Exploring a week solo in Oxford

Hannah, I think it sounds awesome! Oxford is an incredible city and you could easily spend some quality time there, in addition to day trips. Trains and buses should be pretty easy to any of those places (not sure about Witney, but according to Google Maps, there is regular bus service there).

You may have seen these already (I know you're a good researcher!) but just in case, here are a couple of threads that might be helpful:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/best-one-week-from-oxford
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/4-days-nights-between-bath-and-or-oxford

Mardee! Your enthusiasm for wishing you had more time in Oxford was definitely in my ear as this plan began taking shape in my head.

From what I've researched so far (this has been the entirety of my Sunday lol), everything looks completely doable for the day trip options, either directly or with only one change. (And I too found Witney would be by bus only -- what a cute town but with no train station!)

I haven't yet looked into what transiting from Oxford to Windsor would entail.

I'm also SO not a group tour kind of person (I'm an introvert!), but I'm finding myself interested in this Cotswolds tour, which I could easily catch from Moreton from Oxford. (I'll likely never get back that close to that corner of the country, after all!)

https://www.gocotswolds.co.uk/product/cotswolds-in-a-day/#tab-description

I'm curious if you have any thoughts on the Oxford/Windsor plan for late March, specifically regarding weather? I know your recent trip began in March!

Witney has 3 fast buses and 2 slightly slower buses an hour from Oxford- routes S1 and S7 respectively,

Abingdon on Thames is another nice town to visit with 6 or more buses an hour (on various routes) from Oxford

I'm curious if you have any thoughts on the Oxford/Windsor plan for late March, specifically regarding weather? I know your recent trip began in March!

Well, I started in London, and the temps were not bad at all and that was in mid-March. By the time I got to Oxford, it was the third week of April so definitely warmer, but I don't think it would be bad. Of course, there's no predicting weather! Still there are a lot of inside places you can duck into, and SO many cool places at that! I really really want to get back there and spend more time.

My cousin is there right now for about 6 weeks. Her husband is teaching at Oxford (he's a law professor) so she has six weeks to just hang out and spend time there. I'm so jealous of her!

immediately googling Abingdon on Thames ... immediately adding it to the ever-expanding list

I apparently need Mardee's cousin's 6 week set up!

I love Oxford, but having been there as a student nearly 50 years ago I am biased. The centre of Oxford is quite compact and easily walkable - there are a number of walking tours available. Some of these are free, you pay the guide via a tip and it's probably worth doing one of these. A few suggestions of things to do/see:

A tour of the Bodlean library (you can only see the interesting bits on a guided tour and these get booked up every day)
The Ashmolean Museum (free, I think) - a kind of mini British Museum?
The Pitt Rivers museum (definitely free) - absolutely chock-full of all sorts of 'stuff'
A pub - The Turf Tavern - down a tiny alleyway from New College Lane, said to be where Bill Clinton didn't inhale. Good food and beer, too.
Visit some of the colleges. Some charge for entry (Christ Church of Harry Potter fame, particularly so) but not all do. Worth scouting out which you think are worth looking at.
The covered market - now a bit of a tourist destination but with one or two very old-fashioned shops.

You're visiting in October. Each year all the new students arrive around the 2nd week of October and some of the colleges may put up 'Closed' notices to visitors as they try to sort out this annual shock to the system. Inventing a cousin/niece/nephew who is very interested in attending the college you'd like to look around may get you past the porters who are in their lodge (a small office as you go in) and who, in effect, control entry (but it may not). If they turn you away, they will do so very politely.

If you are there on the Saturday (if I recall correctly - it's long time) of the week that all the new students arrive you may see them going to be 'matriculated' (ie formally becoming members of the university). Assuming it's the same as it was in my day (and very little changes in Oxford), they all have to be in Academic Dress - dark clothing, wearing a gown and wearing or holding a 'Mortar Board' hat. I think there's two ceremonies - one morning, one afternoon as there are too many students to do them all in one go - and it's rather quaint. Not worth making an effort to see, but worth a look if you're in the centre that day.

You're visiting in October.

She's planning for March.

Yes, she's heading to London in October of 2025, but has decided to take a short solo trip to Oxford in March. Natural mistake... :-)

March is my birthday month and this year, I decided to spend it in Stratford Upon Avon with my twin sister who lives in the UK. March is not my preferred month to travel to England, June is, but I had the airline points and hadn't spent a birthday with my twin for a very long time. (my dates of travel were March 7 - 16, 2024).
We traveled around the Cotswolds for a few days and had a car. It was chilly at times, especially with the wind. I needed a fall coat (not a heavy winter coat) and was glad I had a wooly hat and scarf. We had a few short showers in between sunny spells, but surprisingly no heavy downpours. I must say, the daffodils were lovely in the towns and villages. If you can layer up, take an umbrella, and know there is a warm pub fire somewhere, you will be fine. I do recall the heating was a little cool for my liking in some buildings, so make sure you get a nice warm hotel to return to. I wish you the best trip. Solo travel in that part of the country is pretty easy and very safe.

