Driving to Oxford
The drive west from London to Oxford takes about 105–120 min.
The drive west from London to Oxford takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on traffic, using the A40 to M40 motorways.
Parking in Oxford
I highly, highly recommend parking on the outskirts of the city center and walking from there—even with luggage.
Honestly, I one spent more than half an hour simply trying (and failing) to find a way to drive further into the center to pick up my family at our hotel. The one-way streets and pedestrian areas were confounding and kept directing me away fomr my goal, turning me aside and spitting me back onto a road headed away from the center no matter how I approached. I eventually ended up having to break the law and drive a short block down a pedestrian mall just to get to where I was going. No, I am not proud.
- Autoeurope.com - Wholesale prices on rentals (and short-term leases) from major rental companies. You end up picking up the car at the local Avis, Hertz, Europcar, or whatever office; you just pay less than the rack rate from those companies.Partner
- Rentalcars.com - Comparison shop the rates at multiple rental companies all at once.Partner
- Momondo.com - Comparison shop the rates at multiple rental companies all at once.Partner
- Europebycar.com - Offers both short-term rentals and short-term leases, making it easy to compare prices on a single site.
- Priceline.com - Actually finds good prices on U.K. rentals.Partner
- Vayama.com - aggregatorPartner
- Gov.uk - Official UK governmental rules of the road, guides to road signs and their meaning, and more
- Amazon.com - A link to get road maps of Great Britain.Partner
- Slowtrav.com - Nice article introducing all of the quirks of driving in the United Kingdom—not just how to drive on the left, but roundabouts, highway types, speed cameras, and handy tips.
- Orcutt.net - Almost comically in-depth blog entry—with loads of links—about driving in the U.K. This guy went way above and beyond what's necessary when planning to drive on his British vacation, but it is about the most complete explanation of being on the British road from a Yankee's point of view as you'll ever find. Some good tips.
- Theaa.com - The British version of AAA provides, among other things, a monthly gas prices chart and a map of traffic incidents and slowdowns.
- Parkopedia.co.uk - live parking maps
General tips of similar interest
Except for the driving on the left thing, British road rules are similar enough to North American ones that you'll get by fine; here are the important differences
How to arrange for a short-term lease on a brand-new car—cheaper than a rental for longer periods, and far better insured
Camping is a great way to see Britain, but you needn't be tied down to tent pegs; RV rentals are as easy in Europe as they are here at home
There are hundreds of road signs blocking your view on British roads and—more importantly—telling you how to get where you're going
You do not need a IDP for the U.K., but if you are traveling on to the Continent, consider getting one
A good road map can save you time and help you discover places and things not in your guidebook
Stay in the slow lane (the leftmost one) on a U.K. highway unless you are actively passing another car
How to get the most out of renting a car in the U.K. with the lowest cost and least hassle
Except for the driving on the left thing, British road rules are similar enough to North American ones that you'll get by fine; here are the important differences
There are hundreds of road signs blocking your view on British roads and—more importantly—telling you how to get where you're going
You do not need a IDP for the U.K., but if you are traveling on to the Continent, consider getting one
A good road map can save you time and help you discover places and things not in your guidebook
Stay in the slow lane (the leftmost one) on a U.K. highway unless you are actively passing another car
How to get the most out of renting a car in the U.K. with the lowest cost and least hassle
Also useful
The hotel garage will often be far costlier than a nearby public garage or other parking option
Except for the driving on the left thing, British road rules are similar enough to North American ones that you'll get by fine; here are the important differences
How to arrange for a short-term lease on a brand-new car—cheaper than a rental for longer periods, and far better insured
Camping is a great way to see Britain, but you needn't be tied down to tent pegs; RV rentals are as easy in Europe as they are here at home
There are hundreds of road signs blocking your view on British roads and—more importantly—telling you how to get where you're going
You do not need a IDP for the U.K., but if you are traveling on to the Continent, consider getting one
A good road map can save you time and help you discover places and things not in your guidebook
Stay in the slow lane (the leftmost one) on a U.K. highway unless you are actively passing another car
How to get the most out of renting a car in the U.K. with the lowest cost and least hassle
Also useful
Trains to Oxford take 60–70 min (£5–£32) from London's Paddington Station
Coach transfers to Oxford from Heathrow take 80–90 min (£23), from Gatwick 2–2.5 hr (£28)
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See/Do
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An hour from the seaside
There is no place in the United Kingdom that is more than 113km (70 miles) from the sea. The most landlocked place in all of Britain? Coton in the Elms, an English village of around 900 souls in Derbyshire, just NE of Birmingham.
