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Blenheim Palace and Oxford in one day?

Is it realistic to see Blenheim Palace and then take a University and City Walking Tour of Oxford at 2pm? Or maybe better to start in Oxford and do a 10:45 tour then go back to Blenheim after (open until 5:30)?

My biggest concern is parking in Oxford with our 9 person van!

I read that they recommend parking and taking the bus into town, but I'm not sure how long that will take to drive from the palace, find the parking, get in the bus, find the tour, etc.

I suppose we could skip the tour and just go on our own that way we don't have time constraints.

What would you recommend? We will be in the Cotswolds for 3 full days, and I hope to spend more time in the villages so I'd rather use just one day for these two sites, if possible.

Posted by
10344 posts

Most people who go to the Cotswolds like to explore the Cotswold villages and country, instead of the cities on the periphery of that area.
Blenheim is do-able from the Cotswold, depending on where your home base is that you're sleeping at.
It will take about 4 hours to see Blenheim, including the average driving time to get there from wherever you're starting from.

Posted by
1931 posts

Thanks Kent.

We will be going the first week of August, staying in Great Rissington, near Burton-on-the-Water, and have three full days before heading to London on the 4th day. This is our extended family trip with three generations, and sister really wants to see Oxford since we are so near. Via Michelin says we are 43 minutes away with Blenheim Palace about the same distance from our base to Oxford and about 29 minutes between the two.

If we did this, we would still have two full days to explore the Cotswolds villages before heading to London. But, I also don't want to be in a rush and not enjoy either.

Posted by
6713 posts

Since you're driving, and given the geography, I'd suggest Blenheim first and then Oxford on your way to London or wherever you're going to drop off the car (Oxford?). Get up early on your last Cotswold morning, drive to Blenheim and spend a few hours, then to Oxford in time for the 2:00 walk (or to explore on your own). Either (a) drop off the car before 2:00 or (b) pay to park it near where the tour starts, then drop it off before training to London or (c) drive from Oxford to wherever else you'll be dropping it off (since you're way too smart to be driving around in London).

Another strategy might be to save Oxford until you've gotten to London, then take a day trip there by train. Sure you're backtracking, and sacrificing a day in London, but it may be worth it if you have enough London time.

Posted by
10344 posts

You could go on your own so that you don't have time constraints.
I think you already realize, from prior posts, that parking a 9 person van will be a challenge. My thought would be: don't go into any parking structures, underground or above ground, with that size van. It's not like here, re parking a 9 person van.

Posted by
5466 posts

The Water Eaton park and ride to the north of Oxford does have parking for large vans in a gated area. Parking rates in Oxford, even assuming you could find a large space costs £3-£4 an hour.

Posted by
1931 posts

Ok, good advice about parking Kent. Thank you!

Dick, I think your plan is good. Taking with my sister more I guess she is really just hoping to see the University. So, we could do Blenheim and then just arrive in Oxford whenever we get there. Then return to our home base 45 min away when we are done in Oxford. Maybe I just don't sweat the time and walking tour and just see what we see and we can go into the evening if we need to. I think she would probably be happy just walking around campus and seeing the buildings. I suppose that is possible at anytime?

It doesn't really work for us to visit on the way out to the countryside since we will have just gotten off our flight. Then it also isn't ideal to do it on the way back (although it makes more sense) since we need to get the van back by 1:00 at Heathrow or have to pay an additional day rental fee.

How is the parking and driving in Oxford?

Posted by
10344 posts

I think you already know this, so it will come as no surprise that driving a 9-passenger van in downtown Oxford will be a challenge. Glad I'm not doing it.

BTW, the Oxford "campus" is not like a campus like here where all the colleges are geographically together in one physical campus.
The colleges (twenty or so) are separate. Just so you know before you go.

Posted by
5466 posts

How is the parking and driving in Oxford?

Think of your worst nightmare and double it ...

It has been a problem since the 1920s and no one is close to solving it yet.

Oxford is a city with a university scattered amongst it.

Posted by
1931 posts

Is there a location we could park and train into the city. Like maybe in Woodstock nearer to Blenheim Palace?

Driving doesn't sound very nice!

Posted by
1526 posts

Woodstock would be a great place to stay overnight. There is a good bus connection to Oxford...I think it takes about 45 minutes.

Posted by
1931 posts

We would only be going for the day, already have a house rented near Burton on the Water.

Any thoughts on parking a van at either the Charlbury Station or Long Hanborough and then taking the train into Oxford. Those are not too far from Blenheim Palace. We could tour the palace and then park at the train station and take to train RT to Oxford.

I guess the issue would be if there were parking places available for a large van.

Posted by
1931 posts

Good thing that all the passengers are drinkers and the driver is a non-drinker!! He will keep us safe...and we do have full insurance!

But, if there is an easier way, we'll do it different.

Posted by
5697 posts

Can't say about Oxford, but when we toured Cambridge many years ago it was just wandering through the colleges, no organized tour ... maybe a sub-set of your group could do that while the others had a nice tea??

Posted by
3398 posts

You can easily tour Blenheim Palace in the morning and then make it for your walking tour at 2. There are 5 park and ride lots surrounding Oxford. Park and ride the bus into the center. It's quite easy. Here's the link to the info page. You would need to keep moving to make it though.
Personally, I think Blenheim Palace is a great place to spend a little more time than just seeing the house. The grounds immediately surrounding the palace are beautiful and they have several beautiful little cafes on-site. You could have an early lunch and then head into Oxford to see the sights! Add on an extra 90 minutes beyond the house tour and you'll get a nice overview of Blenheim.
I've driven in central Oxford on multiple occasions and don't find it any worse than other tightly congested cities in England. But with a 9 person van...no way!

Posted by
5466 posts

Oxford is especially difficult if you want to cross the centre because all the traffic has to go through a few pinch points. Straight in and out is not so much of a problem.

Yes it can flow OK when there are no issues and it isn't peak time. On the other hand if there is a problem it can easily take hours and I mean that literally. So it is more of a risk if you want to do that but if you dont have anything time critical this might not be a concerm. You might think that is the case anywhere and that would be right only it happens more frequently than you might think for its size. Take it from someone who has lived in the area for 20+ years.

Parking in the centre is even more of a premium at present as one of the mult storeys has been closed for redevelopment.

I have mentioned Water Eaton as the most convenient park and ride. If coming in by train take advantage of group save fares.

Posted by
1446 posts

When we went to Blenheim we did spend about 4 hours there. It's worth quite a bit of time. In visiting Oxford, we did it two different ways: one way was to drive from our B&B in the Cotswolds to a Park & Ride and take the large bus into the city; secondly, we stayed at a B&B slightly north of Oxford - left our car at the B&B and walked across the street to the bus stop. We did take the narrated bus tour of Oxford once and found it awful. There was a time delay in what the bus recording said so by the time it was mentioned what we were seeing we were by it. The second time we were there, we did it on our own and it worked well.

Posted by
1931 posts

I seriously can not thank you all enough! What a great resource you are!

So, our final decision is to go the Palace, see how it goes and what time it is when we are done, then decide based on our energy level if Oxford is worth the time. If we go, we will go to a park and ride out of the city and take the bus in. We won't worry about a walking tour, we will just wander on our own and I'll find out what our interests are before we get there.

But, honestly, I think we will be too tired. As beautiful as Oxford looks, and we'd love to go....it will be our first full day abroad and not sure if we can handle doing both. But, we will play it by ear! Then if someone in our group really must see it, they can do it by train from London when we get to the London part of our trip.

Thanks again!