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Flying into England?
SniperGuy
SniperGuyGamingRegistered User regular
SniperGuyGamingRegistered User regular
So i'm planning on studying abroad for about a month (May 16th through June 20th) and am planning to fly out of Memphis, TN. As far as I can tell, getting to Heathrow and then taking a train to Oxford, my destination, is my best best. Is that true? From what it seems, I'll have to actually leave on the fifteenth, then maybe get a room in Heathrow/London for a night and take a train to Oxford early the next morning. Anyone have any experience with this and can help me out?
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Probably yes, but there are decent rail services from Gatwick as well. It'll really come down to which airport it's easier to get the filghts for.
thetrainline.com is a good site for sorting out rail journeys. Heathrow to Oxford looks to be only about an hour and a half, so you might want to consider flying overnight and getting the train on the day you arrive.
Heathrow is a horrible place to stay by the way.
Yeah, if you arrive at a normal time, you can just take the Underground into London Paddington and then a train to Oxford. Otherwise, you can get a Coach straight to Oxford which run 24hours/day. I don't see the point of staying overnight in London, it'll be expensive and unpleasant.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
I can't remember the name of the bus but it runs from both Heathrow and Gatwick and it rolls basically right into Gloucester Green in Oxford, which is a huge city bus terminus, so that will make it easy for you to get to your final destination within Oxford itself
EDIT: and yeah, basically, you land, follow signs to the coach/bus stop, find the right spot, and then buy a ticket (or wait for the bus to arrive, which is at most a 30 minute wait) and then hop on and go
http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/main.php?page_id=24
Yeah, pretty much. £25 return, might want to check the small print if you've got a lot of luggage.
Don't forget your top hat and brandy snaps
The train is half price if I take in in the morning. 40 as opposed to 80. A night in a hostel is like 20-25. A saving of 15-20 pounds. I'm going to be pretty poor when I get there and I'm in no rush. Would it be worth it?
http://www.hostellondon.com/availability.php/HostelNumber.7010 is right across the street from King's Cross.
second of all, you may want to consider hopping a bus to Oxford anyway... are you sure you're not allowed to arrive any sooner than noon of the 17th? if you call the people organizing things you may be allowed to arrive earlier
third of all, is this pre-IB/mid-IB prep program that you're going to do? (I did the same thing many years ago) if yes, you will likely be staying at the University Annex at Oxford, in which case if you just E-mail or call the people sorting out housing, they should be able to accommodate early arrival, as I showed up a whole day early for the program, too
every route takes me from gatwick to victoria then to king's cross then to darlington.
But yeah the tube goes right into Gloucester Green which is pretty central, and it's cheaper than the train and you get to see more of London on your way out. The countryside is pretty enough to merit taking the bus over the train, IMHO.
Also, remember to leave yourself plenty of time wherever you connect. At least an hour and a half. (By the way, I found two itineraries - LHR was ~$690 and LGW was $608 (both on Delta via ATL or CVG)! So now's not a bad time to buy, especially considering it's only a month out.)
It's not really a spoiler at all.
I've been asking about arriving early. Every time I do the guy running the trip keeps saying he's trying to figure that out. It would make it loads easier if I could, i'm just trying to get all the possibilities hammered down. I'm staying at St. Clares as well.
Heya,
I as well do the Heathrow-> Oxford trip several times a year. As suggested, take the Oxford Airline Bus from Heathrow to Oxford. You will find them at the bus terminal. Last time (2 months ago) you will find them in the first rows of buses a bit down the lane. The number is X70 I believe. The bus is big and sky blue so it is quite easy to find. They depart very frequently so you don't really need to plan ahead, just show up at the bus terminal whenever you arrive. The bus will literally take you right down to the city centre.
If you are walking with a lot of luggage, the trip from the Gloucester Green bus stop up to St. Clares can be quite a haul. I will be in Oxford during the time period you are there (4th year woo!) so if you need anything just send me a PM or reply in this thread. I could help you haul you shit up there and find the place. I remember it was a bit of a bitch when I first arrived because along with all your luggage you have to worry about finding your way. And I would imagine that international arrivals will be given some leeway in terms of arriving early.
P.S. for the guy arriving from Gatwick, I know the Oxford Airline bus also has service to Gatwick. It is much more convenient than first having to make your way to downtown London to catch a train (and also cheaper).
Or you could just have an adventure through London
Yeah, that is a fair point. On the other hand, getting lost in the train network will be a story for the ages.