Cambridge or Oxford for a family weekend?
 

A couple with two young children (2,5)

Thinking of renting an apartment and walking the city for a weekend.

Any advice?

It really is a toss-up. Neither city, BTW, is exactly stuffed with short-let flats, and the few there are are mostly in rather unatmospheric new developments away from the medieval core. (www.yourspaceapartments.com/viewapts.asp for Cambridge: www.inoxfordmag.co.uk/hotels/ho_short_stay.html for Oxford)

Cambridge has a few (well, one) more stunning buildings, and is slightly quieter. Oxford has an exceptionally horrid main shopping street (but you can simply avoid it), though its traditional main street (High St) is more elegant and dramatic than anything in Cambridge. Oxford also exploits itself better, with lots of maps for Tolkien, Harry Potter etc fans: search the web deeply enough and you can even do a Bill Clinton trail, though that might be a minority interest. It's also got a wider range of museums, it's a lot more central for the rest of England, it's handier for intercontinental flights and there's a BMW factory to go round if all that culture and history starts to grate. It's also got a prettier hinterland.

Ultimately, though, they're pretty Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

Would your kids (or at least the older one) enjoy touring an English country house? Blenheim Palace is close to Oxford, and it's open to the public.

Many of the Cambridge colleges have large gardens along the river Cam. They call them the "backs", and it makes for much more idyllic scenery, in my opinion.

flanner explained things perfectly. six of one 1/2 dozen of the other. A few things are better in Oxford, a few better in Cambridge. But essentially very same-ish.

You can take a punt out on a river in both, visit colleges in both, the backsin Cambridge, the Botanic gardens in Oxford.

My decision would be based partly on where you are starting out from, but mainly I'd choose based on where I could get the best flat for the best price.

All things (like finding a flat) being equal, I'd probably <i>slightly</i> lean to Oxford.

A Bill Clinton trail? Do you have to hold your breath the whole time?

The main shopping street in Oxford, called Cornmarket, is fairly horrid in the sense that it has a lot of stores with clothing and music suited for teens. However, the street is blocked to traffic which makes it a good spot for strollers and little ones. Boots and Boswells are also located here. The former is a large drugstore which is handy when travelling with children. The latter has household items which may be missing at a flat.

Marks &amp; Spencer is about a block away from the lower end of Cornmarket. Sainsbury's is about a block away from the upper end. At either location you can find healthy take away food (juice, salads, yogurt, sandwiches) as well as snacks.) This saves $, and often beats the restaurant fare.

You can access the Covered Market from Cornmarket or the High Street. Here, there are all sorts of sights and smells to hold the interest of little ones. Lots of treats too.

Country houses and sights in the surrounding area might be boring for little ones and eat up all your time. Oxford has more than enough to do in a weekend.

If it is rainy, or you tire of craning your necks at the colleges, The Natural History Museum in Oxford (free) has all sorts of interesting critters to see and activities geared especially for small children.

Oxford has many places for children to run around. Most of these places are not at the colleges,however, as they prize their lawns. A favorite place for families is Christ Church Meadow. A short walk leads to the river where there are lots of boats, swans, and duckies. This walk is especially pleasant on Sunday mornings when all the church bells are ringing.

I agree that it will be tough to find an apartment. This is a college town, so everything is snapped up quickly. Perhaps a family suite in a hotel or B&amp;B would suit your needs.

Oxford covered market and the old shops around is lovely. Blenheim is a good visit while Oxford's museums and parks are worth the visit. Children though is another thing. After punting (either city) and Magdalen deer park (oxford) not too sure

It looks like most who have visited Blenheim have never ventured into the Pleasure Gardens in the grounds. There is a butterfly house, adventure playground and other fun things for small children. (The Duke does want folks hanging around, all day if possible, spending money in the cafes, shops etc so they offer things to keep the whole family happy)

Having said that - you may not want to go out to Woodstock. There is plenty to keep you busy in Oxford. But a side trip to Woodstock/Blenheim would be good too.