Essential information for tourists

Quick Facts

Location: Oxford --> Oxfordshire --> South Central England

Population: 134,248 people

Geography: 51°45'07" N latitude and 1°15'28" W longitude at center of city. 87km (54 miles) NW of London; 87km (54 miles) SE of Coventry

Language: English

Currency: Pound Sterling (GBP)

Time Zone: GMT/UTC and BST (British Summer Time) - 5 hours ahead of EST

Country Dialing Code: +44

Telephone Area Code: 01865

Voltage: The standard electrical voltage in Britain is 240 v AC, 50HZ. A three square pronged adapter plug and/or electric converter for appliances is required.

England chose to stay with the Pound as their currency, and did not switch to the Euro.

To find the most current exchange rates, click here for a Currency Converter.

The British Pound comes in the following denominations: Coins - one penny, two pence, five pence, ten pence, twenty pence, fifty pence, one pound, two pound; Notes (bills) - five pound, ten pound, twenty pound, fifty pound.

The best exchange rates can usually be found by withdrawing cash from an ATM machine, but check with your bank before you go to see how much they charge for using international ATMs.

Note from the editor: when traveling overseas, it's always a good idea to notify your credit card company and bank so that they don't detect a new spending pattern and put a hold on your card.

People in England drive on the LEFT side of the road. When crossing a street, always make sure you look to the right! The stoplights in Oxford flash yellow just before they turn green. This means to check to the left and right for pedestrians and make sure it's safe, and then you can go. Drivers must stop for pedestrians at marked pedestrian crossings, but walkers should always look in both directions to make sure drivers are stopping before crossing the road. There are many bicyclers on the roads in Oxford. Drivers must give them enough room, as they have the right to share the road.

Many restaurants clearly include a service charge (check the menu), and in this case there is no need to tip. Otherwise tip a minimum of 10%. In pubs, tipping after a drink or two is not customary. If you have been at the pub for a while, and have had a few drinks, you should offer to buy the server a drink - especially if you are at the hotel bar and expect to return. Taxi drivers are commonly tipped 10%. Hotel porters that assist guests with bags expect between £1-£5, depending on how many bags there are.

If you are in Oxford and need to dial a local number, there is no need to dial the area code of 01865. Just dial the remaining 6 numbers. If you are dialing outside of Oxford, you must dial the area code as well as the number. If dialing any of the establishments from overseas, you must dial the country code + the area code + the phone number. For example, if you are dialing from the US, you would need to dial your international access code first (usually 011) then 44 + 1865 + local number.