fusion

We are traveling to London shortly and would like to see Blenheim and, to the extent we have time, Oxford. We'd go this Sunday or Monday. Alas, the current forecast is rain, but that's when we'll be there.

It seems trains are cheaper if purchased in advance (Paddington to Oxford). What's a good time to go and return? There's an add-on bus for £3, which seems a good deal.

Any suggests, especially regarding logistics, would be appreciated.

jsmith

fusion, what is the add-on bus? The train station is not far from Oxford center. If it's a bus to Woodstock or Blenheim, it's a good deal.

bilboburgler

The clocks have just changed so its "bright" at 8am but dusk around 3:30. I say bright but this is not the right word for UK winters. So while Blenheim may be open (check times) after 3:30 but the gardens too dark to see

fusion

>>what is the add-on bus>> It’s a discount price bus pass for unlimited bus travel around the whole urban area of town, at the start or end of your rail journey. You buy PLUSBUS with your train ticket and pay for your complete door-to-door journey by train and bus in one easy purchase.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/plusbus.html

fusion

@bilbo - good point (and it means I move my watch 4 hours, not the usual 5). That probably also means only seeing one of Blenheim or Oxford.

Blenheim:
Palace & Gardens Open Daily from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm
(last admission 4.45pm) with areas to be vacated by 6 pm
Park open daily from 9 am to 4:45pm (last admission)

jsmith

fusion, Bleinheim is not open on Monday, Nov. 2.

http://www.blenheimpalace.com/thepalace/openingtimes/

I don't know whether you would need the bus pass. Most of what you would want to see in Oxfod is in a relatively small area, maybe a quarter mile diameter. The distance from the train station to the center of the area is about 3/4 mile.

Enjoy your day.

fusion

@jsmith - thanks. We'll go on Sunday.

Does Oxford make sense if it's raining?

jsmith

With a good raincoat and umbrella.

jsmith

In case you didn't know how to get the Blenheim.

By Bus

The number S3 to Woodstock runs from Oxford Train station and Gloucester Green to the gates of Blenheim Palace on Hensington Road in Woodstock. Please ask the bus driver to identify the appropriate stop. The bus runs every 30 minutes. For the timetable and prices visit www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables/S3

fusion

>>With a good raincoat and umbrella.>>

Blenheim also makes sense if it's raining?

We rarely travel without a Goretex jacket, quick-dry pants and some sort of umbrella.

jsmith

Of course. Should have mentioned good shoes, preferably waterproof.

flanneruk

Oxford Plusbus doesn't extend out as far as Woodstock, so it's no good for getting to Blenheim.

It's more or less useless for many tourists in Oxford too. But the railway station is about 0.5-0.75 mile (of unexciting walking) west of the main historic core, and some of the Inspector Morse/ Tolkien/ CS Lewsis sites are a bit east and north of the core.

Personally, I can never be bothered faffing with buses. They're no use at all for getting round the main historic core either. But Oxford's badly over-bussed ("public transport's great" dogmatism throws environmentally excessive numbers of polluting monsters onto medieval streets), with absurdly over-frequent service on most routes. So if you think you might prefer to be driven rather than walk between the core and the station, or to some of the peripheral stuff, the £3's a sensible insurance policy as an alternative to paying each time

I THINK (as in London, hardly anyone pays cash for bus tickets, so I'm not sure), standard fares within Oxford are £1.60 a trip.