Gatwick to Oxford

There is a regular train from the train station under one terminal at Gatwick, operated by First Great Western to Reading, approximately one an hour at just after the hour. Change at Reading for the hourly service to Moreton-in-Marsh.

Total time just under 3 hours.

Villages and most towns do not have trains. In the area generally referred to as the Cotswolds (where I grew up) 2 towns have stations, Cheltenham and Moreton-in-Marsh.

Cotswolds difficult without a car but some people use the irregular buses.

Buy your ticket in the station.

Read Rick Steves' England Guidebook for specifics - or any good guidebook.

I just saw about Oxford. Oxford is not in the Cotswolds, but beautiful anyway.

Same trains, just get off the second one as it passes through Oxford, 26 minutes and one stop past Reading.

Why not just take the bus that goes from Gatwick to Oxford's main bus station in central Oxford? I'm sure it's quicker than taking a train into London and then out again into Oxford.

Find additional train schedules at www.nationalrail.co.uk and many long-distance coach schedules at www.nationalexpress.com, although other bus companies also operate around the Cotswolds.

The trains I suggested don't go anywhere near London, and the poster specifically asked to avoid buses and coaches.

The direct Gatwick-Oxford bus services are operated by comfortable long-distance coaches, you won't be stuck on a crowded city bus for hours.

Back in 2007, I took a direct National Express bus from Gatwick to the Oxford coach station that took about 2 hours. On their website (http://www.nationalexpress.com/), they now take 2 to 2.5 hours, but that route still exists.

The reason why we are avoiding buses/coaches is that we won't be traveling with a car seat and assume that British laws mandate the use of appropriate child restraint systems when on buses.

Everyone's responses have been very helpful. Now I have more questions. If we do take the train to Oxford, what transportation options do we have getting to the city itself. I haven't used to train services much. My husband and I usually rent a car. But this trip will be with my daughter, son-in-law and baby grandson. No car. I had forgotten how far out the train station is!
Also, in smaller stations such as Moreton-in-Marsh, are there lockers or other facilities to store our luggage while we tour the village?
Many thanks to everyone for their input.

You won't find lockers since our friends across the Irish Sea used to use them to blow up railway stations.

There are frequent buses into Oxford and a taxi rank.

Moreton-in-Marsh is a market town, not a village. Same with Stow-on-the-Wold.

No luggage facilities in Moreton-in-Marsh.

Where are you staying?

You will also struggle for luggage storage in Oxford (unless that is where you intend to stay).