Photo: Diliff · CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Oxford
College quads, a domed library and big free museums, all on foot.
A university city of stone quads, spires and libraries, compact enough to cross on foot. Its big museums are free, and the meadows and parks run right up to the centre.
Places to see
Christ ChurchSight · Oxford's grandest college: Tom Quad under its bell tower, the fan-vaulted staircase, the…≈ A$41- Radcliffe CameraSight · A round, domed library standing alone in a cobbled square, ringed by college walls, the…Free
Bodleian LibrarySight · A quiet stone quadrangle with the old subjects painted in gold over its doors and a gate…Free
When to go
- Jan8° / 2°Some rainQuiet
- Feb9° / 2°Some rainQuiet
- Mar12° / 3°Some rainQuiet
- Apr15° / 5°Some rainBusy
- May18° / 8°Some rainBusy
- Jun21° / 11°Some rainBusy
- Jul23° / 13°Some rainVery busy
- Aug23° / 13°Some rainVery busy
- Sep
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
Jericho and the station. West of the centre: the station, the canal, terraced Jericho and Port Meadow; most of the city's few hostels are near the station.
Flying in
London Heathrow (LHR): Direct coach to Oxford, about 1 h 20 min, ≈ A$57. Coaches run about every half hour; cheaper booked online (check).
Birmingham (BHX): Train from Birmingham International, about 1 h 10 min, ≈ A$51. Advance fares are often cheaper (check).
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Oxford; check times and fares before you fly.
Getting around
You can walk everywhere. A single ticket is ≈ A$6. Everything here is a short walk apart; the station is about 10 minutes from the centre. Buses run out to the suburbs and the park-and-rides (check fares).
Tourist tax
Oxford has no tourist tax (check).
Day trips
, about 1 h by train to paddington or marylebone, or a cheaper coach. Free museums, royal London and the river.
