From the Airport

London Heathrow International Airport, and Gatwick Airport are linked to Oxford by The Airline coach company, which operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Heathrow is the closest international airport to Oxford. Stansted Airport is linked to Oxford by the National Express 757, which runs approximately every two hours.

Bus:

In our opinion, the easiest and cheapest way to get to Oxford is to take a bus from the airport that comes straight to the city. Buses run by The Airline leave Heathrow approximately every 20 minutes, and Gatwick every hour, and are large, comfortable coaches that allow you to sit back, relax, and watch the beautiful countryside. From Heathrow, a return ticket costs approximately £19 and takes approximately 80 minutes from terminals 1,2,and 3, and 100 minutes from terminal 5 (for terminal 4 you will need to take the free inter-terminal train to either terminal 5 or central bus station). From Gatwick, a return ticket costs approximately £27 and takes approximately 120 minutes. The buses make a few stops once they reach Oxford, and if you're looking to get off at the main bus station, tell the driver you want to go to Gloucester Green (pronounced "Gloss-ster").

Taxi:

Though we don't recommend it, it is possible to take a standard taxi from the airport to Oxford (or, of course, from Oxford to the airport). It costs approximately £55 to/from Heathrow, and £90 to/from Gatwick, not including tip.

Hire Car:

There are several companies that offer hire cars with fixed rates to get you to and from the airport. These offer similar rates than a standard taxi. If you would like to book these cars in advance, so that someone is waiting at the airport for you, click on the names of the companies to visit their website.

• Airport Direct - 01865 452832

• CCB Airport Cars - 01865 876699

• Oxicars - 01865 875900

From London

Bus:

The Oxford Tube and the Oxford Espress both leave London's Victoria Station every 12-20 minutes, making stops at Marble Arch, Baker Street, Notting Hill Gate, and Shepherd's Bush before heading to Oxford's Gloucester Green. Tickets cost £16 if you're returning the next day, or £20 if you're returning within 3 months. Travel time is approximately 100 minutes during off-peak times.

Oxford Tube: 01865 772250 Oxford Espress: 01865 785400

Train:

Trains from London leave Paddington every half hour, costing around £20 for a single trip, and takes approximately one hour. For national rail inquiries, call 08457 48 49 50 or visit their website. Note: cheap tickets can be purchased in advance for as little as £10 return. Check the website of contact National Rail for details.

Car:

Take the M25 to the M40. Get off at the A40 towards Oxford. Follow signs to the ring road. At the third roundabout, take your first left onto Woodstock Road (towards the city center). We strongly advise using the Park and Ride system as parking in Oxford is difficult and expensive.

Parking in Oxford

If you are not staying at a hotel, you will need to park the car - bring plenty of change because parking in Oxford is expensive, and the traffic cops are diligent and omnipresent. If you want to save yourself some money and a lot of grief, we recommend using one of the many park and ride's on the outskirts of the city.

Oxford City Council operated Car Parks

Please note - the postcodes used above are locations that are close to the car parks but not the actual car parks themselves.

Car Park Charges

Oxpens Car Park Charges for Mini-buses, coaches and lorries

Mini buses 0 - 4 hours - £5.00
Mini buses over 4 hours - £7.50
Coaches for twenty four hours - £7.50
Lorries for twenty four hours - £12.50

RingGo - Pay for Parking by Phone

RingGo is a quick, easy to use mobile phone service, allowing you to pay for your parking with a credit or debit card over the phone, rather than using cash at a machine. The system is available in Oxford City Council operated car parks.

When you park your car in a car park which features the RingGo service, you can simply dial the local rate number shown on nearby signs and pay for your parking over the phone. 

Visit the Council's RingGo pages for full details and register today.

Park & Ride:

All five Park and Ride sites are run by Oxfordshire County Council. Parking is free at all sites.

• Peartree (to the north, off the A34)
• Redbridge (to the south, off the A4142)
• Seacourt (to the west, off the A34)
• Thornhill (to the east, off the A40)
• Water Eaton (to the north of Oxford City - Banbury Road) (no Sunday services)

What bus should I get?

Below is information about the bus services operating from the Park and Ride sites:

Overnight Parking at the Park and Ride Sites:

You may park overnight, however there is a limit to the number of hours that you may park your car. At Thornhill and Water Eaton you may park for 72 hours, and at Peartree, Seacourt and Redbridge for 24 hours only. Staff are on duty at the times shown below:

For further information visit the Park and Ride website.

To find out where the Park and Ride sites are see the map: Park and Ride site map (112kB PDF)