Oxford
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Also see the Open Guide (http://oxford.openguides.org/wiki/).
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Overview
Oxford is a pretty university town which is best seen when sunny, but still has a few things to amuse you when it isn't. In August it is over-run by foreign language students. Competes with Cambridge for title of oldest/best university in the UK. Enormous amount going on during term time (only 24 weeks of the year), and often outside too. many people come to see the Tolkien/C.S Lewis/Harry Potter/Philip Pullman sights.
How to get here
Train
Train is the quickest way to get to Oxford from London – about 50 mins. The train goes from Paddington station. From other cities things are generally easier going north-south than east-west. If you have to change trains leave at least 20 mins as trains here are notoriously delayed (you can often get some money back if you’re delayed for more than 30 mins, ask for a complaint form at the station)
Train tickets go up in price the closer to the day of travel you buy them. You can get oxford-london tickets for just a few pounds if you book way in advance. See www.thetrainline.com to search for times and buy tickets. However an on the day open return London-oxford will still only cost about £20.
Road
There is really not much parking in the city centre and it costs a bomb. However, there are several park'n'rides located on the outskirts of the city, with fairly frequent bus services between the carparks and the city centre.
For more information, see the bus company websites: Oxford Bus Company park'n'ride
Not so easy to give a link for the Stagecoach park'n'ride services - you will have to first look at the map and then at timetables to work out which bus you need.
Coach
From London: Stagecoach and the Oxford Bus Company each runs a very frequent bus service, with several pick-ups and let-downs in each city, plus one at Thornhill Park'n'Ride (just out of Oxford) and one at Hillingdon (on the outskirts of London). Only the Espress goes to Baker St and only the Tube goes to Notting Hill Gate/Shepherds Bush. Most frequent service is every 15 mins but at some times of day they can be every hour. Remember if you get a return you need to get the same bus company back.
Travel time is 100 mins if the traffic is good, both companies go with the same sort of frequency and cost about the same in fares. Note the night owl special or nightrider (good if you're going from Oxford to London overnight, leaving Oxford after 3pm). Both buses have wifi.
From airports: Oxford Bus Company runs a service to Heathrow and then on to Gatwick.
The oxfordespress (Oxford Bus Company)
Oxford Tube (Stagecoach)
Cycle
Oxford is slightly less rubbish than the rest of England for cyclists as historically it is a cycling town. It is quite difficult to take bikes on trains here and you may have to book a specific place in advance. You can take bikes on the Oxford Espress and Tube. You must lock your bike up, preferably to something immovable. It's illegal to cycle without front and back lights in the UK after dark. Generally traffic is quite used to bikes but as always be very wary of trucks - almost all serious bike accidents involve big vehicles, especially those turning left. Look at the sustrans website for nationwide cycling routes. there is a london-oxford route.
Local Transport
There are two bus companies, which operate fairly similar services.
If you're buying a return ticket or a day ticket, note that you will only be able to use that ticket on buses of the one company. A day ticket is about £3.20.
Accessibility Stagecoach advertises that most of its buses are wheelchair accessible. The Oxford Bus Company doesn't make it so clear, but indicates that the park'n'ride network is, and that "half" of their local buses are accessible.
CouchSurfing Zone!
There is now a CouchSurfing Zone at the Vaults & Gardens cafe, which is around the back of the University Church (St Mary's), on High St. Vaults & Gardens CS Zone profile
For more information about CouchSurfing Zones, check out the CS Zones wiki.
Meet-ups
happen irregularly, check the Oxford CS group.
Things to See
See Daily Info, Oxford for plays, concerts etc that are on. This map of Oxford has 360 panoramas of many of the sights in the city linked to Google maps.
- Make sure to just wander around the small city centre and soak up the amazing architecture from many different time periods.
- if it's raining try the university museum and the Pitt rivers museum inside it, or the Ashmolean.
- In punting season (March-October) and if it's sunny (or at least not raining), HIRE A PUNT! (go down to Magdalen Bridge, down near Magdalen College - which, if you don't know, is pronounced like "maudlin", not how it looks... ;) It is possible, but unlikely, to fall in if you're doing the punting (passengers won't, though), so just be aware of that (or else be really careful ;) ) - and make sure you wear shoes with a good grip. Watch how others are doing it and look out for oncoming overhanging trees! If you're worried, you can also hire someone to do the punting for you.
- The Botanic Gardens are also down near there (across High St from Magdalen College), and they are worth a wander. entrance is a few pounds, but when you pay you can go in and out of the gardens all day. They're only small, but it might be a nice place to take a few 10-20 minute breaks in during the day :) If you're a Philip Pullman fan try and find the bench where Lyra sits at the end of the series, and if you're a Tolkien fan note the silver tree that inspired him.
- If you like walking, it might also be nice to walk down the tow path, along the river Isis (Thames), to Iffley Lock. From the town end cross the river on St Aldates and get down to the tow path (ie you're on the side furthest away from town and Christchurch college. just walk for 40 mins or so. They have a copy there of the Mathematical Bridge at the Cambridge Queen's College, that's not really the reason for going, it's just a pleasant walk :) There are also a couple of pubs along the way (apart from the Head of the River), so that's also an option ;) You can then cross the river at the lock and follow the path into Iffley village, which is very sweet. It's actually within Oxford and is a 45 minute walk back into town by the non-river route.
- There are also LOTS of museums (including a couple of science museums), most of which are FREE! Look on dailyinfo.co.uk for a complete list but the Natural History Museum/Pitt Rivers is the coolest (which is open every day from 12-4:30). It is free and has amazing shrunken heads!!!) The Ashmolean is good for ancient stuff (egyptian etc).
