Yet another request for Oxford itinerary comments :)

You may find this recent thread about Oxford useful- https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/exploring-a-week-solo-in-oxford

For Cambridge you would have to go back to London, across the city then train back out to Cambridge from St Pancras, Kings Cross or Liverpool Street.

Using local buses and trains you can walk along the Thames all the way to Reading and London or to Thames Head in Gloucestershire heading west, or along the canal literally as far as you want.

Thames Head was the traditional source but is now barely a puddle in a field several hundred yards away from the real source!!

thank you @ isn31c!

I did read that thread, and it has a ton of great info! Thought I might still ask about in case anyone had less common recommendations, specific favorite spots, etc.

Walks seem very lovely - speaking of the head of the Thames, I just saw a suggested Instagram from a guy who followed the Thames all the way "from source to sea" while staying in/on the water as much as possible. Fascinating!

Thank you for the note on Cambridge -- as I don't feel up to going back to London and out to do it, I will just give it a miss and it stays on the list!

Hi, carolineandcats! What a fabulous opportunity!!

basically beverages of all kinds.

This made me lol.

So that was my thread linked above, and even though I saw your comment that you have read through it, just in case I'll call your attention to the YouTube video that Mary had posted (she and I are both big readers, too!) ... that video has me swooning for Oxford!

For whenever my own Oxford trip will actually happen (thanks to that thread, I've got quite the head start on planning!), I'm thinking about day trips (using public transit) to Stratford-Upon-Avon as well as Winchester.

Also as a complete aside and as a fellow kitty lover, if you've not been to York, do add it to your bucket list for a future England trip! https://visityork.org/business-directory/york-cat-trail

Hi Caroline, what an opportunity! As you are obviously interested in literature, don’t miss Blackwells Bookshop across from the Sheldonian. Although it’s now owned by Waterstones, it is an important part of publishing history. It published Tolkien’s first poem. There are some antique books inside as well. Christ Church Great Hall is also wonderful. Not for Harry Potter IMHO, but for the inspiration it provided to Charles Dobson (AKA Louis Carroll) in writing parts of Alice in Wonderland. You’ll want to book ahead. Turf Tavern is fabulous and has vegetarian options and plenty of drink options. The cider was delicious. If you are a Tolkien fan, there are plenty of sites and tours available. The Ashmolean is incredible and has many items that suit your interests. Take advantage of a guided tour there. Lastly, the covered market is very fun to walk through and browse what’s on offer. Have a wonderful time!

At one time you used to be able to take a succession of day boat trips all the way from Greenwich to Oxford, but there are now significant gaps in the system, even Oxford to Abingdon is now summer school holiday only.

However in October Salters Steamers are still running their Alice in Wonderland boat trips and their lunchtime picnic cruises which may be of interest- https://salterssteamers.co.uk/short-trips/

I can't comment on those cruises as I have only done point to point trips with Salters on their longer distance trips like Oxford to Abingdon, using the boats like you would a city bus.

Lechlade, the head of navigation on the Thames, is a lovely Cotswolds town- fairly easy to get on the bus via Witney. And at the St John's Lock there is the statue of Old Father Thames, removed there from Thames Head in 1974 , but originally at Crystal Palace, London.

At the other end of the Thames, If you wanted to take a boat trip in from the sea to see the Estuary, then in October the annual sailings from Southwold (Suffolk) and Clacton (Essex) are happening again on the Waverley- the world's last ocean going Paddle Steamer. The day sailings end with the arrival at Tower Pier, London with Tower Bridge lifting to allow her under, in mid evening when it is dark. Some shorter trips also run from Whitstable and Southend.

I'll just throw in this section from trip report from earlier this year. I only had one night in Oxford but will definitely go back! It's a wonderful city and you will love it!

Oxford: Such a gorgeous city! As it was, I only had one night, and didn’t arrive till mid-afternoon. So the best I could hope for was to walk around the city and absorb the atmosphere. And that’s what I did. Oxford was wonderful and the architecture is jaw-dropping at times. There were lovely gardens and buildings and interesting shops. I could easily spend a week here and not get tired of it.

The Turf Tavern: After several hours, I started looking for a dinner place, and I wanted something historical. The Eagle and Child was still closed, the Lamb and Flag only served bar snacks, so I headed for the Turf Tavern, which dates back to the 13th century and has hosted many famous people over the years. It was an odd little building down an alleyway and was composed of a number of small rooms, all attached by doors and winding alleys. The rooms had wooden beams, low ceilings, and uneven stone floors but it all added to the charm. The menu was basic pub food, but the burger and fries I had were good, along with the ale. It was a very fun and interesting place to eat.

Gloucester Green Market: This street market is every Wednesday, so I was able to stop by. It had a wonderful display of many different foods, mostly ethnic, and stalls selling other things as well. I ate breakfast and lunch here, and the food was wonderful..

Ashmolean Museum: I had not planned to visit here but Rebecca (from Nashville) told me how wonderful it was. She was right. The museum itself was gorgeous, with stately pillars and huge glass spaces inside, and the collection was just amazing. There were rooms filled with nothing but Egyptian statues, tombs and mummies. Another with beautiful paintings. I saw Kabuki costumes, ancient texts written in Cuneiform, gorgeous decorative furniture, the Alfred jewel, ordered by Alfred the Great around the late 800s, and so much more. There was a nice cafe and an interesting gift shop as well.

End of report. :-) Mostly I just walked around and enjoyed the beauty of the gardens and the architecture.

BTW, you don't mention where you are flying out of but if it's London, more specifically Heathrow, there is a bus that goes directly from Oxford to Heathrow. It's called the Airline bus, costs £25 and takes 90 minutes from Oxford to LHR. You can catch the bus at the Gloucester Green Bus Station (right by the market) and just pay when you get on board with Tap and Pay. It will take you directly to the various terminals (there are a few local stops but not many).

you mentioned you liked walking. If you are also interested in cycling, Peter at Cotswold Electric Bikes does tours of the region. We took a train from Oxford to Kingham, he picked us up at the station, and then we set off on bikes from his house/homebase in Kingham proper. It was a fantastic way to see a bunch of the small towns of the Cotswolds without needing to rely on public transit. We did about 30 miles total, and stopped in Stow-on-Wold, Upper & Lower Slough, and Bourton-on-the-Water.

https://www.cotswoldelectricbiketours.co.uk/tour/kingham/