Oxford

Is it difficult to stay in Oxford, without a car, visit Blenheim and
see Oxford and enjoy a pub meal.

Short answer: No

Great. It looks like most hotels aren’t in “city center”. Which might be walkable to the train and a bus to Blenheim?

I have only ever visited Oxford and Blenheim via bus - I lie, I once took the train from London to Oxford, but primarily, I have used the bus, including to Heathrow. I can't imagine what you would do with a car in Oxford. It is made for walking. The bus station is down near the train station. A google search should get you the bus number and timetables to Blenheim.

Depending on how many of you there are, you might find a room in a college via University Rooms.

London Walks appears to have some September dates for Oxford and Cotswolds - day trip from London. They do run an Oxford/Blenheim tour but have no dates listed - you could inquire.

Wish I were there. Enjoy.

Most of Oxford is walkable, but there are also city buses that are easy to use. I've never stayed in a hotel in Oxford but in a few BnBs, both in the centre and a bit outside. There are several BnBs along Iffley road in different price ranges. But there are also a few options just east of Magdalen bridge.

We had no problems doing Blenheim and Oxford, as a Day trip, without a car from Kensington area London.

Based on my daughter's very recent experience at Oxford, try to find lodging with air conditioning, or at least stay on a lower floor. It was 90 degrees in Oxford 10 days ago. Safe travels!

I am looking forward to 2 nights in Oxford! Does anyone know if you need to reserve a walking tour in advance, and if so, how far in advance? I'm looking at the ones Rick recommends, eg University and City walking tours, or Walking Tours of Oxford. If anyone has a recommendation please let me know.

Thank you!

Jane -- Google Maps shows about half a dozen hotels near the Gloucester Green bus station and/or the rail station in Oxford, at various price ranges. They're also close to many of the colleges and the main streets of the city. One of those might be a good choice. We stayed at the Randolph, across from the Ashmolean Museum, and liked it, but it was more expensive than other choices closer to the stations.

You may already know this, but The Airline is a very good bus service between LHR and Oxford. Gloucester Green is one of their stops. Oxford is easy without a car. Blenheim will require either a local bus ride or some kind of day tour.

We stayed at the Premier Inn across the street from a mall in the center of Oxford this summer. It was fine for a few nights. We took a taxi to the palace and the bus back to Oxford. The hotel was an easy walk to the train station. The hotel had air conditioning.

I was looking at that Premier Inn, is it within walking distance of places to eat and things to do?

It appears to be near the castle, but a bit longer to the bus stop that goes to Heathrow.
Thanks for the information.

I checked out the Airline maps and then compared to a Google map. If you do not want to walk the 15 minutes from the Premier Inn (luggage?), there appears to be a Mercure closer to the bus stop. Oxford is really walkable as others have noted.

Rather than the National Express coach to the airport I'd use The Airline.

Blenheim Palace has three (I think it is 3 at last count) city buses which serve it extremely efficiently from the centre of the city.

If you go by bus you even get a substantial discount at Blenheim Palace.

Oxford is very compact, very easy to walk since cars are banned or discouraged in so much of the centre, and there is food at the Castle to say nothing of everywhere else in the city.

I don't stay at hotels or B&Bs because I am less than an hour away by easy drive (and difficult parking). You've had good advice in that respect already. There are also a couple of nice hotels in Woodstock.

There were several places to eat very close to the hotel. It is very close to the castle. We did not do any of the sites in Oxford. We got in late from the airport by car service and went to bed. The next day we ate breakfast at the hotel and it was okay. Then we walked to the train station and arrived in Warwick about an hour later. We walked to the castle and stayed there for a long time. Walked back to the train station and about an hour later we arrived in Oxford. Walked back towards the hotel and ate dinner. Then back to the hotel. Ate breakfast at the hotel the next day and took a car service/taxi to the palace. Spent a long time there. Walked into town and got a bus to Oxford. Walked back towards the hotel and ate at the same place as the night before. Walked back to the hotel. Packed and went to bed. Ate breakfast at the hotel and then took a car service/taxi to LHR. The hotel is across the street from a mall. Lots of places to eat there and the streets around the hotel. The hotel had air conditioning and the breakfast was included with the room.

Agree that the short answer is no.

Two nights in Oxford makes sense. It was easy to grab a cab to get to our B & B, which was out Banbury Road near Summertown. Buses to city center seemed to come by every 10 - 15 minutes. Bus to Blenheim also quite easy. You'll want to take time to just walk around and soak in the atmosphere of all the historic buildings.

The number of chain hotels in the centre of Oxford (or thereabouts) has been increasing over recent years if this is your sort of thing.

What to take care in avoiding are ones in neighbouring towns that have Oxford confusingly as part of their name. For example Marriott and Premier Inn both have properties with 'Oxford South' in their name that are well south of Oxford adjacent to the A34 with nothing around them apart from car showrooms, a garage, some restaurants, and an industrial estate, with Didcot being the nearest town 2+ miles away. Some people on here have been fooled by these already.

agreed

it is a sneaky little nasty habit - but not new to the trade.

Have a look at what passes for Kensington in London.

Or Venice in Venice.

Hello Nigel,
Regarding your comment about getting to Blenheim Palace from Oxford by city bus: is it an easy walk from the bus stop to the palace entrance, as in flat and paved? I am traveling to Oxford in October with my sister and 89 year old mother, and we'll stay there a week. My mother is completely mobile (no walker or other assistance required), but I wouldn't want her to face a difficult walk at the start of our outing. Also, you mentioned a substantial discount at Blenheim Palace if we go by bus. How does that work? Thank you. (This question is directed to Nigel, but I welcome responses from other folks as well.)

It's easy, the bus stops a literal stone's throw from the entrance.

We did Oxford and Blenheim Palace from Chipping Campden.

Parking in Oxford is difficult. Finding one on the street, forget it. You will be stuck in a lot on the edge of town. We took the train to Oxford. Blenheim Palace is not far from Oxford, but perhaps there is a bus that goes there from Oxford.

Blenheim itself describes it as a "10-minute stroll through the park" from the bus to the house.

There is a code on the website where you book tickets to use if arriving by public transport. I presume they may check.

An alternative if traveling at the weekend is to take the train to Hanborough where there is a free bus service. However, trains are not running most weekends in September.

Although the bus stops at the gate it must be getting on for half a mile walk to the Palace
See their website for details of buses and how to claim green travel entrance discount when booking tickets

is it an easy walk from the bus stop to the palace entrance, as in flat and paved? I am traveling to Oxford in October with my sister and 89 year old mother, and we'll stay there a week. My mother is completely mobile (no walker or other assistance required), but I wouldn't want her to face a difficult walk at the start of our outing.

It is flat, but it is a very long walk from the bus stop to the actual building. I don’t believe it was paved (I was there in 2019). This guide indicates it is 800 meters from the bus stop to the main door and has some additional detail.
https://www.accessibilityguides.org/content/blenheim-palace-0