We plan to leave Oxford on Sunday, Sept. 5th, to take the Chunnel to Paris. I've tried researching the best/quickest way to get between Oxford and London St. Pancras station, but am stumped. Should we take the train or bus? Costs? Thank you.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Bus: Take the Oxford tube to Marble Arch. The fare is £14. Take the Tube to St. Pancras. The fare is £4.50. Or take a taxi.
Train: Take a First Great Western train to Paddington. The 2nd class anytime fare is £24, but if you book well in advance here you can get a discount fare of £11 (sometimes less). Take the Tube or a taxi to St. Pancras.
Posted by
OP
Tualatin, OR, USA
123 posts
Thanks guys! The info you provided is great and I appreciate your help. Our friends are going to fly between London and Paris, but we thought it would be fun to try the Eurostar.
Deb
Posted by
Troy, Oh, USA
2804 posts
I would suggest if you are sure of the day you will be traveling on the Eurostar to go ahead and purchase your ticket it will be cheaper. The closer to the date of travel the more it will cost.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
Depends on the time you have to get to St Pancras. I would never take a bus into central London for a time-sensitive connection if it involved bus travel before about 10am.
Posted by
OP
Tualatin, OR, USA
123 posts
Tim, thanks for the Great Western info. From what I could see, if I chose a Std. Class advance single for a particular train, I could get it for 8 pounds. The anytime ticket is 24 pounds. Is this correct--am I reading the chart right? The Eurostar tickets for Sept. aren't available yet, but I plan to book 120 days in advance to take advantage of the booking-ahead drop in charges. I'm planning on catching the 12:29 Eurostar, so with taking the train at 9:50, arriving at Paddington at 10:58, that should give me plenty of time to take a taxi to St. Pancras and check in. Is this right?
Thanks,
Deb
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
You're welcome, Deb.
Yes, you are reading the chart correctly.
There is a 30-minute check-in deadline for the Eurostar. Print your ticket at home so you don't have to allow time to retrieve it at St. Pancras. If your train from Oxford is on time, you'll make your connection; but I'd recommend leaving Oxford a little earlier to allow for possible delays.
Tim