Travel

Thanks for making the trip to Oxford for our wedding.  Below you'll find all the information you need to travel to the UK, get to and around London and Oxford, and extend your vacation abroad.  We hope this helps you plan your journey, but for more information you can visit Lonely Planet or any of the UK Travel links on the left-hand side of this page.  Please leave any questions or ideas you have in the comments sections below.  We can't wait to see you! 


Traveling to the UK

By Plane: If you’re coming from the US, then you should plan to fly into either London Heathrow or London Gatwick.  Both of these airports have fast train connections into London and bus services to Oxford, though Heathrow is marginally quicker to both.  If you're looking for the most affordable flight, Kayak is a good place to start, and of course many credit card air-mile plans can significantly discount or upgrade your flight.  British Airways also offer sales between major US hubs and London, and you can sign up for their alerts online.

London Travel

Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, London

FROM GATWICK AIRPORT TO LONDON

By Train: The Gatwick Express runs from Gatwick to Victoria Station every 15 minutes and takes half an hour.  A round-trip ticket costs £35 and can be purchased at the airport.  Be sure to check the schedule online if your flight arrives or departs especially early or late.  Once your train arrives in Victoria, you can take the tube or a taxi to your hotel.

You can also catch a slower train from Gatwick to Victoria.  The train departs from the Gatwick train station, where you can buy tickets.  The journey takes about 40 minutes, and round-trip tickets cost about £17.  See Southern Railway for train times.  If you wish to go to London Bridge or St. Pancras, you can also take the train.  See First Capital Connect for timetables and prices.

By Bus: Easy Bus runs a bus service runs between Gatwick and Earl's Court.  It takes about an hour, though the journey can be considerably longer depending on traffic.  The bus costs £2 each way, and you can purchase tickets at the airport. From Earl's Court station you can take the tube or a taxi to your hotel.

By Taxi: Taxis also go to and from Gatwick, though the speed and cost depends on the time of day you travel.  Expect a taxi to cost at least £80.  You can catch a black cab outside of Gatwick.

For more details on travel to and from Gatwick, see the Gatwick Airport website.

FROM HEATHROW AIRPORT TO LONDON

By Train: The Heathrow Express runs from Heathrow to Paddington every 15 minutes, and the journey takes a quarter of an hour.  You can purchase a return ticket for £35 at the Heathrow Express station.  Be sure to check the train schedule if your flight arrives or departs especially early or late.  From Paddington Station you can take the tube or a taxi to your hotel.

You can also take the slower Heathrow Connect train from Terminals 1 and 3.  The trains run every half-hour and take about 25 minutes to arrive at London Paddington.  A one way ticket costs £10 and can be purchased at the station. 

By Tube: Alternately, you can take the dark blue Piccadilly tube line from the Heathrow Underground Station into London.  Trains run every few minutes and the journey to central London takes 45 minutes to an hour.  The tube is the most affordable way to reach London from Heathrow.  See below for how to purchase tube tickets. 

By Taxi: If your flight is particularly early or late, you may want to take a taxi.  Taxi prices and journey times vary depending on the time of day and where you’re going, but you should expect to pay at least £70.  You can catch a black cab at the airport.

For more details on travel to and from Heathrow see the Heathrow Airport website.

LOCAL LONDON TRAVEL 

St. Paul's Cathedral, London

 

Walking: The center of London is fairly compact, and many sites are within easy walking distance of each other.  Walking tours offer one of the best ways to see the city, or you can take a map and find your own way.  For walking tour suggestions, see the Things to Do page.

By Tube: The easiest way to get across London is by tube.  For travel on the tube you will want to purchase an Oystercard – a pre-paid, reusable card which allows you to travel on the tube, DLR, local train, or bus.  

If you’re staying in London for a week or more, you should plan to buy a week-long travel pass, which costs about £40.  If you are staying for less than a week, you should put money on a pay-as-you-go Oyster.  You can top-up the card at the machines in the station when necessary, though note that you can only use cash, as many UK ticket machines do not take American credit cards.  You can buy a Visitor Oystercard online before your trip, or purchase one once you arrive at any tube station, including Heathrow, as well as from local newsagents or online at Visit London.

The tube covers large parts of London, but most of the areas you want to visit will be in Zones 1 and 2.  You can download a tube map to help you find your way around the city.  If you're not sure about the fastest route, you can use Transport for London's Journey Planner.

The tube, while useful, only runs between 5:30am and 12:30am, so if you’re traveling especially early or coming home late after a night out, you may want to consider alternate travel plans.  Tube times and all other details can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk.
 

By Bus: London is famous for its red double-decker buses, and they can be one of the most fun ways to see the city.  Bus maps are available in the stations and online. The bus will announce the next stop so you know where to get off.  If you’re out past midnight, night buses run every half hour to get you home again. 

