LeslieC

What would you advise for a two day trip to Oxford for a family of 4. Staying in London in Nottinghill, going to Oxford for two days, returning to London, Waterloo to catch the Eurostar to Paris.

It looks like we could take the train from Paddington to Oxford for a "return" fare of 19.00 GBP for the adults and 9.50 for children. I see that "single" tickets are much more expensive. My questions are:

1. Can we buy tickets returning directly to Waterloo Station at the same "return" fare rate?

2. Should we instead take a bus? I see that the "Oxford Tube" bus stops at Nottinghill Gate Station and is cheaper. We also wouldn't have to taxi to Paddington station. But, then what would be the best way to get to Waterloo on our return?

3. For first week of July, will we need to buy tickets in advance? I see that train tickets can be purchased online. Do they mail them to us in the US if we do this? Thanks so much.

Andrewmac

I did a quick check on your ticket prices and the system showed a total of £57 ($100) for 2 adults and 2 children on what is called a Network Away Break, which equates to the prices you were quoted.

I am not 100% certain, but you should be able to travel out via Paddington and return via Waterloo.

You won't need to buy your tickets in advance, but if you do you can pick them up from the Fast Track Ticket Machine at Paddington rather than have them mailed to you. Providing you use the same credit card that you ordered the tickets with, you key in a reference number that was e-mailed to you, insert your credit card and the tickets will be dispensed to you.

If you decide to take the bus and then underground on your return to Notting Hill Gate tube station, you will need the Central Line to Bond Street, and then change to the Jubilee Line for Waterloo.

flanneruk

If you walk up to a ticket office or machine in Paddington and buy a ticket on the spot, the ticket you get will be described as valid between Oxford and London Terminals. Coming back, you have to change at Reading to get to Waterloo, and the whole Oxford-Waterloo journey will actually be a bit longer than going straight to Paddington and taking the tube - though you would then, of course, have to pay for the cross-London tube.

If you devote your whole waking life for the next couple of months to investigating every deal, you might well find an advance purchase offer, applying only to people using the Web monicker LeslieC, that's a pound or so cheaper than just buying your ticket on the spot. Almost certainly, it'll be for a designated train, and equally almost certainly you just won't get the system to offer the deal on your Paddington-Oxford-Waterloo plan.

If you want to save money, your best best is probably www.megabus.com which goes from Gloucester Place, near Marylebone station (and literally miles from Gloucester Road tube station, with which it has no connection). Tube from Notting Hill, changing at Paddington: on return, direct tube from Marylebone to Waterloo.

historytraveler

I've done this trip over a dozen times and the easiest, cheapest and arguably the best way to get to Oxford(especially especially from Nottinghill) is to take the Oxford Tube.Purchase your tickets when you get on the bus. The trip takes approximately 70 minutes if you don't travel during rush hours.

LeslieC

I think I've narrowed this down to either Paddington - Oxford round trip via the Thames Train (but, if so, any reason we can't just take the Bakerloo line from Paddington to Waterloo Stations?)

or the Oxford Tube bus picking up in Nottinghill. But if so, then can we take the return trip as far as Victoria (Grovesnor Gardens) and also, is it easy to pick up the tube from Victoria to Waterloo without too much schlepping of our luggage between the coach station and the tube station at Victoria?

historytraveler

You can go all the way to Victoria Station on your return journey on teh Oxford Tube. It'll be an additional 15/20 minutes from Nottinghill, depending on traffic. It's a fairly short distance, quite doable, from the O.T. drop off point at Grosvenor Gardens ( Victoria Station)to the underground. I'm guessing about 100 yds.
Another option for getting to Waterloo would be to have one/two member(s) of your party take most or all the luggage and go by taxi to Waterloo. The rest take the tube.It's not that far by taxi, but for 4 people with luggage, you'd probably need two taxis.

If you only have about one piece of luggage per person, and it's not trunk-size, you should be able to manage the underground fine. Except if you travel during rush hour.

Hope this answers your questions.

LeslieC

Thank you all. I think we'll just take a taxi from Grosvenor Gardens to Waterloo. We've been to London with all 4 in the past and had no trouble with luggage in London cabs. But dragging them 100 yds to the tube station would be more of a hassle and we generally find that short taxi rides are cheaper than the 4 tube tickets.

Again, many thanks. Most helpful!