Oxfordshire Travel & Transport

The transport system in the county of Oxfordshire offers visitors a number of ways to get around from public transport such as buses and trains to using the road with car hire and using boats.

Buses
Local bus services are provided by both Oxford Bus Company and by Stagecoach Buses there are routes across Oxford and Oxfordshire countryside available. There are a number of routes all over central Oxford and its districts and suburbs. Buses are available to Bicester, Didcot, Faringdon and Henley. Buses provide a good way for visitors to get around with services close to many tourist attractions and places of interest.

Trains
Trains in Oxford serve a number of routes across central Oxford and the outskirts. There are several mainline rail routes offering local and regional services including services to Manchester, Newcastle, London, Birmingham and Bournemouth. Train services are provided by First Great Western Trains. There are regular services to Oxford railway station from London Paddington station, the approx journey time from London is approx one hour.

There are services to Banbury and Bicester North that offer services to London Marylebone station, Reading, Birmingham and Newcastle. Train services are provided by Chiltern Railways

The Henley Branch Line provides services to Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, famous the annual Henley Royal Regatta rowing event. Train services are provided by First Great Western Trains.

For more information please see National Rail Enquiries


River
Oxford is accessible via private boat, Salters Steamer boat from Abingdon or via the Oxford canal via narrow boat.

Public Transport Safety Tips
Most journeys on public transport in London go ahead without incident, in order to minimise the chances of any incidents, passengers may wish to consider the following safety tips:

- Be aware of your belongings at all times.
- Do not leave your bags and belongings unattended at any time.
- Stay alert and aware of your environment and those around you.
- Do not show valuables including money and jewellery in public.
- If you are carrying a bag/handbag, ensure you use a bag that has a strong good quality strap and wear it across your shoulder (not on your shoulder), with the pockets closed facing towards your waist. Carrying the bag on your shoulder makes it much easier for criminals to snatch the bag or cut the strap.
- Be careful and cautious in crowds and beware of pickpockets, do not leave anything valuable showing in public including wallets in back trouser pockets.
- Sit in carriages with other passengers do not sit in carriages with no/fewer passengers.
- Try not to use smaller/isolated stations especially at night.
- When waiting for buses, trains, boats and taxis stand with other passengers in an area that is well lit, do not stand/wait in isolated areas.


Car
There are a number of car hire firms in Oxford that offer car rental services for both short and longer term car hire offering a range of vehicles from small budget cars to family cars to larger mini-buses and luxury cars. Oxford does experience traffic congestion along with many other cities, the traffic is usually at its peak during the peak morning and evening rush hours however road incidents and unforeseen circumstances can create traffic congestion at all times.

Oxford is connected to the motorway network making it relatively easy for motorists to get to the city from all major routes. The M40, A40 and A34 are all located close by offering good road connections in and out of Oxford.

Parking in Oxford is limited the main city car park is the Westgate Car Park, there are car parks at Gloucester Green and Worcester Street.

Oxford has a Park and Ride scheme where there are five sites on the approach to Oxford’s ring road where drivers can park and then use the bus services to get in and out of the city. The journey time to Oxford from the park and ride sites is 10 to 15 minutes.

Drivers should note there are bus lanes in Oxford that cars are prohibited from going on with the strict enforcement of fines. There are also driving restrictions in and around the city centre.

Coach
Oxford is easily accessible by coach with coach services from a number of UK towns and cities including from London where there are regular coach services to Oxford several times every hour. Both Oxford Tube and Oxford Bus Company offer coach services from London to Oxford.

Air
Heathrow Airport located approx 50 miles from Oxford, with a journey time of one hour by car. There are bus services to Heathrow with the Oxford Bus Company Airline Service, there are services every 20 minutes to central bus stations and to terminal 5 at Heathrow.

For more information on public transport in Oxfordshire including timetables and maps please see: Public Transport Information from Oxfordshire County Council.




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