Help Needed Transportation Oxford to London

[CindyP]

Alrighty then........

Next transportation issue. When we leave Chipping Campden on a Sunday we will have to drop our rental car in Oxford by noon.

Our next destination is London. We are staying in the South Kensington area, about a 10 min walk from Gloucester Station.

What do you consider the best way to get from Oxford to our apartment?

My research is leading me to think it may be the Oxford Tube bus out of Oxford Gloucester Green. It looks like we can take it to Palace Gardens Terrace which is minutes away from Notting Hill gate and the tube to Gloucester Station. It is very inexpensive. £11 for over 60 fare. It's about an hour and a half, comparable to the train and seems like an uncomplicated choice.

However, I know that the train is also an option and I'm wondering the pros and cons.

While I'm asking...would it be easy to get a cab in Oxford after we drop our car off?

Thank you all once again.

Cindy P

 

[Felicity]

Cindy - I don't know where you are dropping your car off? If it is the one near the railway station then it is just a walk - perhaps one of you drop off at the station first with the luggage and the other return the car and is then walking with no luggage? You will need to order a taxi if the hire car office is an outlier. Train to London will be quicker than the bus journey (but tube journey longer) but if cost is an issue then the bus will be almost certainly cheaper (tube journey the same price). Then Circle line from Paddington to Gloucester Road. Really, as you say the timings are comparable. It boils down to whether you prefer trains to buses. Of course you are always subject to traffic jams on a bus.....but then trains can get delayed for other reasons.

 

[Ian Sutton]

Hi Cindy
The train goes into Paddington, 1 hour journey for the faster trains. You could get the tube, but if you have heavy bags then a taxi might be good (I wonder if they are allowed to drive through Hyde Park West Carriage Drive? If so, and Google maps thinks anyone can, then not far at all - 1.8 miles, almost certainly cheaper than 2 single tube tickets).

As Felicity suggests, useful to map out where the car rental drop off is, as that might influence your thinking.

regards
Ian

 

[Ian Sutton]

p.s. for trains, if booked in advance for a specific train (and avoiding peak travel e.g. leaving Oxford any time after say 9:30am) should get you a much cheaper fare than the standard single. One advantage tourists have on train-based transfers is they know which train they'll need, on which day, weeks or months ahead, and can thus get the best prices!

I use nationalrail.co.uk, and a quick check for a random friday 3 weeks ahead, shows the 10.01am train at £5.40 per single
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/OXF/PAD/250817/0845/dep#outwardJump

 

[CindyP]

Felicity. Our car is from Europcar, so it's a bit of a walk to either the train station or Gloucester Green Bus Station. Hubby would drop me off with our bags and take care of the car and walk to where ever I am waiting. I'm not sure if getting a taxi from Europcar would be an option?

Our bags are relatively light, we pack for carry on with small wheeled bags and a small personal item each.

The train is an hour to Paddington. The Oxford Tube is 2 hours to Victoria Station. From either of those we would either need to get a tube to Gloucester Road near our rental flat at 88 Drayton Gardens, or take a taxi.

Ian, I am not finding trains for those prices on the day we are traveling. Maybe because it's a Sunday? September 17th. The cheapest I have found is 57 pounds for both of us. The train is 22 pounds for both.

I'm trying to decide if saving the hour traveling is worth the extra 35 pounds. Just weighing the smartest way to spend our vacation budget.

Cindy P.

 

[Ian Sutton]

Hi Cindy
Yes, I'm not seeing the cheap fares, yet moving the date to the following Wednesday reveals cheaper fares. Very odd. If you're happy to wait, then give it a week or two to see if the cheap fares appear. Failing that. they do a small extra charge for taking the 1 day London travelcard as well. Or it does rather bring the coach back into play. .
Regards
Ian

 

[Felicity]

I think Ian's theory of the cheaper fares appearing a certain time ahead is correct. Work out how far forward the cheap fares appear and then try that number of days ahead of travelling to see if they appear.

Yes your car place is a bit far to walk with luggage. I thought it might be the Budget place.

If you have to wait for your bus or train (and if might be cold then, you never know with September...) the bus station is a pretty miserable place to wait. Not that the train station is anything fancy, but better in comparison.

 

[CindyP]

Thanks all. I'll be on the hunt for less expensive train fare, and keep the Oxford Tube bus as my fall back. It's likely we will take a taxi to our flat from either the bus drop off at Notting Hill gate or the train station.

 

[Lisa in Ottawa]

We lived in Oxford 3 years ago for several months. I love trains but found the bus to London a better deal. Times, cost and where it stopped. The bus and train station are close to each other in Oxford.
I took the bus to Notting Hill and from there went to V and A museum in South Kensington. All quite easy. I also took it to Marble Arch which is a great central location for onward journey.
Of course if you get a great deal and convenient times for train then take it. I just never found it worth it. The bus is comfortable.
I believe car rental drop offs are also close to the stations. Well, Oxford is small so everything pretty much nearby or a short cab ride away.
Not walking with luggage.

 

[Cameron]

I just returned from Kathy's European-Experiences in the Cotswolds (fabulous, BTW and based in Chipping Campden).

Before meeting up with the group, I was in London, staying in Chelsea, near the Sloane Square Station, and trained to Moreton-in-Marsh. On my return, I trained to Heathrow from Moreton-in-Marsh. In both directions, I was on the same line for Oxford/London Paddington.

I purchased my train tickets in advance at Trainline.com and retrieved them at the ticket machine by using my confirmation code and a credit card (not charged again). I managed a great price by using this website (recommended by Kathy).