Driving in Oxford

[QuizmasterG]

I have to drive to Oxford soon but my friends tell me it is a nightmare to drive in / get parked and I should use the Park & Ride. My friends, however, hate any kind of traffic and will drive miles out of their way to avoid it!

Can anyone familiar with Oxford advise me on what is best?

Many thanks

[bednobs]

which bit of Oxford do you have to go to? If town centre i would really really recommend park and ride. the traffic is shocking

[EcclesCake]

If you are heading to the centre of Oxford, I agree with Bednobs.

[VHG]

Oxford encourages people to walk or cycle and discousrages cars, to the extent they have removed direction road signs in Oxford so car drivers cant get out it easily.

About 20 years ago (before M40 up to Birmingham was built) I was travelling to London from Birmingham and took the wrong turning off a roundabout and finished up going IN to Oxford rather than round it.

Never mind I thought, I will go through Oxford and come out the other side.

What a nightmare.

No road signs, roads blocked off by chains to allow bikes thorough but not cars, it took me ages to get through Oxford and out the other side.

I will never drive in Oxford again. Take the Park and Ride.

[QuizmasterG]

Many thanks for all three comments. It looks like park and ride!

Cheers

[jamesnan]

Park and ride is the very best option, we were there last week, very easy to find, free to park and you pay on the bus (if you have bus pass, then that is also free) - you get dropped off right in the centre of the town as well. You really do not want to try and drive in Oxford!

[milly143]

I'll just stick my ore in and reiterate what others have said. Driving anywhere near the centre of Oxford is a nightmare. It's slow, congested, there are restrictions on cars in certain places and you need to take a mortgage out to park. Every time we go into the city we do park and ride. The station we use costs about £2 - £3 (can't remember exactly) for a return which drops you off right in the centre and you get to see some of the sites on the way down, which you don't if your concentrating on not running a cyclist over. Have a great time in Oxford, it's a fab city!

[gingejbee]

Nobody with sense takes a car into Oxford - it's that simple. Note that there are FIVE park and ride car -parks around the edge of the city: you need to know which direction you will be coming from to decide which one to use.

[QuizmasterG]

Thanks to the three "newcomers" for their advice

[atalanta]

For Park and Ride - the local authorities make very sure it is vastly more expensive to park in the centre of Oxford than to take the bus
Against Park and Ride - outside rush-hours, some of the park and ride buses can be very infrequent, and you don't want to be too late heading back to your car, since the buses may stop before you do. PearTree is better than Water Eaton

[MrIncredible]

Park n Ride, oxford is a nightmare to drive into! Park and ride is just off the A34 and the last time I used it early 90's it was free to park! (I doubt that it still is) then it was a 10min bus trip to town centre which cost about 40p!