Oxford: too crowded

Everywhere in Europe is more crowded this summer. Post-Covid, people are engaging in "revenge travel". I'm going on an Aegean cruise next month and during our stop in Santorini, there will be 5 cruise ships in port, in addition to mine, meaning an extra 12k folks on the island that day. Needless to say, I've planned my excursions carefully so that I get back to the ship in time. Sadly, that also means I won't get the Santorini experience I wanted. But it is what it is. Anyone traveling to Europe this summer should be braced for the crowds.

After Covid lock down effects. People want to travel again and its Summer. Crowds are always massive in the Summer.

Another reason I travel off season. Decades of quiet serene moments of solitude. Far from the madding crowds.

Have visual proof.

Photo of me alone in the gardens of Hampton Court in London on a late November visit. Hiking the Gap of Dunlope with only sheep in site. Evensong in Westminster Abbey with only 10 people. Confession in a small Catholic church in Florence. Solo dining in a small crowded Venice restaurant. Only tourist there.

Things have changed in the last decade. More travelers especially from Asia.

As travel keeps me sane ….I’ll keep at it.

Well, if you choose to go to places that are tourist hot spots, then of course you will find hoards of people at peak holiday season.

Oxford is a very popular with visitors and is on nearly everyone's tick list. It will be crowded. It is also a lot smaller than London, and this can also make it feel a lot more congested. If you want to avoid the crowds you need to think 'out of the box' and be prepared to go to somewhere that doesn't feature on everyone's tick list...

Didn't know it was a tourism hot spot, just thought it was a lazy university town. Not every vacation goes 100% perfect, learned my lesson. Quit assuming we know everything about every town.

It's a massive tourist spot - the university (some colleges are tourist attractions in their own right), the Harry Potter connection, proximity to Blenheim Palace etc - nothing lazy about it. It's also very close to London, so a frequently-recommended day trip and also busy with residents who commute to work in London.

If you want a 'lazy university town' try Durham (technically a city, but tiny). Unfortunately it's not a day trip from London.

I've been to Oxford many times and as mentioned it is a popular destination and can get very crowded in the summer. On the other hand it is usually lovely in the evenings after the day trippers have left.

The last is a very pertinent observation - take it from a local.

The ease of getting to Oxford from London results in many just doing a day visit which crams everyone into the late morning to early evening. Crowded pretty much all year round and a crush at the worst.

The local authorities have been trying to encourage overnight stays (there is certainly more for most than can be done in a half a day and in the evening) and there have been a number of new hotels opened over the last 5 years (and more on the way) but the geography will always fight against this.

It's always been popular and its main advantage is it's disadvantage in terms of crowds - the bulk of the places to visit are focused in one fairly compact area.

Lol. I had to laugh because I did the same thing about 8 years ago. I spent an afternoon there, it was wildly busy, and I actually kind of hated it.

Then last year, I had several nights at the end of my trip and needed a location with easy morning access to Heathrow for my afternoon flight. After much research, Oxford was the most logical place. And with more time, it was a totally different experience. I stayed off the main tourist route during busy times, took a few college tours, saw the amazing Bodleian Library (and bonus got to visit with wonderful people one day). I came away with a totally opposite experience and feeling. And learned about the same lesson as you. 🤣

This thread is great for those of us thinking of going to Oxford. Just good to know for planning purposes.
Thanks OP and everyone else!

I am planning a trip to England with my niece next May/June. Oxford for three nights is on the itinerary. Where in town would those of you who have suggested staying a little off beaten track suggest? It can’t be so off the beaten track that we would need a car.

I visited last September 2022 on a week day. London "hot spots" were full of tourists, I felt I had Oxford to myself.

I'm sorry you found crowds! I'm afraid that is to be expected most popular places in Europe in the summer during European school holidays. If a summer vacation is unavoidable, I have found traveling in June can be better than July or August.

Thanks for the report - I hope it will be a warning for someone to set the crowd expectations high!

Beth, this is one of the few places I have stayed that I feel ok recommending - to someone like you.
https://abnb.me/sI4Y3dOhQBb
One of the best hostesses I have ever had, off the beaten path, and more affordable than many places I found.

Where in town would those of you who have suggested staying a little
off beaten track suggest?

There is a good selection of B&Bs along Iffley Road. But it seems like my favourite one unfortunately has closed.

If chain hotels are more your thing you want to be careful with the ones on the edge of the city as these are in business areas mainly, although often with good bus routes.

Be even more careful checking that a hotel with "Oxford" in its title isn't actually somewhere else. Both Premier Inn and Marriott have "Oxford South" hotels that are really near to Didcot. Hotels are fine if you are visiting the Milton science & technology park but not for much else.

Glad I found this string. We will be in London in early September and are thinking of a day trip to Oxford. It sounds like the crowds might be dropping off by then? We are also considering Cambridge. If we can do only one, what are your experiences?

Thanks much!

Thanks for all the information! I found an Air Bnb that is attic floor of a retired couples home that is well reviewed and reasonable for my niece and me. It is near Mazil Way and Crowley Road. Reviewers say you can walk to center in 30 minutes. Anyone familiar with this area?

BethFl, if you are referring to Cowley Rd, then, yes, it is only @ a 25-30 minute walk to Christ Church, Bodleian Library and all the other delightful venues in downtown Oxford. You'll walk across the charming Magdalen Bridge, past Magdalen College and the Botanical Garden on the way in. If you go in the opposite direction from Cowley Rd., you can visit South Park which is on a hill overlooking the spires of Oxford.

Isn't your BnB on Cowley Road on a major bus line? Plug in the address on Google Maps and request directions to a location in the center - it will show you mass transit options.

When we were there years ago we stayed in the opposite direction, on Bainbury Rd just beyond Summertown. The bus to the center came by so often that it was almost like having a private service.

I had never thought of using goggle maps without an exact address but doing so let me get a much better sense of the area and the pleasant things “on the way” than relying on air Bnb app did.

Thanks again!

Since they have come up, maybe a few words about buses in Oxford would be useful.

If only using the Oxford Bus Company services just using contactless tapping on boarding and off when alighting is the simplest and does appropriate capping for the day.

If on a main corridor or using more than one operator then buy an Oxford Smartzone day ticket. You can do this on one of the company apps or from the driver.

We visited Oxford on a day trip from Bath in late May 2017, and it was not too crowded. Has it gotten worse? My previous time in Oxford was in the summer of 1972, when it was indeed a sleepy college town. On our 2017 visit, we noted a good proportion of foreign visitors. Asian tourists, for example, seemed very interested in the shop that featured Alice in Wonderland items. During our short visit, we met people from Argentina, Bulgaria and Russia.

We are thinking about spending a couple of nights in Oxford in late April 2024 before the RS Best of England tour. Our plan is to go directly to Oxford on he bus from Heathrow.

We visited in early June 2018 and it was VERY crowded. Went again this year in late May, and it seemed less crowded. It was later in the afternoon, maybe that made a difference.

to elaborate on Marco's point about the buses. There has now been a little bit of a truce so there is that combined ticket. But if you just buy a ticket or tap, be aware that different companies may work the same route, with the same number, but they are not interchangeable tickets unless you have the special ticket Marco mentioned,... not confusing at all LOL

The bus companies also confusingly still have their own one day tickets priced a bit less than the Smartzone. This was all an early attempt at a bus partnership but it is still much less integrated than some more recent ones elsewhere, eg Leicester.