Apologies, I read “October “ in the first line and didn’t read on.

Oxford is where the River Cherwell flows into the River Thames and so has a bit of a damp climate. In particular, in March you can get fog in the morning which then burns off by around lunchtime.

It’s nice to walk along the path by the Thames (you can walk quite a long way on the south side) but expect a cold wind.

BillS719 Thank you!! I appreciate all the insider tips!

mpaulynsettle We share a home state (and perhaps city?)! I really appreciate you sharing the details about your March weather there this year. I can absolutely deal with a fall (not heavy winter!) coat and some chilly weather (that's what I actually much prefer; I'd rather skew chilly than warm, which is basically just as miserable to me as hot).

The risk of uncertain weather, with the trip being in March, feels personally worth it since the timing is due to sentimental reasons.

As I mentioned above, I was initially thinking York and Edinburgh. I've done some deep-dive weather comparisons between Oxford and Edinburgh for this time of year, and though not wildly different, does everyone basically agree with my calculus that Oxford is the better bet? Or does anyone think it's a wash, especially given the basic unpredictability of it all anyway?

Hannah,

I frequently visit the St. Louis area but live about 100 miles southwest on I-44. Edinburgh and York would also be fine to visit in March as there is much to see and do in the cities. However, the further north you travel, the more chance of unsettled weather patterns. It can be quite blustery and cold the further North you go. As you are relying on public transportation for this trip, you will need to work out your itinerary around the ability to get to places. The surrounding area around Oxford (such as the Cotswolds) is not easily done with just public transportation. I would suggest a one-day tour if they are available that early in the tourist season.

https://www.thetrainline.com/ will give you all the information you need to work out a train route. It is a third-party site, but I even book tickets through this site when I go home to visit. Oxford to York is a direct route of about 3 hours. If you choose to go to Edinburgh from York, then I would certainly fly from Edinburgh back home (which will likely mean a transfer through LHR). I am not so sure you have time to stretch to see Edinburgh. Perhaps save it for a future trip.

I am heading to Oxford this September, If you need any additional information you can PM me. I will be glad to help you.

A first trip, and a first solo trip no less, is pretty special. Does the Oxford trip feel like a consolation prize and/or in your heart, would you rather York & Edinburgh be your first trip?

• If YES - Would the trip still be meaningful if taken in April/May given that the weather will likely/maybe be more pleasant for strolling, walking, sitting outside, etc.? Would it be an overall more exciting, interesting trip in terms of your interests and where you're feeling drawn to?

• If NO – Go ahead and plan Oxford.

My take might be different as I’m not usually a sentimental person (I often forget my anniversary date, or dates of significant events, and don’t put much stock into celebrating things on the exact date, but that’s just me). If it were me, I’d plan the trip based on location vs. date. But I do understand how significant March is for you. Also, I'm not knocking Oxford at all, it's very high on my England wish list.

By the way Oxford to Windsor is two changes - at Reading and Slough.

If you have the time there is a scenic double deck bus ride from Oxford to Reading Station- the X40 every 30 minutes. It takes 1 hour 40 minutes, so is a lot slower than the train.

It passes through Wallingford (yet another town worth visiting). On some days a preserved railway runs there from Cholsey (a small main line station between Oxford and Didcot.

Both Witney and Abingdon used to have railway stations- both closed in the 1960's in the Beeching Cuts.

From Oxford using a mixture of trains and buses you can .walk along the Thames all the way to Reading and ultimately London via Windsor, or along the Oxford Canal as far as you could ever want- if you just keep on going on the Canal the connected inland waterway system could take you all the way to York- several weeks later!!
Turn right at Reading, follow the Kennett and Avon Canal and you can walk to Bath- about 110 miles from Oxford.

I’ll will relate that in 2019 I took a solo trip, landing in Edinburgh on February 25, spent several days, worked my way south to Gilsland for Hadrians wall, on to several days in York, then Cambridge, and ended up in London for more than a week. Flew back March 21. The weather was very doable, the fellow tourists were noticeably few. I’m a Texan with thin blood but I had an all weather coat, knee length, with a removable liner and a set of thin thermals and was quite comfortable. If you wanted to do York, it’s very possible. Of course you can’t know for sure what weather you’ll end up with but it is definitely worth considering. I traveled by train. It was a terrific trip. Loved every minute. And I’m heading back to Oxford and London February of ‘25.

