Travel with Me // a Day in Oxford, Oxford, England (B)

For our day trip to Oxford, we traveled in by train from Bristol just as we did for our day trip to Bath the day before. The train journey to Oxford was much longer than to Bath (about an hour and a half), but it was still very convenient and worth the savings in hotel prices. I’ve heard about Oxford my whole life through the stories about C.S. Lewis and Tolkien and the influence that Christ Church College had on Harry Potter’s Great Hall, yet I still didn’t know what to expect from this university town. We ended up enjoying our visit very much! I have my good friend Jennifer to thank for all of the wonderful recommendations, many of which are mentioned below. She attended Oxford for her graduate degree, so she is a great source! In the descriptions below, I have underlined the attractions, restaurants, and things to do that I suggest adding to your one-day itinerary in Oxford based on my experience.

In our usual fashion, we started the day off with a walking tour around the city to orient ourselves and help us narrow down the list of things we wanted to do in our short time. We did the two hour Footprints Free Walking Tour. The tour took us around to the outside of the Bodlein Library, the University Church of St. Mary, and many of Oxford’s colleges including Christ Church, All Souls, Merton, and Magdalen. The guide told us many interesting facts about Oxford as both a city and a university as well as stories about many of Oxford’s notable students. We really enjoyed the tour overall, but unlike the free tour in Bath, this one encourages a tip, so be prepared with cash if you feel the guide deserves it. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).