- There are also some walking tours including a night time ghost one. There are boards advertising them on Broad St in front of Balliol or check at the tourist centre on Broad St.
- At any rate, make sure you have a wander around some of the colleges! Many of them have quite specific times when you are welcome to go in, and a lot of the time you're very restricted as to when you go in and will often have to pay a few pounds (Christchurch is the most expensive due to its harry potter/c.s lewis fame and cathedral, but it's probably worth the money)
Suggested colleges: New College (part of the old city wall is in here), Magdalen, Lincoln (although small, it's lovely :) ), Balliol, Worcester (has a lake in the grounds!), Oriel, Christ Church, Keble if you like crazy red brick. There are others worth seeing. if you go with a university student it will be free.
Oh, talking about students... if it's still punting season, a student may be part of a punting scheme and therefore be able to take you punting for free/cheap. Thought I'd just mention that as the magdalen punt house is quite expensive ;)
- And how could I forget? *Definitely* go and have a look at the Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera! The Bod is one of Britain's copyright libraries and therefore receives a copy of everything published in the UK. The bookstacks run several stories underground...
Colleges
Yeah there are lots of them. Every student is a member of a college as well as of the University of Oxford. Colleges provide accommodation, general libraries, food, social life etc. Some are a lot richer and older than others. Some are graduate only, St Hildas is just for women (til very soon!). One college, All Souls, has no students at all!
Food
Look around the Covered Market (right in the centre of town). Buy some Ben's Cookies!!! Have a smoothie at Moo-Moos! (they are both absolutely awesome... :) Get enormous portions of home cooked stodge at The NoseBag on St Michaels St. Great quality but expensive organic food at the Vaults & Gardens in Radcliffe Square... or the same family business cheaper at alpha bar in the covered market/the Woodstock Deli on Woodstock Rd
Wander towards Jericho - Little Clarendon St is rather nice, and has a G&D's there (there is another on St Aldate's and one on cowley road, slightly out of town). One is George&Davies, another George&Danver and the last George&Delilah, but they are the same company. All have homemade ice cream and great bagels. Definitely worth a visit (open til midnight) - it's an Oxford institution! Try the brownie sundae if you have the stamina! Just around the corner from Little Clarendon St is a rather cool restaurant called the Big Bang. It specialises in sausages. They are really, really good sausages, even if you're not particularly a sausage fan! And even the veggie sausages are amazing :) They source all their produce within 50 miles of oxford.
Also on Little Clarendon St is the Duke of Cambridge, which has good (expensive) cocktails which are half price during happy hour (which is I THINK 5-7 pm on weeknights. Frevds also has great cocktails and atmosphere, on Walton St (it looks like a ruined roman temple from the outside).
Best restaurant is Pierre Victoire on Little Clarendon St closely followed by Brasserie Blanc on Walton St although this is more expensive (yes, I'm a sucker for French food). [CONTESTED - these are both chains!!! Oxford has great Thai food - Chiang Mai off High St and Thai Orchid on St Clements. There are loads of great little indian places in both jericho and down cowley road and there is an amazing Chinese for vegetarians called the Pink Giraffe on St Clements, altho it also serves meat]
Alternatively, Moya just off the Plain roundabout is the only Slovak restaurant in the UK and very good, as is Chutney's which is an Indian just off George Street (on New Inn Hall St/St Michaels St)
Drink
English pubs, check out the Bear on Bear Lane (close to High St). It's the oldest pub in Oxford still standing. The White Horse is also worth a look although very small. The classic (voted best pub in England) is the Turf, which you'll have to ask directions for. You can roast marshmallows over the braziers here in winter.
Film
apart from the usual Odeons in the centre, there are 2 independent cinemas in oxford. The Phoenix has a lovely little bar over the top of it and you can take drinks into the cinema! they show some of the usual films + loads of other random things, including a lot of french cinema. The Ultimate Picture Palace off Cowley Rd is another kettle of fish - its just a room with a big screen but is the cheapest place to catch a movie and often has things you thought you'd missed.
Theatre
Best theatre is The Oxford Playhouse (near enough everything they do is brilliant) and they do 10 seats for every performance for £8. During term time (half of the year, 8 week terms starting about September, January and April) there will be at least 3 student productions on at other venues too. just check out dailyinfo.co.uk
Nightlife
Live venues
The main live venue is the Zodiac in Cowley (http://www.oxford-academy.co.uk/), now unfortunately a Carling venue. There are also gigs at Port Mahon, the Wheatsheaf and the Market Tavern. Rosie O'Grady's often has folk music Fridays and Saturdays, as does the Blue Moon on Sundays.
Clubs
As far as I know, saturday night is salsa night at Que Pasa bar, easy to find, when you're on High Street, after passing the corner of cornmarket street, continue on for 200 meters in the middle of shops, and it is at the next corner on your right (they're all really easy streets, right in the center)
Best club in the town centre is Po Na Na on Magdelen St near the little cinema, merely as it is the only place which isn't like every other place you've ever been too but for a night out it's best to get of of the town centre generally. Jericho is very expensive and snobby but very cool and the Cowley Rd is more eclectic so lots of fun.
Stuff near Oxford
Best day trips from Oxford are Woodstock which is where Blenheim Palace is, the family home of Winston Churchill and one of the most grand stately homes in the country (although this is £16 to get into! you can get there by bus) and Burford in the Cotswolds which is so beautiful you get to a point where you can't help but laugh at it's ridiculousness! (Eat cake at Huffkins on the High Street and have a drink in the garden of The Lamb on Sheep Street).
long term accommodation
Look on dailyinfo.co.uk, facebook marketplace, gumtree. many landlords will give their info directly to the 2 universities so if you're a student, ask.