I think your plan is a good one.
You might consider this instead of taking day trips from Oxford.

LHR, bus to Oxford
3 nights in Oxford
train to Stratford-Upon-Avon for 2 (or 3) nights
train to Bath for 3 nights
train to Windsor, 2 nights
taxi Windsor to LHR

About Oxford: There's lots to do there, as has already been mentioned.
About Blenheim Palace: There's a city bus that travels north out of Oxford to Blenheim Palace. It stops right outside the gates to Blenheim; you just walk up a gravel driveway/parking lot to pay admission and go in. Time it takes to see the house is about 2 to 3 hours. Your admission price includes the extensive gardens and land. It will take much longer if you choose to walk around and explore those. Blenheim has a cafe for lunch, coffee, tea, or a snack, but in my opinion the food is not great. It's "OK" if you happen to be starving. There's a back terrace overlooking the gardens where you may sit and have your tea or coffee. Blenheim has the largest gift shop of any house or museum I've ever been to in England. You may spend a while browsing. Books, scarves, and an incredible range of things on offer. I bought some gifts there for family members back home.

A better place for lunch would be to exit Blenheim and right outside its gates explore the village of Woodstock. There are several pubs there I've been to whose food I can honestly rave about. I recommend The Back Lane Tavern. Then you can catch the bus back to Oxford from Woodstock.

About Stratford-Upon-Avon: You can take the train from Oxford to SUA. The train station is not far from all the things you'll want to see. Walking distance from the train station to some great hotels, too. Which brings me to spending the night there, which is a really good idea. My husband and I will go to England this fall and spend 3 nights in Stratford. We love walking around there in the evening, after all the tourist "big buses" have left, taking the crowds of tourists back to London. See the Shakespeare sights, enjoy a play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, enjoy the good restaurants, take a walk. You could spend an afternoon walking around nearby Warwick, with its many medieval buildings and castle.

From Stratford-Upon-Avon, you could take the train to Bath for 3 nights. Lots to do and see in Bath. The Roman Baths and Bath Abbey are top of the list. I recommend a walking tour and a trip up to see The Royal Crescent. Just down the hill from The Royal Crescent is an outstanding restaurant....The Scallop Shell....reservations needed but it is casual dress.

From Bath, you could take the train to Windsor for your final 2 nights.

Since you mentioned this tour--Go Cotswolds--I will just mention that we have taken this tour a couple of times and it's great.
https://www.gocotswolds.co.uk/product/cotswolds-in-a-day/#tab-description
This tour goes to some classic Cotswold locations: Dover’s Hill, Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water. You will hit Stow-on-the-Wold about lunchtime. I recommend The Queen's Head pub; good food.

You had originally mentioned the possibility of including a day trip to Bath during your trip. New for 2024, Go Cotswolds offers a trip to Bath and Stonehenge which leaves from Moreton-In-Marsh (and Stratford-Upon-Avon).
https://www.gocotswolds.co.uk/product/bath-stonehenge-tour/
(This is in case you do not want to spend nights there, but still want to do it as a day trip.)

Consider staying around in the general area of Oxford/Stratford-Upon-Avon/the Cotswolds/Bath for your vacation, and possibly leave York and Edinburgh for another visit. The things I have outlined here will be easy for you to do; important I think, since it is your first visit.
For more things to do around the Cotswolds, have a look at this excellent short trip report:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/two-weeks-in-moreton-in-marsh-without-a-car

mpaulynsettle oh I'll hope you'll write a trip report of your time there this fall! And thank you SO much for all the info and the offer for additional help. I really appreciate it.

isn31c (I believe your name is Stuart based on others' responses on other threads, but I don't want to get it wrong in case I'm mistaken!) I'm laughing because you are tricky -- you offer up such gems of information about interesting places, which is so fun, but then my list just keeps getting longer! At some point I have to cut you off LOL! (No, really, I want all the places, keep 'em coming.)

Lyndash Ohhhh you have no idea how much I loved reading your comment! It was super encouraging, but also just like, wow, what a great trip you took. I'm so happy you'll be heading back to the UK soon!

Rebecca Oh my goodness your itinerary suggestion is gooood. There's A LOT I like about it.

Okay, so on that note, and also in response to Mary's comment above ... I've been doing some real deep soul reflection for all of these last hours of all of today (lol) and right now, I'm leaning towards the original plan of York + Edinburgh, but doing it in May (hopefully less chilly/windy weather but also longer daytime). BUT I change my mind not infrequently lol, so stay tuned.

