How to get to Oxford

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 £65 to/from Heathrow, and £100 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
Oxfordshire Chauffeurs - 07792 350212
Oxford Airport Transfers - 01865 377775

Last updated Wednesday, 02 October 2013

 

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

Car Park Name	Spaces	Description	Nearby Postcode
Westgate	1090 spaces + 32 parent and child bays	City Centre, opposite the Ice Rink	OX1 1NT
Worcester Street	182 spaces	Opposite Nando's in the City Centre	OX1 2BQ
Abbey Place	80 spaces	Opposite the Ice Rink	OX1 1PY
Gloucester Green	100 spaces	Underground, close to the centre	OX1 2BN
Oxpens	75 spaces	Next to the Ice Rink. Car park. Coach and lorry park	OX1 1RQ
St Clements	120 spaces	Near Magdalen Bridge	OX4 1AB
Union Street	96 spaces	Behind Tesco on Cowley Road	OX4 1JP
Ferry Pool Car Park	125 spaces	Ferry Sports Centre	OX2 7DP
Summertown	115 spaces	Next to Ferry Pool	OX2 7BY
Headington	128 spaces	Next to Waitrose	OX3 9JT
St Leonard's	48 spaces	At junction of Windmill Road	OX3 8AA
Barn's Road	196 spaces	In Templars Square Shopping Centre	OX4 3UT
Walton Well Road		South end of Port Meadow	OX2 6ED
Hinksey Park		For park and swimming pool users only - restrictions apply	OX1 4RP

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

Car Park	Spaces	SUNDAY TO FRIDAY (NOT SATURDAYS) 8am - 8pm							All other times
		0 to 1 hour	1 to 2 hours	2 to 3 hours	3 to 4 hours	4 to 6 hours	6 to 8 hours	8-24 hours
Abbey Place	80	£2.50	£4.10	£6.10	£7.70	£11.70	£17.70	£22.30	£2.50
Oxpens	75	£2.50	£4.10	£6.10	£7.70	£11.70	£17.70	£22.30	£2.50
Westgate	1210	£2.50	£4.10	£6.10	£7.70	£11.70	£17.70	£22.30	£2.50
Worcester Street	182	£3.20	£5.30	£7.30	£8.90	£13.60	£20.60	£24.70	£3.20
Gloucester Green	100	£3.20	£5.30	£7.30	£8.90	£13.60	£20.60	£24.70	£3.20
Car Park	Spaces	SATURDAY ONLY 8am - 8pm							All other times
		0 to 1 hour	1 to 2 hours	2 to 3 hours	3 to 4 hours	4 to 6 hours	6 to 8 hours	8 + hours
Abbey Place	80	£3.10	£5.10	£7.70	£9.70	£14.70	£22.10	£28	£2.60
Oxpens	75	£3.10	£5.10	£7.70	£9.70	£14.70	£22.10	£28	£2.60
Westgate	1210	£3.10	£4.10	£6.10	£7.80	£14.70	£22.10	£28	£2.60
Worcester Street	182	£4	£6.60	£9.20	£11.10	£17	£25.80	£30.90	£4
Gloucester Green	100	£4	£6.60	£9.20	£11.10	£17	£25.80	£30.90	£4
Monday-Sunday 8am - 8pm
St. Clements'	120	Free	Free	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Union Street	96	£1.10	£160	£3.10	£4.10	£4.60	£12.80	£12.80	£1.10
Monday-Saturday 8am - 8pm
Ferry Pool	75	£1.10	£1.60	£3.10	£5.10	£12.80	£12.80	£12.80	£1.10
Summertown	115	£1.10	£1.60	£3.10	£5.10	£12.80	£12.80	£12.80	£1.10
Monday-Saturday 8am - 8pm
Headington	128	n/a	£1.30	£3.10	£5.10	£12.80	£12.80	£12.80	£1.30
St. Leonard's Road	48	n/a	£1.30	£3.10	£5.10	£12.80	£12.80	£12.80	£1.30

