
It offers views of the River Clyde, the busy waterway that bisects the Scottish metropolis, and the backdrop of historic industrial cranes that virtually carried Glasgow through the Industrial Revolution, and rusted heritage sites, only adds to the overall atmosphere.
The Glasgow Mural Trail is also not to be missed. From the iconic St Mungo mural, which celebrates Scotland’s patron saint, to the photorealistic Strathclyde Bear, it’s a colorful walk that rivals Brooklyn’s edgiest street art scenes.
Glasgow isn’t all graffiti and Finnieston pubs either: nearby, Glasgow Cathedral happens to be the country’s most famous pubs. eldest still in operation.
A Gothic cemetery surrounded by a sprawling metropolis, a literal City of the Dead littered with ornate mausoleums and richly detailed tombs, it’s almost spooky to wander through, and if you’re not sure where to find it, just look for that signature green roof and monumental spire rising above the skyline.
Now, no more whining.
How on earth can you get to Glasgow this season without one transatlantic flight and two painfully long trains?
How to get to Glasgow non-stop this season
United Airlines has relaunched its non-stop flights to Glasgow for summer 2026, and they will be operational from May.
It is only in the summer and runs from May 9 to October 2026but it’s a daily service and it’s the first US airline to serve Glasgow since 2019. As for Delta’s airport of choice, how does the mega-connection hub Newark Liberty International Airport sound?
Here you will find everything you need to know about the route:
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) → Glasgow Airport (GLA)
- Aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX8
- Frequency: daily in summer
- Return rate (average): $600 – $1,100 in Economy
Make sure you get your UK ETA in advance
If you’re heading to Europe this summer, check the latest travel regulations in effect at your destination via the Entry Requirement Checker.
ETAs, mandatory fingerprints, multi-page document lists… the bureaucracy governing travel to the Old Continent is changing quicklyand you better stay informed if you plan to board your flight without any problems.
You, for example, actually can’t fly to Glasgow without applying for a travel permit in advance. After all, Scotland is still part of the United Kingdom, so British ETA rules apply, so you better get your documents in quickly if a trip to Glasgow is on your summer bucket list this year.
