Oxford Hop on Hop Off?

Posted by ChristineH (Gettysburg PA) on 09/12/17 06:18 PM

We are spending 8 nights in London and are setting aside 1 day for a possible day trip to Oxford. We will decide at the time if we are up for it- weather and energy levels dependent!
We are fine taking the Oxford Espress bus as it is inexpensive and we do not want to book a train ticket ahead of time. So that said- I see there is a HOHO bus in Oxford- is that necessary or beneficial? Looking at the map it seems the sights/areas we want to visit are pretty compact and walkable.

I am using this walking tour map- I can't really see how/where the HOHO bus would get us anywhere we can't walk on our own.
Can anyone offer insight/advice- HOHO or Not?

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1EcjwG5b7zQ6hy5bV-Vn-0zOFXxs&ll=51.753845694671796%2C-1.2524577003860031&z=16

Posted by Edgar

Medford, OR, USA

09/12/17 06:41 PM

5837 posts

We spent a full day in Oxford a few years ago taking the Coach from Victoria Station London in the morning and returning after dinner. The bus station is right near the center (Gloucester Green). Oxford is very compact and walkable. If you did the bus you would be doing a lot of hopping.

Ashmolean Museum is about 1000 feet from the Bus Station and the University of Oxford Botanical Garden another 4000 feet from the Museum with a lot to see in between.

Posted by ChristineH OP

Gettysburg PA

09/12/17 06:56 PM

7229 posts

Thanks to both of you- we will skip HOHO and walk--also saves us 28£-- I just needed confirmation ;)

Posted by acraven

Washington DC

09/12/17 08:01 PM

28247 posts

When you initially arrive in tue city, make note of streets where you see possible lunch spots. Oxford has good restaurants, but the university has bought a lot of formerly commercial buildings and turned them into student housing. When you're walking between colleges, it's possible that you won't see any sources of food at all, whereas one or two blocks away there may be many.

The tourist office-run walking tour was quite good. Although some of the colleges are open in the morning, many can be visited only in the afternoon. Still, my morning tour was able to see Exeter.
In addition to the Ashmolean (which could consume many hours) and the Botanical Garden, I really liked the quirky Pitt-Rivers Museum. Lighting levels in the latter are quite low; the sales counter will loan you a small flashlight for a £2 deposit. The P-R is farther from the center of town than most of the other university-related sights, so it might not fit into your schedule.

Posted by Marco

Oxford, United Kingdom

09/12/17 09:55 PM

5466 posts

The Oxford Open-top Sightseeing Tour although advertised as HoHo really is more of tour ... especially as part of it (optionally) is a walking tour through some of the pedestrianised bits. It probably takes the bus an equal amount of time to bypass this.

Looking at its route it is all fairly central so doesn't go out to anything you couldn't walk to if you are interested.

The coach is in general quite a bit slower than the train end-to-end but it certainly can be convenient if it stops close by to where you are staying in London.