Au Pairs in Glasgow. Glasgow on a budget.

Why be an au pair in Glasgow?

Glasgow is one of the biggest and best cities in the UK. It is famous for its buzzing nightlife, its beautiful architecture and some of the best museums in Europe. Not to mention, it’s the paradise of shopping!

Glasgow is without doubt, one the best destinations in the UK for young au pairs. The city has all the amenities a young person would be looking for and the cost of living is much cheaper than other big cities in the UK. Glasgow is very easy to travel to, with airlines like Ryanair, flying many flights a day to and from Glasgow. It has also great English schools where au pairs can improve their language skills.

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and the fourth largest in the United Kingdom. In the last few years, Glasgow has become one of the favourite destinations for tourists in the UK after London and Edinburgh. The city is vibrant of cultural events, arts, architecture, and much more. In 1999 it received the prize of ‘City of Architecture and Design’.

Here are a few tips on how an au pair can enjoy this amazing city on a low budget.

English Schools

Learning English is one of the main goals of an au pair who decides to move to Glasgow for her placement, so it’s important to choose a professional English school with qualified teachers and at affordable prices.

Live Language English School offers a wide range of courses for their students. If your focus is to improve your English and to develop the necessary skills to find the job you want, Live Language Job Club classes are what you're looking for. These classes focus on guiding you throughout your job search (CV tips, interview preparation, job search, and much more). The school offers English courses of all sorts: General English, Business English, IELTS and Cambridge Exam class preparation, day and evening classes. Live Language is located right in the city centre in Charing Cross, two steps away from Glasgow University and surrounded by all amenities (museums, shops, restaurants, bars).

All au pairs registered on www.KangarooAuPair.com who want to enrol to any English course at Live Language will get a 10% discount. Don’t miss this opportunity*!

Transports

Moving around in Glasgow is very easy and very cheap too. Depending on where you live, you will have different options for travelling around the city: bus, metro or train. Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (STP) is the main transport company in Glasgow and offers discounted fares for regular customers. For more information about their discounted fares, check their Travelcards page.

DISCOVER THE CITY FOR FREE

INDOORS

Museums

GOMA. Gallery of Modern Art has free admission and is opened 7 days a week. The museum hosts some of the best Scottish and international modern artists. On Saturdays, it also organizes workshops for kids for free. For more information visit GOMA website.

Cinemas

Glasgow Film Theatre. One of the oldest cinemas in Glasgow city, Glasgow Film Theatre offers a wide range of movies of all sorts (classics, art house, cult, etc.) for a very special price. If you’re aged between 15 and 21, you can sign up for a Youth Card and avail of nearly 50% discount on tickets.

Going to a gig

Glasgow night-life and music scene is very vibrant. Music lovers will find bars, pubs and clubs hosting live gigs at every corner of the city. If you’re on a budget and cannot afford to pay for expensive gigs, Bloc+ will become one of your favourite spots in town.  It is a restaurant, bar and music venue right in the city centre and is always free in before midnight. Go there if you like indie and rock music. If you prefer to listen to folk, blues, jazz while having a cup of tea, then Tchai Ovna is the right place for you. This Bohemian style venue asks for only a £2 donation to enjoy their free gigs.

OUTDOORS

Glasgow necropolis. If you want to spend some time in the open air doing something unusual, joining one of the many free walking tours in Glasgow Necropolis can be an unforgettable experience. The necropolis is a fascinating Victorian garden cemetery right beside Glasgow cathedral. It’s famous for its beautiful statues, monuments and architecture.

Polmadie Car Boot Sale. If you love all things vintage, here you’ll find what you’re looking for. Rare books, vinyl, vintage clothes, fruit & veggies, CDs, bric-a-brac, etc. This is the biggest car boot sale in Glasgow and it runs every Saturday, Sunday from 6am to 2:30pm & Wednesdays from 8am to 2pm.

Kelvingrove Park. This is ideal place for a picnic in the open air with your friends or for a quiet stroll at the weekends. Kelvingrove Park is located just beside Glasgow University and hosts many events and festivals throughout the year.

Eating out

Glasgow offers plenty of choice to young people who want to have a bite in a nice restaurant at affordable prices. If you want to grab a proper sandwich the best places to go are Piece and Where The Monkey Sleeps. Piece (Scottish name for sandwich) is well-known in Glasgow for serving some of the best sandwiches in town. You can have a gourmet sandwich for less than £5 right in the city centre, not far away from Charing Cross. Where The Monkey Sleeps is the perfect place for a sandwich if you love heavy metal! You can get bagels, paninis, salads and much more always for less than £5. If you want to go for something a bit more exotic, then The Banana Leaf is what you’re looking for. This tiny café offers Indian dishes like dosas and curries at amazing prices. The most expensive main won’t cost you more than £7! If you want to listen to live music and have a cheap meal, Stereo Café Bar is one of your best options in town. According to who’s playing, you might be able to enjoy a free gig and taste some of its delicious tapas for less than £4. The menu offers tapas for different tastes, Lebanese, Italian, vegetarian, curries, etc. Impossible not to find something to your liking.

So, if you haven’t done it yet, find your au pair placement in Glasgow on KangarooAuPair.com and enjoy this beautiful city!

*Kangaroo Au Pair invites all au pairs who want to avail of Live Language offer to contact us at support@kagarooaupair.com or call us at +44 (0)207 060 4877.