Upcoming trip to the UK

Madman

Madman

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OK, we are in the process of planning our trip to the UK in early Autumn. Our latest plans are to land in Scotland, stay for a few days, then travel down to Oxford. The railway journeys through Scotland, we have found on the web, are too pricey to consider. I really would like to get some train travel in. So I am pressing for the trip from Scotland to Oxford to be by train. At the moment I think that Edinburgh will be the area we leave from for Oxford. What trains run between these two areas? Since we will be in Scotland for just a few days, I'm not sure if there will be time to visit any scenic or tourist railways there, but I am open for suggestions.
 
To get to Oxford from Edinburgh Dan, you will have to head south west and change at Birmingham, via York.

However, it might be quicker/better to travel to London Kings Cross, and then get a direct faster service to Oxford from London Paddington.

You will have to use either a Black Cab (taxi) or the Underground between the two London Termini though.

I'm sure Ian (Cogges) can advise of other (cheaper) options, such as the 'Oxford Tube' coach from London to Oxford.

Rail travel in the UK ain't cheap, but you can sometimes find good deals....
 
Ticket prices in the UK are odd and it is often better to buy a number of tickets for different parts of the journey even though you stay on the same train. See http://www.splityourticket.co.uk/
 
You can travel via Cross Country all the way, just done a quick example for you:-
0800 Edinburgh - Darlington 1000
1007 Darlington - Oxford 1341
Same platform change so not difficult.
Cost £75, however prices will be all over the place. On this journey if you took it you will get good scenery by Sea between just South of Edinburgh to Just South of Berwick. Hope you can see that a bit of Rail knowledge from a retired Railwayman will always help.

I used this site to get this info on 2 seconds flat.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk

JonD
 
dunnyrail said:
You can travel via Cross Country all the way, just done a quick example for you:-
0800 Edinburgh - Darlington 1000
1007 Darlington - Oxford 1341
Same platform change so not difficult.
Cost £75, however prices will be all over the place. On this journey if you took it you will get good scenery by Sea between just South of Edinburgh to Just South of Berwick. Hope you can see that a bit of Rail knowledge from a retired Railwayman will always help.

I used this site to get this info on 2 seconds flat.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk

JonD
Click to expand...
Nice one JD....
 
There are two coach services that run from London Victoria to Oxford city centre (from different bus stops). The Oxford Tube (run by Stagecoach) and the X90 (run by The Oxford Bus Company). Both services pick up/set down at Marble Arch (beside Hyde Park). Thereafter they take slightly different routes out of London. Both services run every 15-20 24/7 minutes. Journey times for both are the same, 100 mins depending on traffic. Fares the same for both, adult, one-way £15, day return £18, period return (valid 3 months) £20. Reductions for children, students, over 60s, groups. It's how my wife and I travel to/from London. If not coming via London, if based in Oxford, a cheap and convenient way of getting to London.

Dan, just noted your age. Over 60 period return £15

David
 
The easiest way to check out times & prices for UK rail travel is to use the website here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Since our national railway museum is at York, you may wish to consider breaking your Edinburgh-Oxford journey in that city, which is stuffed full of other attractions too.

As others have written, it's often possible to save money by getting multiple tickets for the same journey, so when checking fares, look at https://railsaver.raileasy.co.uk/. It won't always save you money, especially on a single journey, but it's worth a try.
 
The Bo'ness Railway is not too far from Edinburgh and is worth a visit. In fact you could spend a day in that area doing the railway, The Kelpies and The Falkirk Wheel. Both the last 2 are amazing!
 
David1226 said:
There are two coach services that run from London Victoria to Oxford city centre (from different bus stops). The Oxford Tube (run by Stagecoach) and the X90 (run by The Oxford Bus Company). Both services pick up/set down at Marble Arch (beside Hyde Park). Thereafter they take slightly different routes out of London. Both services run every 15-20 24/7 minutes. Journey times for both are the same, 100 mins depending on traffic. Fares the same for both, adult, one-way £15, day return £18, period return (valid 3 months) £20. Reductions for children, students, over 60s, groups. It's how my wife and I travel to/from London. If not coming via London, if based in Oxford, a cheap and convenient way of getting to London.



Dan, just noted your age. Over 60 period return £15


When we visited Ian in 2011, we took the bus (coach) to Oxford where he picked us up. The bus driver was nice enough to wait a few minutes. He must have thought, These two lost souls have no idea where they are. But Ian showed up shortly after. We were easy to spot, standing on the street corner with dazed looks. Yea, I am a geezer and qualify for a senior discount. My wife, however, can still pass for a much younger passenger unless she shows her driver's license. LOL.

David
Click to expand...
 
Could you be more specific on your dates over here. Preservation railways start to limit their services quite severely after the summer holidays, first week in September. Although some keep it fairly alive till end September to cater for us without children in tow. Helps with giving you good information on sideshows.

Example - I thought, break journey to change to Oxford line at Birmingham......... "Shakespear Express". That runs out of Moore Street, restored GWR period style station. A round steam service, with dining, that runs to Stratford on Avon every Sunday.........till September 9th. Drats, late summer not early autumn. Moore street is also the normal service station for Oxford. Max.
 
