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London to Oxford - Bus or Train?

Posted by (Rural Georgia) on

We will be in London in three weeks. While my wife is working, my grandson and I are thinking about taking a day trip to Oxford. I was thinking about taking the bus, but when I checked, the Oxford Tube bus service had a service warning, stating the Oxford bound side of the A40 will be reduced to two lanes and they were planning on a reroute and warning to expect delays or longer travel times.

In light of that, even though it would be more expensive, would the train be a better option? Maybe even take the train there and the bus back to London?

Posted by
5323 posts

The train need not be significantly more expensive if you buy an Advance ticket tied to a specific train. These start from £5 one way on GWR (from Paddington) or £5.40 on Chiltern (from Marylebone).

Posted by
2106 posts

Marco,
How much in advance do we need to buy to get a significant savings? We are trying to balance planning with flexibility. Thanks for your helpful reply.

Posted by
16893 posts

Some advance train ticket discounts are available even one day ahead. Or, if buying on the day of travel with no advance rates available, a London-Oxford Off-Peak Return (after 9:30 weekdays, roundtrip ticket) costs the same as an Off-Peak Single (one-way) at 27.30 pounds for an adult. See www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Posted by
5323 posts

As there are typically four limited stop trains per hour to Oxford adding both services together. there is quite a good supply of reasonably priced tickets booked quite close to the day of travel, say around £10. A week it may be more like £7. These are somewhat higher than normal, but I guess the recent disruption to the coach service timetable might be a factor here.

Posted by
5500 posts

Last week, I bought a train ticket from London to Oxford for May 17 and it was only 5.40 GBP. If you know your dates of travel and are willing to commit to a specific time, you may be able to get an advance fare.

I would also consider where you are staying in London. The trains depart from Paddington or Marylebone. The Oxford tube has different departure points. If one were significantly closer to my hotel, I’d consider that.

Posted by
2106 posts

I would also consider where you are staying in London. The trains depart from Paddington or Marylebone.

Either would work. We’re staying at the Royal Society of Medicine for Deb’s work.

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