How to Get to Oxford from London

Oxford and its university campuses will always be one of the best things to see or do in London, especially if you want to spend some time in the tourist wonders just outside the city.

With that in mind, I invite you to read this informative compilation I have put together so that you will always have an alternative that suits your requirements, your budget and your needs.

The first option you have at your disposal to go to Oxford from London may be the best of all. A guided tour with a specialist in the history of this university community is one of the best ways to experience a place with such a rich history.

Although there are different tour options, one of the most interesting is the one that includes the town of Windsor, Oxford and Stonehenge in the same itinerary

This combination will save you time and money knowing that in one day you can visit three of England's tourist wonders without having to pay for individual excursions to each of them.

You can't forget that both Windsor and Stonehenge are iconic sites when you think of English tourism. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to enter a residence of the English monarchy and even more so to visit one of the great enigmas of the architectural capabilities of our prehistoric ancestors.

You will be able to choose between tours that include entrance tickets and those that do not, so you will have to buy the ones you are interested in at the ticket office.
Keep in mind that there are also tours that take you to Oxford and add Cambridge to the itinerary, while there are other tours that focus on giving you a guided tour of this university city along with the most important film sets of Downton Abbey.

Finally, if you are interested in a Harry Potter tour in London, there is another excursion to Oxford related to this theme. In fact, this tour combines a visit to the university city with a visit to Warner Bros Studios where you can see many objects and decorations from the film.

• Prices: the price of an excursion without tickets included is around 75 euros per adult and around 64 euros for children up to 16 years of age. Children under the age of 2 are free of charge. Any other guided tours that include access to attractions such as Windsor Castle or that also take you to the town of Cambridge will cost a little more depending on what is included.
• Means of transport: air-conditioned buses are usually used for a maximum of 50 people. You should know that these buses are as comfortable and good as those dedicated to city sightseeing in London.
• Advantages: If you're not really interested in getting into Stonehenge and the Windsor attractions, then you can use the savings on tours without entrance fees included to spend that money on other activities such as Downton Abbey tours from London or even to eat a slightly more luxurious meal during stops in Oxford.

Organising a direct train journey is the next most convenient option to visit Oxford if you are interested in going to the oldest University City in the Western Hemisphere without having to pass by other attractions on the way.

If you've read any handy guide to the London Underground you've probably already heard that mobility via light rail, underground and high-speed trains are an essential part of getting between cities in the UK.

In this case you'll need to head to Paddington station, which is located in a very accessible part of the city and is connected to the tube by the District, Bakerloo, Hammersmith and Circle lines.

In other words, you can get there quickly from wherever you are staying in London.

You would have to take one of the Great Western Railways' journeys , which depart for Oxford every 10 to 20 minutes depending on the time of year.

The arrival station in Oxford is only a 5 minute walk from the city centre, so you can start exploring the area before heading to the university campus.

There is another route from London Marylebone station, but be aware that this is much more unstable in terms of the frequency of train departures.

You will also miss out on Paddington Station, which in itself is a beautiful part of the city. In fact, it's a place you'd have to visit even if you weren't planning a trip to the outskirts of the city.

• Prices: prices vary depending on the time of day and the season you are in, but on average you can expect to spend between 20-40 euros each way. Early mornings before sunrise and late afternoons are the most expensive.
• Duration: The train journey to Oxford from London usually takes a maximum of 1 hour and one thing I can assure you is that every part of the journey is enjoyable for the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the English countryside.
• Advantages: the train journeys continue late into the evening and you can fit other destinations into your day, knowing that you can catch one back to London at around 11pm. For example, if you're wondering how to get to the Cotswolds from London, you'll be pleased to know that this same train can take you to Moreton-in-Marsh for an evening visit after you've toured central Oxford.

If trains aren't your thing and you prefer a public bus, you can rely on the UK's public bus network, which has the advantage that there are plenty of alternatives to get from central London to Oxford's Gloucester Green Station.

Most depart from Victoria Station, with frequencies to suit each company, the time of year and the greater or lesser demand from regular users and tourists interested in marvelling at Oxford's academic atmosphere.

