London to Oxford train with Chiltern Railways

Trains from London to Oxford

Trains from London to Oxford cover a distance of 51 miles (82 km). The journey takes around one hour with travel partners like Great Western Railway, Chiltern Railways or Cross Country. Generally, 23 trains operate daily. When making this trip, you will leave London Victoria Station and arrive in Oxford at one of two stations, either Oxford Station or Oxford Parkway station.

London to Oxford Train Time: Daily Departures

You will find trains running daily to Oxford from London. The first train departs at around 06:10, and the last train leaves at about 23:10. Approximately 17 trains leave between 06:00 and 09:00, leaving every 10min. After the rush of the morning commuters is over, you will find a London to Oxford train leaving London Victoria station every 30 min.

How long is the journey by train from London to Oxford?

When travelling by train to Oxford from London, you will travel a distance of 51 miles (82 km). It typically takes about an hour to complete the trip if you have booked a direct train ticket from London to Oxford. There are an average of 23 direct trains a day. You will find that there are trains that include one change over, which happens at Didcot Parkway station or Reading station.

Trains from London to Oxford: friends walking in London. Source: Shutterstock

What are the departure and arrival stations for trains from London to Oxford?

Departure train station: When travelling from London to Oxford, you will have the choice of several major London train stations as your departing station. However, the station that runs this route most frequently is Victoria Station. You will find that the public transport system running between the station and London city centre is extensive and reliable. You will have the option of taking the tube, which takes around 15 mins. You could also catch a bus, leaving every 10 mins. If you are travelling with luggage or on a tight schedule, you might prefer to catch a taxi. Keep in mind that if you are travelling during a high traffic time, you might need to leave yourself extra time in case of traffic jam delays.

Arrival train station: When arriving at Oxford station or Oxford Parkway station, you will find both stations have easy access to the public transport available to take you to your next destination. If you opt to take a bus from Oxford Parkway station, you will cover a distance of 4.9 miles (8km) to reach the city centre. A bus makes the trip every 10min. From Oxford station to the city centre, you don’t need to take any form of transport, as it is just a short 10min walk away. If the weather is bad, or you have heavy luggage, you might prefer to catch a taxi. A taxi ride will be an easy way to make the trip.

Which train companies travel from London to Oxford?

Great Western Railway or Chiltern Railways are the two companies operating the train service along the route of London to Oxford. Generally, Great Western Railway company offers a route that allows for one change, meaning that this trip will take longer to complete than if you opt to travel with Chiltern Railways. Chiltern Railways offer direct train trips between London and Oxford. Even if you book a ticket with a changeover, your trip only increases by about 10 mins. You might want to compare ticket prices, times, onboard amenities, and trip duration between the different service providers to decide which company best supports your travel needs. If you are not sure which questions to ask to make travelling by train as pleasant as possible, be sure to have a look at the Omio Magazine online.

Night trains London

Unfortnatley, due to the short travel time for the trip from London to Oxford, there are no specifically designated night train services. You will find trains that run through the night for the trip, but not a dedicated night train service. Great Western Railway provides most of the later trains that run through the night.

Great Western trains from London to Oxford

The Great Western Trains company is one of the providers that offer train tickets from London to Oxford, including a changeover. The route includes a stop at either Didcot Parkway or Reading Station. The change over requires that change from one train to the other and allows you around 10min to make the change. They do also offer direct trips between London and Oxford. The duration of the trip is about one hour, and adding the change over stop increases your travel time slightly. You are looking at about 1h 15min travel time, when boarding a train that includes one change over along this route, with Great Western Railway.

Chiltern trains from London to Oxford

Chiltern Railways is one of the best options when booking trains from London to Oxford if you are on a tight schedule because they offer the fastest trains running on this route. The average travel time is 53min. The company is one of the providers that offer direct tickets only. Some of their trains can take a full one hour to make this trip, but you are only looking at a difference of a couple of minutes either way.

Trains from London to Oxford : Sustainability travel

When travelling by train, you can travel with peace of mind knowing that you have picked a mode of transport that supports a healthier planet the most. Compared to any other mode of transport, travelling by train is the greenest, most conscious way to travel. Train travel already reduces the amount of CO2 emissions, energy consumption, use of space, or noise levels, by up to 76% compared to other transport modes. Modern trains reduce the environmental footprint further still by improving on energy efficiency traction systems such as electrical braking, LED lighting, optimised ventilation systems, the reduction of atmospheric emissions, and use of clean, recyclable and natural materials.

Train London to Oxford: Services on Board

When travelling with Great Western Railway, you will have the option of upgrading to a first-class ticket, which allows you access to the first-class lounge. Here, you can enjoy a great meal made by their chefs. When thinking about luggage, remember that you are allowed one small case which you must keep under your seat, one medium-sized case that can fit in the overhead racks, and one larger bag which to store in the dedicated luggage area. You are welcome to bring your bike on the train, but you must make a reservation beforehand. You are allowed two dogs, cats, or other small domestic animals when travelling with Great Western Railway. All animals must be on a lead or in a rigid pet carrier.

The company offers a passenger assist service for travellers who need assistance due to mobility issues or disabilities. You can book a trained member of staff to support a disabled traveller at any time. When travelling with Chiltern Railways, you will find only one class of tickets available, called standard class. Chiltern Railways’ luggage allowance is two pieces of larger luggage plus one small hand luggage item. You should be able to lift your luggage yourself. You can book assisted travel care for your trip up to six hours before your departure time. You can travel with a bike onboard, but remember to book it in early, as the company operates on a first-come, first-serve basis, and there is limited bike storage space. You will be allowed to travel with up to two small domestic animals when catching trains from London to Oxford.

How to find cheap train tickets from London to Oxford?

The most effective way to book train tickets from London to Oxford if you are travelling on a budget is to make sure you book in advance. Tickets become more expensive the closer to your departure date they are. You can book tickets for up to six months before you travel on Omio. Another fail-safe way to ensure you are getting the best price for your trains from London to Oxford is by being flexible with your travel dates. You will find that if you can move your date either forward or back by a day or two, you might move out of a high traffic period and into a less popular time and date to travel. Generally, booking trains with more stops will be cheaper than booking direct trains.

Trains from London to Oxford: Radcliffe Square in Oxford. Source: Shutterstock

To Oxford by train—travel tips

It may be true that Oxford’s prestigious university is the city’s defining feature. Still, visitors will be just as impressed by the labyrinthine bookstores, excellent historic pubs and endless museums. One of the most popular museums in Oxford is the Pitt Rivers Museum. Walk its aisles and discover myriad treasures, victorian grandeur and Japanese war helmets. If the weather is nice, you can spend the day outdoors walking the Oxford botanic garden. One of the oldest of its kind in England, it is around 400 years old. Pop into a famous pub, The Perch; this thatched-roof village pub is right on the river bank and offers traditional pub grub and a vast selection of local and international beers on tap.

• Ashmolean Museum
• Isis River Farmhouse
• Church of St Margaret of Antioch
• Magdalen Bridge
• Malmaison Oxford Castle