Travelling to Oxford City
Oxford is a beautiful city of stunning architecture, history and culture.
You’ll find ancient and modern architecture, fascinating museums and galleries, plenty of parks, gardens and green spaces to relax in, and an eclectic mix of shops and retail offerings.
What’s more, the city centre is small enough to cover on foot and only a few minutes’ walk from the main rail and coach stations. And there’s always plenty to see and do in and around the city centre.
The M40 and M4 + A34 provide easy access by car from London, leaving the M40 at Junction 8. The M40 links Birmingham to Oxford from the north, leaving at Junction 9.
Parking in Oxford is limited, so we advise visitors to take advantage of the Park and Ride services that serve Oxford city centre. All five Park and Ride sites are clearly signposted from the Oxford Ring Road.
Parking in Oxford
Many Oxford streets are closed to traffic, and parking is severely limited. Visitors are encouraged to use the five Park and Ride bus services.
Please refer to Oxfordshire County Council’s up-to-date traffic information for details of all local road works and any disruptions likely to delay your journey.
Parking in Oxford city centre
Parking in Oxford city centre is severely limited and can be expensive. Visit the Oxfordshire County Council’s website for further information on on-street parking and parking costs.
For information on parking in Oxford for people with disabilities, please see Oxford City Council’s Blue Badge scheme.
Park and Ride
There are five Park and Ride sites that serve Oxford City Centre.
Oxford Parkway (north). For satnav, use OX2 8HA. Take the Stagecoach 7 bus to and from the city centre.
Pear Tree (north). For satnav, use OX2 8JZ. Take the 300 bus to and from the city centre.
Redbridge (south). For satnav, use OX1 4XG. Take the 300 bus to and from the city centre.
Thornhill (east). For satnav, use OX3 8DP. Take the 400 bus to and from the city centre.
Seacourt (west). For satnav, use OX2 0HP. Take the 400 bus to and from the city centre.
Please note that Thornhill and Seacourt are often full, particularly on University Open Days. We recommend that drivers from the east (including London), the south, and the west use the Redbridge Park and Ride, while drivers from the north can choose between Pear Tree and Oxford Parkway.
The Oxford Bus Company has information on Park and Ride services 300 and 400. The latest timetable for Stagecoach 7 is available here.
Oxford City Council has further information on Park and Ride sites.
City centre car parks
Broad Street (on-street parking) – managed by Oxfordshire County Council
Gloucester Green car park
Oxford Train Station (Becket Street) – managed by First Great Western
Oxpens car park
St Giles (on-street parking) – managed by Oxfordshire County Council
Westgate car park – managed by Westgate Alliance
Worcester Street car park
Direct services run from London Paddington (serving Oxford station) and London Marylebone (serving Oxford and Oxford Parkway stations). Visit the Chiltern Railways website for more details. Other services operate from the north via Birmingham New Street, from the south via Reading, and from the west via Didcot or Reading.
For details and to plan your journey, see contact National Rail Enquiries.
Oxford Railway Station is a 5-10 minute walk from the centre of Oxford. And there is a taxi rank at the station. Please use Google Maps to find your way from the station to the part of Oxford that you are visiting.
There are fast and frequent bus services providing a direct link between central Oxford and the rest of Oxfordshire.
The Oxford Tube offers a direct service between Oxford and London, running a frequent timetable on a virtually 24/7 basis. Visit the Oxford Tube website for more information.
For information on coaches from other major cities and airports, contact National Express. The central coach station is at Gloucester Green in the city centre. Please use Google Maps to find your way from the station to the part of Oxford that you are visiting.
From London Heathrow and Gatwick airports, take The Airline coach service, which runs 24 hours a day. You can also get to Oxford by train from Heathrow via London and Gatwick via Reading.
From London Stansted airport, take the Stansted Express train service to London Liverpool Street and then take the tube to either Paddington or Marylebone for direct trains to Oxford. Alternatively, there is a National Express 737 coach service.
Birmingham airport is connected by train to Oxford with regular fast services available. Visit the National Rail Enquiries website for timetables and fares.
London Oxford Airport (OXF) is located just 8 km north of the city centre, near Kidlington and Woodstock.
Travelling around Oxford City
Oxford is a small city. The city centre is small enough to cover on foot, and getting to other parts of the city is relatively easy via bike, bus, taxi, or car.
There are taxi ranks at Oxford Railway Station, Gloucester Green Coach Station and St Giles’ in the city centre.
Oxford is a cycling city, and it’s relatively easy to get around by bicycle.
