Tips on getting around or away from Oxford

Buying a Bike | Bike Tips | Bus | Heathrow | European Continent & Abroad | Trains | Underground

Buying a Bike

• Tips:
  • Purchasing a used bike is by far the best investment you make make while on campus and a wonderful way to get around the city - despite the notable lack of bike baths or bike lanes.
  • Save yourself some walking/time and just call the places in advance to see if they have a used bike. Note that used bikes for purchase can be scare and prices are particularly high at the beginning of the school year!

• Vendors that have come well recommended:
  • Warlands Botledy Road Cycles - 01865 723100/241336
  • Oxford Cycle Workshop - 39 magdalen Rd - 01865 204799 -  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
    • They are a great place - training peole to fix bikes and offering great safety tips.
  • Walton St. Cycles - 01865 311 610 - Workshop: 0 1865 310 625
  • Summertown Cycles - 200-202 Banbury Road, Jericho, Oxford, OX2 7BY - 01865 316885
  • Bike Works - convenient and reliable spot for repairs near the city centre
• Other Possible Vendors (found via google):
  • Backontrax.co.uk listings
  • Dailyinfo listings
• Not well recommended:
  • Cycle king on Cowley Road. 
    • My review is purely anecdotal - but I have heard numerous bad reviews and had a colleague whose bike purchased new was rusted and in bad shape by the end of the year, while the used bike I purchased from Warlands was in great condition and easily resold for 50 pounds.

General Bike Tips

• Repairs: Take advantage of the "bike doctor!" The Oxford Cycle Workshop offers free bike repairs (subsidized by the University) for student card holders on Wednesday outside the University Club. They officially start intakes at 10:00 am, but arrive by 9:30 am to avoid being turned away by the huge lines
• Safety: Purchasing a good set of front (white) and back (red) lights is a must as it is required by law. You may be fined if caught without lights at night.
• Rain: Insulate yourself from the fairly constant, damp weather by buying waterproof gloves, jacket, and pull-over trousers. A helmet also helps keep the water out of ones eyes
• Theft: Park and lock your bike up against something in a way that makes it harder for passers-by to kick your wheel in. Sadly, theft and random bike vandalism is a common occurrence. Be sure to always lock at least your frame and one wheel against something. Lock both of your wheels and the frame at night. I have heard too many stories to recount of theft of wheels, bent frames, entire bikes gone, etc. in every part of the city, in every part of the year. Term vacations are particularly high theft due to how much more vacant the city becomes.

Train

• The following sites can be used to book train tickets or plan routes:
  • www.nationalrail.co.uk
  • www.thetrainline.com
• Discount Tips
  • A student national railway card is a one time investment that, depending on how often you use it, can potentially pay you back in savings due to discounts over time.
  • Booking in advance can yield great discounts, but one must then be sure to travel on that exact train.
• Planning Tips
  • Traveling on a bank holiday or weekends can be unreliable due to changed schedules, construction, or suddenly cancelled routes.
  • It's generally 3 hours to Manchester, 1 hour to Birmingham, and 1 hour express to London

London Underground

• Use the Underground Trip Planner to estimate travel time - www.tfl.gov.uk
• Pick up a tube map to figure out how to navigate - each of the lines has a unique name as opposed to being named by its color, and you generally hop on from platforms marked either North/South bound or East/West bound for the journey on each line

European Continent Getaways & Abroad

• See EasyJet.com for great discounts on European travel
• The Eurostar under-channel train is another way to leave the UK island
• Although this author has not used them personally, Kayak.com and STA Travel come well recommended by other students for finding cheap flights

Getting from Heathrow Airport to Oxford

For new internationals just arriving in the country, the following detailed overview of what to expect when travelling from Heathrow airport to Oxford may be helpful:

1. Plane: In the plane you will be handed a simple one page immigration form to fill out
2. Immigration: You will get off of the plane and head to immigration, where you will present the form and your passport.
3. Ba ggage: Head to the "baggage claim" - your baggage will likely be stacked on the side, free trolleys are available right there. An ATM cash machine and pay phone are right in the baggage claim area. It is not advisable to use these, however, since it's quite expensive you can use a credit card on the pay phone.
4. Central Bus Station: Ask for directions to the central bus station or follow the signs. You can ask for help at information desks or  any airport employee. You need to go down a ramp at elevators to get there which can be physically taxing with a lot of luggage. There are clearly marked signs leading you all the way to the buses (it's within the premises of the airport)
5. Oxford Bus: The bus runs from Heathrow to Oxford every 20 minutes. Signs will indicate which stand has the Oxford bus. The bus will also say Oxford on it. The bus driver will help put your luggage into the bottom part of the bus. If you have more than two bags to place in the under-compartment a very small fee of 2 pounds might charged, depending on the driver. Carry-on bags that fit in the overhead or at ones feet may be taken into the bus.
6. Ticket: A bus ticket can be bought on the spot or purchased in advance here - www.oxfordbus.co.uk. The prices vary depending on whether you purchase a return or not ( a round trip is a bit cheaper) a one-way ticket is 20 pounds.  You want to purchase an "airline" ticket.
7. Oxford Stop: You get off at the very last stop on the bus, which is called "Gloucester Green" - it is at the city centre.
8. Timing: Factoring in 1 hour to get from the plane to the bus station and a 1.5 - 2 hr bus ride expect to reach Oxford at a maximum of about 3 hrs after stepping off the plane.
9. Taxi: There's a taxi cab stand through the courtyard in front of Kebab Kid. the cabs pull up there regularly. There are also cab numbers posted on prominent signs. Cabs don't take credit or debit cards. There are atm machines somewhat close by the courtyard.

Bus

• Year-round bus passes can be purchased to use the bus locally within Oxford.
• The buses run from Gloucster Green to London and other places pretty much 24 hours a day.
• From Oxford to London, the bus is generally the cheapest option but takes longer.
• A good option when traveling to London for the day is a roundtrip that also allows access to the underground.
• As with all travel options, there are different options for year-round or multiple trip cards that may be better value than individual tickets - it all depends on the individual's preferences and projected travel f requency/routes