Transportation with an 18 month old

You have to go back to London and then take train to Heathrow.

There is a bus which is 25 pounds a person and that is more efficient.

There are also car services. We paid 90 pounds for three of us to be picked up at our accommodation and dropped off at our terminal at Heathrow.

Much easier than bus since we would have had to take a local bus to bus station first with our luggage.

But I don’t know whether you can arrange this with a car seat or not.

I doubt cabs or Ubers have car seats. maybe, but it would be hit or miss. You can take the Elizabeth Line and/or Tube to the Bloomsbury area, again no carseats, but then the train to Oxford will not either.

From Oxford to Heathrow, bus is probably the best, direct coaches, comfortable and easy. Train can be done, but I recall it takes multiple changes and some back tracking.

I'd forget about a taxi (they don't carry car seats) or Uber (very few vehicles have car seats) unless you want to bring your own. When you hire a car, check what sort of seat they're providing, as the law requires a rear-facing baby carrier for a child under 13kg.

The rules are here: https://www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules

The Elizabeth Line is probably the best option, depending on exactly where in Bloomsbury you are. Or Elizabeth Line plus tube.

Re Oxford, I've rented from Enterprise before. They offer a free pickup and drop-off service from station or hotel. They have two branches, one is a 10 min drive from the centre of Oxford. I wouldn't say Oxford is hard to drive in (despite the one-ways) but it is a total pain to park in, so if you can avoid having to drive there you may as well.

Check how much the car hire firm will charge for a child sear. May be cheaper to buy one and throw it away when you leave. You’ll also know it’s in good condition

Agree, parking in Oxford is a nightmare.

Apologies if you already know these things about driving in the UK.

Bus Lanes (Oxford loves 'em) - lanes (usually the one on the left) reserved for buses and taxis. Driving in one can get you a fine usually detected by cameras. You need to check the time each is in force: some are 24/7, some only certain days of the week and others only at certain times on certain days. if you're on a route with on-ff bus lanes, don't assume they'll all have the same time restrictions.

Roundabouts - lots on Oxford and the surrounding areas. Worth watching a few YouTube videos if you are not familiar with them

Speed limits - again familiarize yourself with the signs and the associated limit. I suspect central Oxford is now a 20mph zone although I haven't driven there for years (despite many visits) because parking is such a problem..

Navigation - get a good SatNav or be able to use Google maps on your internet package. Have the sound on, as this will help get you in the correct lane when approaching roundabouts. Postcodes - combination of letters and numbers at the end of every address - are very helpful in finding out of the way places. Note - some big attractions (Blenheim Palace, maybe) have a separate postcode for deliveries and visitors car park (yes, it really is big). Check you've got the right one. If you have a place to park in Oxford, the one way system is navigable (just about) but it is quite tortuous.

Finally, if driving at night or in the evening in central Oxford you may find lots of students on bikes. Safest to assume they've been drinking and will ignore red lights, Give Way signs etc I speak from personal experience, albeit nearly 50 years ago!

Thank you all for your responses. It’s been very helpful!

I do have a question, though. When you refer to “car hire”’are you referring to a car rental like Enterprise?

One response mentioned “hiring”’a car to get from Oxford to Heathrow and that the service picked them up.

Also, it sounds like driving in the UK can be a bit nerve wracking when you’re not used it. We are staying just outside of Oxford in Cowley. I am assuming that the only way to see the area is to rent a car. We are interested in seeing Oxford, Bath, the Cotswolds and either Blenheim or Highclere Castle.

Thank you again! Your responses are very much appreciated!

Cathy

Yes, the term "Car Hire" is used instead of car rental in the UK.

Does your hotel (or apartment?) come with parking - there are still on-street parking restrictions in, at least, parts of Cowley.

Depending on your exact location, you could walk into central Oxford (about 30 minutes or so) or get a bus. The center of Oxford is largely pedestrianized and, actually, quite small. If you want to go into some of the colleges, it's worth checking which ones charge for entry - Christ Church (Harry Potter links) certainly does. I would get to Oxford by public transport and look at the city itself before picking up the rental car.. You can go to places like Blenheim, Bath etc by public transport but, in my view, having a car is easier. The guided tour of the Old Bodlean library is very interested but they may not permit an 18 month-old on the tour.

It's a while since I have been to Bath but from recollection driving in the centre and parking is not much better than Oxford. Maybe worth checking if there is a Park-and-Ride system to park out of the centre and get a bus in. The Cotswold villages are very pretty but can get very busy in summer and, again, parking can be problematical (it's a small island with a lot of cars).

One final thing, I tend to use Google maps but the Waze App has a feature to tell you the nearest car park (parking lot) to where you want to go. You can then put that Postcode into your SatNav.

Building in what Bill said re Bath, I was there a few weeks back, and while not driving, it looked to me like it would be fine to drive in, but a hassle to park (albeit not as bad as Oxford).

Re car seat, personally I'd recommend bringing one, rather than relying on the car hire (rental) company having a compliant rear-facing one for a smaller child. When we traveled with small kids, we always did this, as the car hire companies won't normally guarantee to have a seat available.

Apologies for keep posting random thoughts:

re: car seats in taxis and Ubers. For some reason, it is legal for taxis to carry children not in car seats whereas it's illegal to do so in a private car. Buses (and coaches, as we call some of the longer-distance buses) don't require car seats either.

Also, in the UK (as in all of Europe), for hire cars the default is for a manual transmission. if you want an automatic (one less thing to worry about??), you need to specify it when you book the rental.

As you are in Cowley, I would get the direct coach from Heathrow to Oxford and then a taxi from where it drops off in the centre to where you are staying. Oxford station, which is about 3/4 mile outside the centre, is on the opposite side of the city to Cowley.