Even if this particular trip Spring 2025 does end up being York/Edinburgh, though, all of this Oxford research, and all the day trip possibilities (and Rebecca's itinerary suggestion), has me VERY excited and determined to make it happen one day. I've already got such a great jump on the planning, and the inspiration has taken hold. This is so much better than just doing Oxford as a day trip from London. I'm excited. My hope/plan is for the UK to see a lot of me over the coming years!

PS. I just want to clarify for everyone -- in case it was confusing -- that they're two different trips possibilities: York/Edinburgh, or Oxford et al. It was always going to be one or the other, not both/and, as I'm trying to keep this to about 10 nights! (And reasonable for a newbie!)

The thing is that Mardee's cousin is there for 6 weeks due to her husband's work- not quite for a vacation, even if that is effectively what she is getting.

But, while 6 weeks may be a bit on the lengthy side, I am pretty convinced that you could make a month long trip out of Oxford and it's environs if you had the time. 10 days is a good time there- the longer the better. And you would still have not covered everything in that month.

The same goes for York and area.

The longer you have there the more the opportunity to get off the beaten track. Yes, at some stage, you have to stop keep being presented with things you simply don't have the time to do.

I have done those long walks from Oxford to Bristol, to London (and down estuary oast London) and to York (and beyond). For me this brings back many happy memories of days in the area, when I lived down there.

This year Mardee had incredibly bad luck with the weather she had. Next year the same dates could be the total opposite weather.

It is nice to see someone giving an area the time it deserves. And also using public transit to do so.

This year Mardee had incredibly bad luck with the weather she had. Next year the same dates could be the total opposite weather.

Ha, that is true, Stuart, but I did have pretty good weather in London and in Oxford. And I think it was pretty good up by Hadrian's Wall, wasn't it? Your memory is much better than mine. It seems like the weather only came out to attack me when I was driving through the flooded roads, lol!

Hannah, I’m so happy for you that some travel planning is underway for you for next year! Whichever itinerary you end up deciding on I wish you all the best with it. For a solo trip, the UK is a great option.

I can still scarcely believe that Mardee went to Devon and Cornwall and encountered two named storms, when by all rights it should have been proper spring weather. The tail end of the stormiest winter in years (and one of the milder- there is a linkage).

Then what can I say about the weather in Derbyshire, which was tending towards the Biblical? Very disappointing to me, personally, who would have liked her to encounter far better weather. But c'est la vie.

I seem to remember the weather improved the further north Mardee went, kind of a bit opposite to what might have been expected.

Finally, finally in Northumberland and Hadrian's Wall it was better, if not what I would have ideally liked.

And so far, at least in the Lake District the summer weather has been uninspiring. Throwing it down with rain as I write.

A garden party I'm going to on Thursday has already been moved indoors.

I would love to see some of the current heat dome in central and eastern WA exported my way!

For a day trip from Oxford to the Cotswolds, you have 2 convenient options with organized tours such as the Cotswolds Tour Bus by Shakespeare Coaches and Go Cotswolds. Both offer a small group hassle-free way to explore this scenic region, and identical itinerary. The Cotswolds Tour Bus definitely has the more luxurious bus and is better value. You can pick up both the tours from Moreton-in-Marsh, just a short train journey from Oxford. I recommend booking an open return ticket. The Cotswolds Tour Bus offer a two day tour option too if you want to spend a day exploring Stratford-upon-Avon.

Evenings in Oxford in term time gives you a chance to sample the choral music in colleges' Evensong services, plus you can go to the more interesting restaurants with a wide range of cuisines that are a bit out of the city centre.

Because Easter is early next year, Oxford’s Hilary (ie spring) term end on 15 March. Towards or At the end of each term there are often student drama or music performances in the colleges, open to the public, at quite low prices. They can be very good.

Hannah- thank you for your post! I’ve bookmarked it for planning next year’s trip to England.

Don’t stress about the public transportation. I’ve travel solo and have found it very easy to navigate. I used the CityMapper app in London and it also covers Oxford and Edinburgh. Research your trips ahead of time and you should be good to go.

Have a great time and Happy Travels!!

Stuart oh my gosh that delighted me that you've actually done some of those long walks!

Claire Oh! Your kind note really made me smile. Thank you!! I keep getting more and more excited (which is good, cause that distracts me from my nerves lol)

Stratford Historian Thank you for the tips!!

Marco Attending Evensong is absolutely on my list!