By Taxi: Taxis can be a slow and expensive way to get around the city, but early in the morning or late at night they are often the most efficient.  You can catch a black cab outside most tube and train stations or book a mini-cab from your hotel or while out in the city.  

By Car: Driving in London is difficult and inefficient, and parking and congestion charges can be very expensive.  If you wish to rent a car, we recommend doing it when you leave the city. 

Oxford Travel

Oxford Spires

FROM THE AIRPORT TO OXFORD

By Bus: The Airline Oxford Bus goes directly from Gatwick and Heathrow to Oxford. Travel from Gatwick takes about two and a half hours and costs £32 for a return journey.  Travel from the Heathrow Coach Station costs £25 and takes about an hour and a half.  Just follow the signs to the airport coach station, where you can purchase tickets.  Oxford's Gloucester Green coach station is 5 minutes from the center of town, and from there you can walk or take a taxi to your hotel.

By Train: While you can take the train from either airport to Oxford, it involves at least one change and is often more difficult and time consuming than the bus, particularly with luggage. 

By Car: If you plan to stay in Oxford or the Costwolds, driving is the best way to see the countryside.  The car journey takes about two and a half hours from Gatwick, or an hour and a half from Heathrow.  Details for airport car rentals can be found at the Gatwick Airport Guide, the Heathrow Airport Guide, and Kayak.

FROM LONDON TO OXFORD

By Train: A direct train service runs from London Paddington to Oxford.  You can buy tickets online or at the station, and timetables can be found at First Great Western.  An off-peak, round-trip ticket costs £25 and the train journey takes an hour.  Train fares are more affordable outside of peak commuting times, and, unless you plan to stay in London on the night of Saturday July 19, you should purchase a return, not day return, ticket.  In the summer the trains tend to fill up quickly, so be sure to board 10 minutes early to secure a seat.  The Oxford train station is a 15 minute walk from the center of town, and you can walk or catch a black cab outside the station to your hotel.
 
By Bus: There is also a bus, called the Oxford Tube, that runs between London Victoria and the Oxford bus station, stopping at  Marble Arch, Notting Hill, and Shephard’s Bush.  A round trip ticket costs £20 and the journey takes about 2 hours. An alternate bus service, the X90, runs a similar route but stops at Baker Street.  Schedules and details can be found online.  Once the bus arrives at Oxford's Gloucester Green coach station, you can walk to your hotel or take a black cab from outside the station.

By Car: You may want to rent a car in London to drive up to Oxford and the Cotswolds.  The journey takes about an hour and a half.  Details on London car rental agencies and comparative prices can be found at Kayak.  If you are driving up for the day, we recommend that you park in one of the Park and Ride lots on the outskirts of town and take the bus to central Oxford.  The closest lot is Pear Tree, and the last bus leaves at 11:20 pm.  You should not plan to park in central Oxford for the day, as the city has only 2 hour parking.

LOCAL OXFORD TRAVEL

The Ashmolean, Oxford

On Foot: Oxford is a relatively small town, and most of the central sites are within easy walking distance.  A map of the city can be found at the Oxford City Guide or picked up at the Oxford Visitor Information Center on Broad Street. 

By Bus: If you are staying further out of town regular bus services run through the city.  Details can be found online or at any city bus stop, and journeys usually cost £1.50 each way. 

By Taxi: Taxis are very affordable in Oxford.  You can catch a black cab outside the bus or train stations, or call 001 Taxi at + 44  (0)1865 240000.

Traveling in the UK

Edinburgh, Scotland

By Train: Both London and Oxford offer easy access to other UK cities.  You can reach popular destinations like Stratford-upon-Avon, Salisbury, Bath, York, and Edinburgh by train from London.  For more information about UK rail travel, timetables, and prices, see National Rail. 

The Cotswolds

By Car: If you want to go a little further off the beaten path, a car is a good way to get around the English countryside.  For car rental details from London and Oxford start with Kayak.   

Traveling to Europe

Rome, Italy

By Plane: Both Easy Jet and Ryan Air provide affordable European flights.  If you choose to continue your trip with one of these airlines, be sure to check that taxes and fees are included and whether the flight includes extra baggage fees – both airlines charge £35 for a bag up to 20kg and allow only one carry on.   Also be sure that you can access your flight via public transport - if you are leaving very early from a distant airport, you may lose the savings you made on the flight in expensive transfers. Many other airlines offer more comfortable options.  See Kayak for flight availability and prices. 

Paris, France

By Train: The Eurostar now offers train service from King’s Cross to Paris in two hours, as well as trains to Avignon, Brussels and Lille.  You should book a few months in advance for the best prices and times.