Ask Lonely Planet: Cosmopolitan Glasgow burns bright

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is part of Glasgow's relaxed West End area. Photo / Supplied

We're travelling to Scotland in September to be part of the year-long Homecoming Scotland celebrations. Can you suggest any must-see sights in and around the Glasgow area? Trish Lamont

The year 2009 is a great time to visit Scotland. The country is hosting an ongoing programme of events to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Scottish bard, Robert Burns, and welcoming visitors with Scottish heritage from around the globe.

Glasgow is a wonderfully cosmopolitan city that has left its reputation as a rough-and-tumble town far behind.

Many visitors to the city pay homage to Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, with visits to the Glasgow School of Art and the Willow Tearooms, two of his best-known buildings.

An afternoon perusing the old merchant city district, with its ornate architecture and lively shopping, bar and restaurant scene, is a must.

Home to Glasgow University, the Botanic Gardens and Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, the West End has a relaxed pace centred on the Byres Rd area.

Over to the south of the city, at the Pollock Country Park, the Burrell Collection is a treasure trove of more than 9000 artworks donated to the city by shipping merchant and obsessive collector William Burrell in 1944.

There are many excellent day trips and overnight stays on offer. Edinburgh is only a 45-minute train trip east from Glasgow, and it would also be well worth hiring a car and driving to Loch Lomond, Loch Ness and Glen Coe.

While you could take in the sights on a day trip, it would be more rewarding to spend the night in the Fort William area.

If you feel like making a Homecoming pilgrimage, Robert Burns Cottage is less than an hour down the west coast in Ayrshire.

Transit in the United States
I am flying Auckland to Dublin in October and will be in transit in LA and Chicago. A friend mentioned that I will still need a visa for the States, even though I will be in transit only. If so, do I have to apply for the visa in advance or can I just sort it out on the way through? Marie Burns

Most travellers passing through the US in transit either require a transit visa or are from a country that is part of the Visa Waiver Programme.

The VWP enables nationals of certain countries, including New Zealand, to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. Your passport will need to have been purchased relatively recently, as it needs to be machine-readable. Get in touch with your passport-issuing agency if you have any doubts about whether your passport is machine-readable.

In addition to the VWP, you will also need to apply online for an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), which is free. The ESTA application is very straightforward, and looks a bit like an online departure card.

If you will be travelling with a non-machine readable passport, you will need to apply for a transit visa. The best advice is to have a look at both options and decide whether it is worth your while applying for an electronic passport to be able to travel on a VWP, rather than completing the rigorous paperwork involved in applying for a transit visa.