Parking in Oxford is almost impossible, there is a multi-storey car park but it is expensive and means going a long way round the ring road before turning into the City because the main high street is closed to private cars from 7.30 am to 6.30 pm. Finding your way round this obstacle is tricky, the few car parks available are nearly always full and if there is a space it is expensive, if you don’t mind paying, take your reading glasses, because you may well have to put in your car registration number to get a ticket and if you don’t put the details in exactly right you will get a parking ticket. The outer residential roads are nearly always ‘permit holder only’ and the place is heaving with speed cameras. My advice is; don’t even think about it.
There are two options available:
Thornhill Park and Ride.
Drive towards Oxford from Thame on the A418, (mind the speed camera in Tiddington). Cross the M40, keep on the A 418, you will end up sweeping onto the A40 dual carriageway and will eventually see big signs for Park and Ride. Turn left at the first set of traffic lights into the car park.
You can pay for parking and a day return bus ticket for two adults and up to three children (under 16) for £6.80.
Take your reading
glasses, because you may well have to put in your car registration number to get
a ticket.
Option Two, bus it
By far the
best way is to either walk into Thame (15 mins) and catch either the 280 or X8 (quicker) bus to Oxford
outside the Co-Op (opposite the Town Hall) or if you don’t fancy the walk,
drive out of the campsite and turn first right five times!
Right out of the
drive, right at the war memorial, right at the T junction, right at the
roundabout and then about 100 metres on the right you will see a
cul-de-sac on the right which is part of
the old main road (if you pass the school you have gone too far). As soon as
you’re in the cul-de-sac turn left and park at the end of the road. You will
see a bus stop immediately in front of you.
Again it is the 280 bus (the only bus to Oxford, the X8 will not stop here) on your return journey look for the 280 to Aylesbury, ask for Lord Williams School, Thame. It is a request stop but dead easy to identify because the bus has to go round Thame ring road roundabout just before it.
The 280 runs at least every half an hour, sometimes more, for the time table click on the link below. Adult return is £6.10. Don’t forget your old codger bus pass, if you have one, acceptable after 9 am.
https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/beds-and-bucks/services/280-x8---sapphire---aylesbury-to-oxford/?direction=outbound