London to oxford september 2013

the direct train from Paddington Stations takes 58 minutes. I see return tickets for as little as 14.50 GBP, bought in advance. I checked the National Rail website, but there may be better ones. Hopefully some of our UK friends will help out.

I would recommend train. If you want a cheaper fare but to risk traffic jams there are two different bus companies between Oxford and London: Oxford Tube and Oxford Espress (yes, that's the correct spelling).

We were in Oxford for 7 weeks a few summers back and I regularly took the Oxford Tube bus into central London. It was significantly cheaper and really didn't take too much more time than the train. I would always get off at the first stop that was closest to a tube station...it was about 45 - 60 minutes depending on traffic. I did make a conscious effort to avoid rush hour! The bus terminal in Oxford is right in the main part of town so that makes it really easy.

While the bus is a bit cheaper, it definitely takes more time, even when things are fine on the roads. Last time I used it, things weren't fine. We sat motionless for 45 minutes on the way back to London at a junction. Didn't see any evidence of an accident, so it may just have been evening traffic. Oxford's rail station is a few blocks off the town center. An easy walk. Definitely recommend spending at least one full day in Oxford.

Day return on the coach ... £17. Day return on the train £23.50 but you can buy advance tickets each way tied to a specific train from £6.50.

Thank you all for your great input and advice. We will most probably be taking the TRAIN, Cheers!
Louis