It appears that we will arrive in Scotland on September 23, then head to Oxford on the 26.
 
whatlep said:
The easiest way to check out times & prices for UK rail travel is to use the website here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Since our national railway museum is at York, you may wish to consider breaking your Edinburgh-Oxford journey in that city, which is stuffed full of other attractions too.

As others have written, it's often possible to save money by getting multiple tickets for the same journey, so when checking fares, look at https://railsaver.raileasy.co.uk/. It won't always save you money, especially on a single journey, but it's worth a try.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the sites. I've been on the national railway site and am a bit confused as to which stations to put into the trip planner. Edinburgh shows two station choices, Edinburgh and Edinburgh Park. Oxford also has more than one choice. Theres Oxford, Oxford Circus and Manchester Oxford Road. Also the tickets prices seem to be varying wildly each day. When I tried this last night I was getting prices around 100 pounds. Today I see the prices less than 50 pounds. Any additional help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Madman said:
Thank you for the sites. I've been on the national railway site and am a bit confused as to which stations to put into the trip planner. Edinburgh shows two station choices, Edinburgh and Edinburgh Park. Oxford also has more than one choice. Theres Oxford, Oxford Circus and Manchester Oxford Road. Also the tickets prices seem to be varying wildly each day. When I tried this last night I was getting prices around 100 pounds. Today I see the prices less than 50 pounds. Any additional help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Hi - you want Edinburgh (Waverley) and Oxford, plain and simple. Station codes EDB and OXF. Yes, prices do vary. As in the USA, market pricing operates on long distance trains in the UK. Friday-Sunday the discounts from full fare are significantly lower than Monday-Thursday. When I just checked, the cheapest fare was GBP75.50 per person, though that's available on most trains on September 26th. For comparison, air fares from Edinburgh to London Heathrow on Sept 26th vary between GBP50 and GBP60 per person, depending on which flight you want to take. To that you'd need to add the cost of the bus from Heathrow to Oxford which is £23pp one-way or £29 for an open return.
 
One slightly lateral thought for you. If the fares or journey time don't suit for Edinburgh-Oxford direct or via London, consider the following:
Fly Edinburgh-Birmingham (EDI-BHX), departing 10.50, arriving 12.05. Fare GBP65.64 per person
Train Birmingham International-Oxford, departing 13.14, arriving 14.14 Fare GBP10.70pp (*)

Birmingham airport is adjacent to Birmingham International railway station with a monorail connection. The transfer should take no more than 15 minutes. The journey by train from Birmingham is reasonably pleasant, albeit with the same rather uncomfortable stock used for the journey between Edinburgh-Oxford.

(*) Advance booking fare: limited to travel by a specific train.
 
Thank you. That's most helpful.
 
whatlep said:
Since our national railway museum is at York, you may wish to consider breaking your Edinburgh-Oxford journey in that city, which is stuffed full of other attractions too.
Click to expand...

;) I did York as a destination, specifically to visit the NRM.... well worth it.
 
;) Time you spoke to 'The Man in Seat 61' (Google it).

I studied that site inside and out, and was a fantastic resource for getting to know the British and European systems, their timetables, and fare structures. You still end up booking through the railway companies, but this guy gives you a great head start on getting the best value.

Tips, such as evaluating the 'daily equivalent cost' of travel passes v's Advance Purchase fares... brilliant, saved heaps. Never thought of going across the North Sea to get to Amsterdam, until I'd read his Rail 'n Sea pages.

From what I've read, even if you are over 60, you still have to shell out 30 quid to get the Senior Pass... so for just a few trips, probably not worth it.

Did all my bookings using advice from this site...
Kings Cross to Keith (1st Class), got it cheaper that Standard Class by tavelling on a Sunday.
Keith-Edinburgh, paid top dollar on the day... last minute decision.
Edinburgh-York, AP, cheaper than Railpass.
York-Manchester-York, and York- London, ditto.
Boat train to Harwich,Ferry to Holland, and train to Amsterdam... saved a nights accommodation.
Thayls from Amsterdam to Lille.
TGV a few days later on to Paris, dirt cheap. Maximum fare was 220 Euro, got mine for 39 Euro.
Another TGV to Zurich.
Swiss Railways to Chur, Berninna Express (panorama supplement), and Trenitalia on to Milan... the last bit was a 'local', but it was brand new, and introduced me to the Italian ticketing system, so easy to use.
Milan-Venice, prebooked, something like 39 Euro.
Venice-Milan-La Spezia, again prebooked and just as cheap.
Even the last minute booking a few days later from La Spezia to Pisa, Florence, and Rome was not that bad.... featured a 250 km/h service into Rome.

Browsing the site is almost as exciting as the actual travel (well, not quite, but there is a sence of satisfaction and security of mind when you know what to expect).
 
Re the senior pass, would more than pay for itself on the Trip from Edinburgh. So before wiping it off the agenda, do some math.
JonD
 
dunnyrail said:
Re the senior pass, would more than pay for itself on the Trip from Edinburgh. So before wiping it off the agenda, do some math.
JonD
Click to expand...

Agreed, but the hassle of getting one when you're overseas, is a bit of a drag.
 
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