Glasgow or Oxford?

Neither city is a place for a beach, and the difference is in the kind of water. From Glasgow, a train takes about an hour to reach the old Clyde resorts of Largs, Troon and Ayr, with promenades, views to Arran and a cold sea best enjoyed from the sand. Oxford is about as far from the sea as you can get in England, so swimming there means a summer dip in the Thames at Port Meadow, the Cherwell or the open-air pool at Hinksey.

Glasgow gives you more variety and more reasons to plan meals around neighbourhoods. Its South Asian cooking has deep roots, Italian families shaped its cafés and chip shops, and Finnieston serves modern Scottish plates built on west coast fish, game and beef. The South Side and the West End add relaxed local places and a serious whisky selection.

Oxford eats more simply. The best meals are pub ones, such as a Sunday roast by the river or ale under low beams, along with lunch from the stalls of the Covered Market. Cowley Road brings in cheap international food, but expect solid meals rather than a food destination.

Oxford has the more striking sightseeing, because so much of it is concentrated in one place. The Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian, the Sheldonian and Christ Church stand within minutes of each other in honey-coloured stone, and the Ashmolean, the Pitt Rivers and the Natural History Museum are far stronger than a city this size would suggest.

Glasgow's appeal is Victorian rather than medieval. It has grand sandstone streets, the huge free collection at Kelvingrove and the Burrell's medieval treasures out in Pollok Country Park. Mackintosh buildings give it a signature of its own, but the highlights are spread across the city and none is as famous as Oxford's skyline.

This is where the two differ most. Glasgow treats a night out as a main event, with loud, friendly pubs, polished bars in the Merchant City, late student clubs around Sauchiehall Street and an underground techno and house scene that brings in DJs from across Europe. Clubs close around 3am, and weekends are packed.

Oxford's evenings revolve around historic taverns and riverside pubs, with only a few late bars and small clubs on Cowley Road. It quietens noticeably outside term, and the centre is usually calm by midnight.

Glasgow has proper wild country nearby. Loch Lomond is about 40 minutes away, with Ben Lomond and Conic Hill above it and the Trossachs just beyond, while the West Highland Way begins on the city's northern edge. Ferries cross to Arran for the climb up Goatfell.

Oxford's outdoors is gentle and pastoral. You can walk from the centre to Port Meadow and Christ Church Meadow, take flat towpath rides along the Thames and go punting on the Cherwell. The Cotswolds, the Chilterns and the Ridgeway offer long, easy walks rather than mountains.

Both make good bases, but Oxford has the longer and denser list. Blenheim Palace is about twenty minutes away, Cotswold villages such as Bibury and Chipping Campden are within an hour, and London is an hour by train. Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Windsor and Bath can all be done in a day.

Glasgow's trump card is Edinburgh, under an hour by train, with Stirling Castle and Linlithgow Palace equally close. New Lanark, Culzean Castle and the islands of Bute and Arran add variety, though the island trips make for long days.

Glasgow has a slight edge with children, mainly because its big museums are free and hands-on. The Riverside Museum has trams and a tall ship, Kelvingrove has a Spitfire hanging from the ceiling and the Science Centre is built for young visitors. You will need indoor plans for rainy days, and the steep streets are hard work with a buggy.

Oxford is small, safe and easy to walk, and the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum, the Pitt Rivers and an afternoon punting usually go down well. Harry Potter fans will spot Christ Church, but most other family outings, such as the wildlife park or the studio tour, mean leaving the city.

Oxford is the easier city to get around. Its centre is small and flat, several streets are closed to through traffic, and you can cross it on foot in about twenty minutes. Bikes and frequent buses cover the rest, and the station is a short walk away.

Glasgow's grid centre is walkable, though some streets climb steeply to the north. The little circular Subway serves the West End and Govan, and suburban trains reach the South Side and the coast. Buses are run by several companies with separate fares, which takes some getting used to.

Glasgow is the better shopping city. Buchanan, Sauchiehall and Argyle Streets form a long pedestrian loop of department stores and big names, while Princes Square and the Argyll Arcade add Victorian arcades. The West End has the vintage clothes and independent boutiques, and the Barras weekend market offers rougher bargain hunting.

Oxford's centre is mostly chains, so its appeal lies in the details: the Covered Market traders, antique maps and prints, and the enormous basement room at Blackwell's. For designer labels, shoppers head to the outlet village at Bicester.

Glasgow is noticeably easier on the budget, mostly because of where you sleep. Its hotels are usually cheaper than Oxford's, except when a big concert or match is on, and curry houses and pub lunches keep meals reasonable. Most of its major museums are free.

In Oxford, rooms are scarce and university events push prices up, so many visitors stay out by the ring road or come for the day. Once you are there, the museums are free and walking costs nothing, but college entry and library tours add up over a few days.

Glasgow is a music city above all. It has the Barrowland Ballroom and a deep circuit of small rooms and arenas, folk sessions in pubs and Celtic Connections each winter. It is also home to Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and two major orchestras.

Oxford's great live experience is quieter and older. Choirs with world reputations sing Evensong in Christ Church, Magdalen and New College, and there are concerts at the Sheldonian and the historic Holywell Music Room. Its theatre and rock gigs are on a much smaller scale.

Neither city is built for a treatment-based break, and both offer only hotel spas and day spas. Glasgow's one oddity is its pair of Victorian swimming clubs with Turkish baths, though these are mainly for members. For real calm, people head out to the lochs.

Oxford's calm is right in the centre: the Botanic Garden, the walled college gardens, Magdalen's deer park and Addison's Walk early in the morning, or a slow drift in a punt.