Chinese Economic Association (UK/Europe) Conference
Travelling from airport to Oxford
London Heathrow is the nearest international airport to Oxford. Birmingham International along with Gatwick International are located within one – three hours of Oxford.
Of all the options below for getting to Oxford from Heathrow and Gatwick airports, we recommend taking the coach. You can get on the coach at most airport terminals and travel to Oxford city centre without changing.
From London Heathrow Airport to Oxford by coach
The "Airline" bus is a coach service which operates direct from Heathrow to Gloucester Green (Oxford only main coach station). Journey time is between 1.5 - 2 hours and is a fast and reliable service. This may be more convenient if you have a lot of luggage. You can pick up the coach at the Central Bus Station (Terminals 1, 2 and 3) or Terminal 5 (Terminal 4 does not have a direct service).
A single ticket is about £22.00 (return up to midnight the next day). A return ticket is about £25.00 (valid for three months). Coaches do not accept credit cards. Please make sure you have cash with you before you board. You can buy a ticket with your credit card at the National Express Office located in the main coach station. Gloucester Green coach station is in the centre of Oxford and a taxi rank is located at the entrance. If no taxis are available, walk through the market square where a taxi rank is located outside the George Street Odeon Cinema. It is approximately a 5 minute walk to Saïd Business School from Gloucester Green coach station.
You can also book and pay for National Express coach travel from Heathrow and Gatwick to Oxford online at: www.nationalexpress.com/coach/.
From London Heathrow to Oxford by train
There are frequent direct trains from London Heathrow to London Paddington where you can then take a train to Oxford. The Heathrow Express takes you from London Heathrow to Paddington in 15 minutes.
Single Ticket:
Express Class Single bought online : £16.50
Bought from ticket machine/office: £18.00
Purchased onboard the train: £23.00
Return Ticket:
Express Class Return bought online : £32.00
From ticket machine/office: £32.00
Purchased onboard: £37.00
It is best to buy your train ticket before you board, as there is a large surcharge if you buy your ticket on board the train.
Other cheaper methods of transport from London Heathrow into London Paddington are:
London Underground Train £4.50 - this visits all terminals, approx every 5 minutes. Travel time 45-60 minutes to central London.
Heathrow Connect Train £7.90 - Runs every 30-60 minutes. Journey time 25-30 minutes to London Paddington. Doesn't stop at T5.
Once at Paddington, trains to Oxford run every hour during the week. Journey time is approximately 60 minutes.
Paddington to Oxford Day Single Ticket Prices
Off Peak Day: £19.90 - This ticket is valid only after 9.20am.
Peak Anytime Day: £24.00 - This ticket is valid all day including before 9.20am
There are cheaper tickets available, but you have to specify the journey time/date. These are non-changeable tickets. If you know your journey times, advance booking is recommended as there are special discounts/deals available. The station is a 2 minute walk from the Said Business School.
Paddington to Oxford Open Return Ticket Prices
Open Off Peak Return: £22.30. This is valid for 1 calendar month. Restrictions apply during the week, Monday – Friday. You can travel on any train from Paddington after 9.30am as well as the 9.16 and 9.22. There are restrictions on your return journey from Oxford as you can only travel on certain trains from 16:00 – 19.41.
London Gatwick Airport to Oxford
By coach to Oxford from Gatwick Airport
The "Airline" also operates direct from Gatwick to Gloucester Green (Oxford coach station). Journey times vary from 2.5 - 3 hours. You can pick this up from Gatwick's central coach station. A single ticket is £30.00 (return up to midnight the next day) A return ticket is £35.00 (valid for three months). Coaches do not accept credit cards. Please make sure you have cash with you before you board. You can buy a ticket with your credit card at the National Express Office located in the main coach station.
It is approximately a 5 minute walk to Saïd Business School from Gloucester Green coach station.
By train to Oxford from Gatwick Airport
Train journey from Gatwick Airport to Oxford is approximately 2 - 2.5 hours involving 1 or 2 train changes. There are regular trains which run from Gatwick Airport to Oxford. Going via Reading is a faster service as this involves one change of train. Off-peak single is £16.00. There is a taxi rank at Oxford station. The station is a 2 minute walk from the Saïd Business School.
From Birmingham International Airport to Oxford
A rather less frequent service connects with Birmingham International airports. There are connections with many other parts of the country, including a direct service to Cambridge.
General
You can book tickets/keep up to date by checking National Railtrack's online timetable available here.
Operators for Heathrow and Gatwick airports: www.baa.com