BillS719 Ohhh, another fantastic insider recommendation, thank you!

Stacie Thank you for your vote of confidence! I love hearing especially from other women who've traveled solo. And I'm so glad this thread will help you out with ideas for your own trip! Happy travels indeed!

when you are in Oxford, if the weather is warmish you can cool off with a fabulous milkshake with every conceivable mix in at Moo-Moo's in the Covered Market - a simple pass though window in the SW corner of the market - you can find it by the queues of students and locals. Worth every farthing. Can I have your stamps on my loyalty card? https://www.moo-moos.co.uk/ They give you an extra large straw - you need it.

Do you know that you can get a discounted admission (20% off) at Blenheim Palace when you arrive by public transport or any type of green transport? An easy short ride from the centre of Oxford on two bus routes and by others from elsewhere in the Cotswolds.

https://www.blenheimpalace.com/visitus/green-travel/ and scroll down...

By the way, you'll see that one of the buses to Blenheim Palace is the bus from Burford.

I'd like to commend Burford to you while you're in Oxford. It is a a little journey west on the A40 trunk road and situated on a steep hill up from the river which is crossed to this day by ancient bridge. Good fun to stand on the bridge in one of the triangular bays and watch the river go through the weeds under while traffic goes over, so close to the church. Also a beautiful "wool" church, with its heritage both inside and outside in the churchyard with the wool tombs. Despite the hill, or because of it, Burford is eminently strollable, and there is pretty good nosh in the town. Hard to go wrong.

My missus is a big C.S.Lewis fan. The Kilns was an excellent and informative visit, a little over ½ hour by bus. Nature trails next door, Holy Trinity Church close by: https://www.cslewis.org/ourprograms/thekilns/kilnstour/

King's Arms was highly recommended for lunch but we never made it.

Bodleain for sure. Magdalen College (Addison's walk). Christ Church was booked up on our visit.

Yes to Burford, more so than Witney.

Blenheim (Churchill is buried St Martin's in Bladon, about 20 minute walk from Hanborough train station). Woodstock is lovely village, The Back Lane Tavern is top notch.

You can see a few of the more famous Cotswold villages with a little effort. Train to Moreton, bus north to Broadway and Chipping Campden, bus south to Stow, Bourton and the Slaughters. If you can only spare one day, bus service south from Moreton is more frequent.

Hi Hannah and welcome back! I'm so glad you're onto planning another European adventure, and wow have you gotten some great advice. I've been to Oxford many times for a conference always during Easter break, which I'm thinking will be sometime in mid April 2025 as Easter is April 20th? The reason I mention it, is that University Rooms offers simple dormitory rooms when university is out of session, and I find them tranquil and delightful, always pay up for breakfast in a great hall! https://www.universityrooms.com/en-GB/city/oxford/home/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwh7K1BhCZARIsAKOrVqHeIw2gRKiC40QR2eOT65ItGqOUzIg0mDfStQyBCxjyEkMT423_PmkaAryaEALw_wcB
No idea if this will work for your visit, or if you'll instead be in Edinburgh & York was it?? HA. Hope you have a spectacular trip! And to whomever mentioned Evensong, OMG now I need to go back to Oxford during the term! There's a pub called the Black Swan, famously where CS Lewis & JRR Tolkien use to write and argue about religion, you might even get to sit at their table, which I though was a real treat. I hope you have a fantastic trip, where ever you decide to go!

Hi, Sandancisco! Okay, so I am all set now with a York & Edinburgh trip (Apr/May 2025!) -- hotels and flights are booked! -- but I am SO excited by this Oxford plan and it will happen, sooner rather than later. I could see it being my second solo trip. I have this thread bookmarked because there's so much good information and inspiration here, and you've just added to both! Thank you!!! :)

Absolutely wonderful, and think of all those folks who are silently bookmarking this for an Oxford visit, no travel info goes to waste!! (I have notes on laptop for Bologna, Palermo, Nimes and now Oxford - one can dream....)

Between this thread and Dennis, I want to got to Oxford now, too.

I remember a thread from sometime last year where a few different people were chiming in about how much they love Oxford. And honestly, I'd never given it much thought -- its various famous sites/people haven't been a particularly personal draw for me.

And then someone in that thread, in explaining their endorsement of it, said something about "the intangibles" of just walking its streets and being there. And that -- THAT! -- draws me.

And the more I've looked into it, the more compelling it's become, not as a day trip from London but as a place to get to know over several days. I can't wait for this (eventual) trip! (2026?!)

Oxford Bookish Tour https://youtu.be/wjgrelq2-C8?si=xlcUy2Zi0C6PxmNJ