We're scheduled to arrive Heathrow around 11 am on a September Monday and plan to take the bus to Oxford. Should we buy tickets for a particular bus ahead of time based on our best guess as to how long it will take to get through customs, etc. or just show up and get on the first available bus? Is there likely to be a long queue if we don't have a reservation? Also, are taxis likely to be available at Gloucester Green mid-afternoon? If not, what's Plan B? We need to find a taxi within a km or less of the bus drop off point. Thanks for your help.
The Oxford Airline (sic) can be prebooked and is probably more convenient to do so. If you are late, or indeed early, you can use any coach leaving within 24 hours from the one you have booked, subject to space availability. There is a taxi rank at Gloucester Green, with a regular flow, so you would be unlucky if you had to wait.
Thanks, Marco. Let me ask another question. It appears there are two different local bus operators in Oxford. Are day passes purchased from one valid on the other? Thanks.
Within the Oxford Smartzone, day pass type tickets can be used interchangeably on the services of the Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel and Stagecoach. The main exception are Stagecoach night buses.