Oxford event weekends: what to do between sessions

The city of dreaming spires: colleges, the Bodleian Library and punting on the Cherwell, with the Cotswolds next door.

Arriving

Heathrow is 1.5 hours by the Airline coach; trains from London Paddington and Marylebone take about 1 hour.

Where to stay

Three hotels we would book

• Budget: Premier Inn Oxford
• Mid-range: Malmaison Oxford
• Splurge: The Randolph Hotel

Event weekends sell out early and prices rise as the date gets closer: book a cancellable room as soon as you know you are going.

Tours

Where to eat

• Covered Market Pies and cakes
• The Eagle and Child Tolkien and Lewis pub
• Turf Tavern Hidden old pub

With kids

• Natural History Museum.
• Pitt Rivers Museum.

Rainy-day backups

• Ashmolean.
• Bodleian tours.

Free things to do

• Ashmolean Museum.
• Pitt Rivers Museum.
• Port Meadow.

Getting around

• Walk or cycle; park-and-ride buses for cars.
• Tap in with a contactless card on buses, trams and most urban trains.
• Book long-distance trains early on the operator app or Trainline: walk-up fares are expensive.
• Uber works in most UK cities; local black cabs are metered.