Oxford Transportation
Oxford is easily accessible by car, bus, or train.
Oxford is located about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of London. The two cities are linked by the M40 motorway, which also links northwards to Birmingham. See our England map for more details.
Driving and parking in the city of Oxford is very difficult and crowded, so if you have a car, it is highly recommended to drive to the park-and-ride just outside the city.
Oxford is easily accessible by train. Rail connections include services to London (Paddington), Bournemouth, Worcester, and Bicester. The city also has regular train services northwards to Birmingham, Coventry and the north. A train between Oxford and London takes about an hour. There is a taxi rank just outside the Oxford train station in Gloucester Green square.
There are frequent, nice double-decker buses from London to Oxford. Two companies provide this service: the Oxford Tube and the Oxford Espress. The bus ride takes about 1.5 hours, more during rush hour.
If you're arriving at Heathrow or Gatwick airports in London, you can take a train to London Paddington and then to Oxford, or take The Airline bus direct to Oxford. The bus is the easiest option, but usually takes a little longer than the train.
Once in Oxford, transportation is provided by frequent buses and plentiful taxis. There is no train or metro system in Oxford.
For sightseeing around Oxford, a convenient option is the CitySightseeing open-top bus (pictured at right). It makes a loop around the most popular sights in Oxford and you can get on and get off as you please. Service is very frequent; arriving every 10-15 minutes at each stop.
More Information
- Oxford Park-and-Ride - info on where to park if driving to Oxford
- Oxford Bus Company - one of two bus companies in Oxford
- Oxford Airline Bus - London-Oxford bus provided by Oxford Bus Company
- Stagecoach Bus Company - one of two bus companies in Oxford
- Oxford Tube - London-Oxford bus provided by Stagecoach
- National Rail UK - timetables and fares for train travel throughout the UK
- National Express Buses - for longer-distance bus travel
- CitySightseeing Oxford - hop-on, hop-off tour bus
