bdsbeautyblog

We're booked in for lunch at the Manoir aux Quat'Saisons on July 25th Super excited about the whole thing.

While we realise this is completely not in keeping with the luxurious setting, it looks like we may have to travel there by bus. I understand that there is a bus stop about 100m from the restaurant, but seem unable to find any other information. Can anyone confirm whether or not this is accurate? If it is, what bus would we need to get from Oxford city centre/train station? The hotel website seems to assume most/all of its visitors will be arriving by car and staying overnight, or getting picked up/dropped off by private helicopter

Any help would be appreciated

annhig

While we realise this is completely not in keeping with the luxurious setting, it looks like we may have to travel there by bus.>>

probably not a problem encountered by most of their patrons. [i think that customers is too plebian a word in this context.]

personally i would send them an e-mail - presumably their staff have to arrive in more normal fashion, and there must be someone who knows about buses. IMO it's a test of these sorts of establishments how they deal with this type of enquiry - I'm sure they'll be helpfulness itself.

sofarsogood

From the High Street in Oxford (Turl Street stop) take bus 103 or 104 to Great Milton

http://www.heyfordian.travel/timetab...an_103_104.pdf

The restaurant is a few minutes walk along the street - I'm sure the bus driver will tell you where. (It's all on google maps).

MissPrism

By train (from their website)
Arriving By Train

Trains run from London Marylebone to Haddenham & Thame Parkway station (10 minutes from Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons) approximately every 30 minutes. The journey takes around 45 minutes.

Trains run from London Paddington to Oxford station (25 minutes from Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons) approximately every 30 minutes. The journey takes around 60 minutes.

bdsbeautyblog

^^ I already know about the arriving by train, Miss Prism...that part is fairly straightforward. However, Oxford's train station is about half an hour's cab ride from the restaurant, and the restaurant's website says NOTHING about what you do AFTER arriving by train.

sofarsogood: your advice was just the type of thing I was looking for. Thank you

bdsbeautyblog

(Sorry. I'm aware that I sounded slightly irritable there You were only trying to help. Thank you )

nytraveler

One would assume that taking a cab from the train station is usual for those that don;t have a car.

Nothing wrong with the bus - but how often does it run? And what if it's raining?

bdsbeautyblog

I did think of one of those things nytraveler and to be honest it still doesn't seem an ideal option. The bus is once an hour, and I hadn't thought of the rain :/

I know it seems ironic as we've booked the Manoir, but I figured a cab would work out a bit expensive at half an hour's journey each way from Oxford train station and was looking for a cheaper option. However, we may have to suck it up and do that.

Another option would be to see if my mother offers to drive us there and back (she lives about 40 minutes' drive from the Manoir and always enjoys visiting Oxford and Bicester...plus, she doesn't work, so...!) but I don't want to take the mickey so I will wait to see if she offers.

annhig

Another option would be to see if my mother offers to drive us there and back (she lives about 40 minutes' drive from the Manoir and always enjoys visiting Oxford and Bicester...plus, she doesn't work, so...!) but I don't want to take the mickey so I will wait to see if she offers.>>

you could always invite her too - then it wouldn't be taking the mick, would it? [only joking!].

flanneruk

Where are you starting from?

It's spectacularly irrelevant what's "usual": the kind of inanely provincial obsession only an untravelled suburbanite from somewhere in New Jersey would give a flying fart about. Almost as irrelevant as whether it's raining or not (don't they have bus shelters in New Jersey? Do they think a 100 yard walk from Great Milton post office in a gentle shower is as unspeakable an imposition as walking through a New Jersey hurricane? Or can they not afford umbrellas)

The real problem is that the 104 doesn't run from the station: it starts about half a mile away, and you need to get any bus to High St (or stop G2 on St Aldates) from Oxford station and change. If you're starting anywhere on the Marylebone -Birmingham railway line, Miss Prism's suggestion of getting a taxi from Thame might be a great deal less hassle.

Like any decent rural French restaurant, Blanc doesn't go in for the New Jersey nonsense of limos and fat tips. His Oxfordshire restaurants have been getting a significant proportion of their business from people more interested in food than demonstrating their importance for over 30 years, and his staff fully understand that most of us don't want to shell out for 15 miles of taxi unnecessarily.

Email the restaurant telling them where you're starting from and that you'd prefer public transport. You'll get a sensible answer.

bdsbeautyblog

As you point out, a problem with the rain would be that you can't get the bus from Oxford train station - you have to take it from the high street. This, if I remember rightly, is about a 10-minute walk, which could be uncomfortable in the rain, especially if dressed up.

We are starting from just outside of Windsor. This is where my parents live and we are staying with them for a week or so at the end of July. So we'd be getting the local stopping service to Oxford from the railway station nearest their house.

May telephone the restaurant as suggested here to see what they say (although my mother is a real motormouth so it's entirely possible she'll beat them to the phone, lol).

nytraveler

Sorry - am not from NJ - although there's nothing wrong with it. And the upper west side is about as unsuburban as you can get.

However, if going to a nice place for dinner we usually just hop in a cab - if it's too fr to walk. And bus or subway in Manhattan is no problem - since they come every 5 minutes. Waiting 40 minutes for one wouldn't be fun.

And no - in many places in the burbs (as this restaurant is)we do NOT have bus shelters.

bdsbeautyblog

Solved this one guys. The mothership has kindly offered to play taxi for the day. Think we will get her a nice present to say thanks!

Hope the info on this thread will be helpful to others nonetheless

annhig

bdsb - that's good news. Does the Manoir do doggy bags?

bdsbeautyblog

Not sure! We don't plan on finding out though...planning to practically lick the plates clean Mother has been a few times herself already (including to RB's cookery school twice)...so maybe a different gift

annhig

We don't plan on finding out though...planning to practically lick the plates clean >>

we've never been to the Manoir, but we did go to Gravetye Manor once, which was wonderful, not just the food but also the service.

if you want to get down on the mat with the plates. they probably won't bat an eyelid.