Oxford Tube is one of the most famous of them all, but you also have X90, National Express and Megabus at your disposal.

The great thing about them is that they all have evening return journeys, which will allow you to stay late enough in Oxford or you can opt for a sunset return journey to fulfil your London evening plans.

• Prices: A return trip on this type of bus can cost you around 20-40 euros, as the value of a single journey is usually 10 or 20 euros depending on the time of year and the time of day.
• Duration: A bus takes 1 hour and 45 minutes from Victoria Station to park inside the bus terminal in Oxford. Please note that this is a rough guideline, as London is a busy city and the motorway connecting the two cities often suffers from this problem, especially in the tourist months.
• Advantages: The buses offered by these public transport companies are top quality, with internal air-conditioning. Most come with built-in charging ports and free wifi to keep passengers entertained during the journey. This makes them the ideal alternative if you're looking for a good snooze before heading back into the city for some of London's best nightlife tours.

Getting to Oxford from London by private car may be the most peculiar plan of all the alternatives I have suggested, but this is because it is not usual to have a car in a city like London when you are visiting it.

However, there is obviously the possibility that you may want to rent one because you are interested in the English driving experience. Equally, it may be worthwhile if you plan to stay in Oxford for a longer period of time and wish to drive around the English countryside in a private car.

If you opt for this option you will have to take the M40 motorway and drive approximately 80 kilometres to the outskirts of Oxford. A journey like this usually takes about 50-60 minutes, although it can take up to 90 minutes depending on the traffic on the road.

A key thing to bear in mind is that car parking spaces are very limited in the centre of Oxford and you will have to leave your car in an officially designated space in the city.

They are not cheap and you may end up paying an extra 10-15 euros depending on how close you are to the city centre and how many hours your car is parked there.

• Prices: If you only take into account how much the car rental can cost, you can calculate from around 20-30 to 60-70 euros. It all depends on the type of car you choose and whether you will have to pay for extra fuel or not.
• Advantages: If you're thinking of things to see or do in London in 7 days, then a drive to the outskirts of the city might be a good plan. Especially if you're interested in continuing to discover the secrets of the British countryside.

The first piece of advice I can give you for any of these transport alternatives is to choose them based on your needs and your budget.

There is no point in paying for a full and luxurious excursion if you are not going to have enough money left to have a proper meal in Oxford, and even more so if your main interest is Oxford and not the other destinations on the itinerary.

The other thing to take into account is your own conditions and requirements, as a train journey is fast, practical and cheap, but that does not mean that it is suitable for you if you tend to get dizzy easily in this kind of means of transport.

Time your journey well, as most public transport alternatives close their ticket offices at around 10pm, even if there are still more trains or buses leaving and returning at midnight.

Oxford's proximity to Windsor, Stonehenge and the Cotswolds also makes it an excellent idea to stay overnight in the city so that you can visit these other destinations the next day. That is, without having to pay for a return to London and a return trip the next day.

And finally, I advise you to pay close attention to the weather conditions expected on the date you will be visiting Oxford. As you will be touring the city outdoors, walking around in the open air on a cold winter's day or being overdressed in a summer heatwave could be the worst decision of your entire trip.

All of the options I have given you are designed to save money and to be convenient for sightseeing. Of course, there are other modes of transport that you may find very interesting if you are looking to invest in a luxury experience.

For example, if you want to visit Windsor from London and then spend the afternoon in Oxford you can pay for a helicopter transfer that would take you and three other people through the skies in a very unique experience worthy of a movie scene.

However, the budget quintuples on such a plan, as fares will never go below 250 euros per person and can actually be in the region of 400 euros depending on the conditions offered by the company.

You also have the alternative of paying for a taxi or private shuttle service that could take you to Oxford under a slightly more significant degree of privacy. But you have to appreciate the fact that the journey is an hour and a half journey and can take up to 2 hours depending on traffic.

So the final bill on your credit card is likely to be in excess of 200 euros and this is also in line with demand and the time of year you decide to make this expenditure.