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Oxford - what should we see/do?

We will be getting there by road from London. I am expecting that it will be about 60 miles and 1.5 hrs of travel. Is this right? Once we get there what should we do? Are there tours to take? We are particularly interested in the University. But that apart what else should we do?

Sorry I can't help with the drive time (we went by train). We didn't really see much of the University, spending most of our time in the Ashmolean Museum (wonderful museum - they have a collection of Stradivarius and Amati violins, how cool is that?) and the book and stationery stores. Oh, and sort of walked around where Morse does in the Mystery! shows....

There are several walking tours, many deal with the colleges, there is a Morse tour as well, we took several and they were all very good. Go by the Tourist Office for a full list of tours. They also have info on happinings around town. The "Oxford Experience" is a ride though the history of Oxford University, we enjoyed it a great deal. Hope this helps

Are you taking one of the coaches like Oxford Express? If so, it's about an hour and a half, give or take a little bit, from central London (Victoria Station or Hyde Park Corner). When you get there, you can punt on the river, see open-air Shakespeare productions (if you're there over the summer), take a double decker hop on-hop off bus around the city, see a show, etc.. You will probably find http://www.visitoxford.org/ helpful. It will show you what times colleges are open, etc. Nice place for lunch in the center of town, despite its name: The Nosebag. No joke.

Went to collect son who did a summer at Oxford. Went via train (very easy from Paddington) and then immediately got on the Guide Friday double decker bus from the train station. That way you'll get a good overview of the city and what you want to see later. Spent most of our time at Trinity College (because son was there) but there are several others that are wonderful to see. Very interesting, but we preferred Cambridge as a town. Have fun. Oh....your 1 1/2 hours from London will depend on the day/time and any traffic and from where you are leaving London as with most big cities. It's a little over an hour by train---could you consider that?

If you haven't driven much in the UK, search these boards for two threads that cover the subject very thoroughly. (Keyword: driving.)

Oxford's Museum of Modern Art is nothing like NY's, but it's better than you might think.

Hi It's been a few years since I was last there but... Take one of the tours of the Colleges. Not all are open to the public at any one time, but the tour will take you into a few, and you can inquire as to which others may be open to individual visitors on their own. The tour will probably include the Camera, and possibly a stop in the Ashmolean Museum, or at least it will be pointed out. The heart of Oxford is fairly small, there are other points of interest of course, and some great bookstores. Steinbicker's book "Daytrips London" has a very helpful self-guided walking tour of Oxford, including a map of the city center (centre). A public bus ride away is fabulous Blenheim Palace, and from there you can also visit Churchill's gravesite. Oxford Univ. www.ox.ac.uk/ Oxford Visitors Information: www.oxfordcity.co.uk/ www.eurodata.com/articles/ doing-oxford-brilliantly2.htm www.oxlink.co.uk/index.html www.oxfordbus.co.uk/ www.camelotintl.com/heritage/house/ blenheim.html http://www.stagecoach-oxford.co.uk/ timetables/ buses At the Oxford train station you can find Green and Yellow bus tours for Oxford. They have tour guides. You can hop off and on a bus at your leisure. "Guide Friday" has an office at the Oxford rail station, call 01865/790522. Offers one-hour open-top bus tours around Oxford. Call for seasonal schedules. There is another tour company using minivans, called "Spires & Shires", 4 Walton Well Rd Oxford OX2 6ED,tel: 0865513998; fax: 0865791469. This company offers daily half day tours to Blenheim as well as walking tours of Oxford. Reservations should be made in advance. Or get yourself into town and go to the Oxford tourist information centre, where they offer guided tours of some of the Oxford colleges and notable buildings during the day. The Oxford tourist information centre is (was) at the Old School Gloucester Green, opposite the bus station. The telephone number is 01865/726871. They sell maps and brochures, tee shirts, and can book hotels for a fee. Open Mon-Sat from 9:30 am to 5; Sunday and bank holidays in summer from 10-3. Their walking tours of selected colleges leave daily at 11am and 2pm. They do not include Christ Church or New colleges. Don't miss Christ Church College, however. The Oxford Story, 6 Broad Street phone 01865/790055 has an audio-visual presentation of Oxford. Daily 10-4:30. Family rates available.

Attending an Evensong service is a great way to visit Christchurch chapel.

There is a ery nice path along th Thames. Take a nice walk along it and watch the crews rowing.

Are you planning on staying overnight? How much time will you have there? When you say that you want to visit the University, there are, what? 20-some colleges in different parts of town. Not too spread otu, but you definitely need a map! There is a tour bus that will give you the general overview of the town. We stayed there for four days and had a very nice time. Try the Mitre restaurant. It is part of the Beefeater chain, but we thought it was very good food at reasonable prices! If you are staying overnight, check out Parklands Hotel on Banbury Street. Great rooms, great breakfast, great proprietor! If you will be there for a few days, get a bus pass (unless you are driving yourself). They go everywhere and are very reasonably priced. If you take a bus from London to Oxford, you can purchase the local bus passes at the station in Oxford. Have a nice time in Oxford. We did.