We are arriving to London (St. Pancras) on the Eurostar around 17:30 on Sat May 13. We have train tickets from Paddington Stn to Oxford (Great Western Railway), but I understand now that because of bridge repairs south of Oxford it will be a replacement bus from Didcot to Oxford. And I recently read about a train conductor strike that day. I am considering three options to get to Oxford:
- Take the GWR train and switch to a bus at Didcot, maybe 1 hr 45 min (I am unclear on how straightforward the transfer to the replacement bus is),
- Take a train from Marylebone Stn to Oxford, direct but about 1 hr 30 min, (I understand Chiltern Railways will honor the GWR ticket)
- Refund the GWR ticket and take the Oxford Tube bus from the Victoria coach station to Oxford (I’m told it’d be 1 1/2 to 2 hrs depending on traffic, this will be Sat about 18:00).
Thoughts on how I choose which is the least bad option? Does the train strike make the Oxford Tube bus a more reliable option? We'll have luggage - is it meaningfully easier/harder to get from St. Pancras to Marylebone or Victoria coach station?
Advice appreciated, thanks!