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 - £20.00 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 no longer 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)

Site	Parking charge	Maximum Stay	Oxfordshire County Council Contact
Thornhill Water Eaton	free	72 hours	Information about Park and Ride: 01865 815649 Information on parking: 0845 337 1138 (choose option 3)
Pear Tree Redbridge Seacourt	1 day £1.50, 7 days £7.50 cash on site Using phone and credit/debit card: RingGo service Telephone: 01865 989000 1 day £1.70, 7 days £7.70, 28 days £30.90 includes text reminder 24 hours before expiry RinGo Codes: Pear Tree 3919 Seacourt 3918 Redbridge 3920	no maximum stay	Information about Park and Ride: 01865 815649 More information on park and rides from the Council website

There are no charges for parking at any of the car parks after 6.30pm until 5am the next morning. You can view space availability at the car parks by clicking here

What bus should I get?

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

Route	Bus Number	Contact
Redbridge to City Centre	300	The Oxford Bus Company 01865 785400
Seacourt to City Cenre	400	The Oxford Bus Company 01865 785400
Pear Tree to City Centre	300	The Oxford Bus Company 01865 785400
Thornhill to City Centre	400	The Oxford Bus Company 01865 785400
Thornhill to Churchill and Nuffield Hospitals	600	RH Transport 01993 869100
Water Eaton to City Centre	500	The Oxford Bus Company 01865 785400
Water Eaton to John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital, and Nuffield Hospital	700	RH Transport 01993 869100

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 there is no maximum stay. Staff are on duty at the times shown below:

	Water Eaton	Thornhill	Seacourt	Pear Tree	Redbridge
Monday to Thursday	0700-1930	0530-2330	0700-2300	0700-2300	0700-2300
Friday	0700-1930	0530-2330	0700-2230	0730-2300	0700-2300
Saturday	0700-1930	0530-2330	0900-1700	0730-2300	0900-1700
Sunday	closed	0830-1930	0900-1700	0900-1700	0900-1700

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)

Disabled Parking in Oxford:

Access to Blue Badge parking in main city centre streets

High Street Is closed to general traffic (at a point close to Queens Lane) between 7.30am and 6.30pm (every day). Access to Blue Badge parking at the western end of High Street is via Speedwell Street and St Aldates. Access to the spaces at the eastern end of the High Street and in Oriel Square is from the Magdalen Bridge direction or via Longwall Street.

Broad Street - The western end of Broad Street has been completely closed to all traffic. Blue Badge holders needing to reach the parking spaces in the rest of Broad Street are allowed access throughout the day but will need to approach via Parks Road (see map above).

Queen Street and Cornmarket Street - All traffic, including Blue Badge vehicles, is banned from 10am - 6pm. (only delivery vehicles are permitted outside these certain times).

Magdalen Street - All traffic, including Blue Badge vehicles, is banned at all times.

Turl Street, Market Street and Ship Street - Blue Badge holders are able to park on yellow lines subject to normal blue badge restrictions (excluding loading bans - see map). Between 10am and 6pm, barriers will prevent vehicles leaving both Ship Street and Market Street into Cornmarket Street (exit will need to be via Broad Street).

New Inn Hall Street and St Michael's Street - Blue Badge spaces in these streets are accessible throughout the day by approaching via Park End Street, Worcester Street and George Street. Between 10am and 6pm, a barrier will prevent exiting from St. Michael's Street into Cornmarket Street.

Merton Street and Oriel Square - During the period 7.30am to 6.30pm, Blue Badge holders need to approach the spaces in these areas by using a route over Magdalen Bridge, or via Longwall Street.

St Ebbes Street - The route to access these spaces is via Thames Street and Speedwell Street.

Official council website regarding Parking for people with disabilities in Oxford

The above parking cost and timing information was taken from the official council website

Last updated Wednesday, 02 October 2013