Travel Information

By rail

There are regular services from London Paddington. There are also regular links to other parts of the country via, Didcot, Reading and Birmingham. (Interactive timetable from National Rail - enter London Paddington for trains to/from London.) Oxford station is about a mile from the Department. The 14/14A bus service runs by the labs, from the train station Monday to Friday. The stop is on Banbury Road at the intersection with Keble Road - see Physics Department map below.

By coach

There are regular services from London Paddington. There are also regular links to other parts of the country via, Didcot, Reading and Birmingham. (Interactive timetable from National Rail - enter London Paddington for trains to/from London.) Oxford station is about a mile from the Department. The 14/14A bus service runs by the labs, from the train station Monday to Friday. The stop is on Banbury Road at the intersection with Keble Road - see Physics Department map below.

By air

The bus service from Heathrow/Gatwick airports is called "the airline." It runs very frequently and takes just over an hour from Heathrow, two hours from Gatwick. You may buy tickets online at https://airlinebooking.oxfordbus.co.uk/service.aspx or pay with cash, in pounds, when boarding the bus (return ticket is £30 from Heathrow, £37 from Gatwick).

Catching The Airline coach at Heathrow

"The Airline” coach stops at Heathrow (as given at “The Airline" url) are:
• Central Bus Station Stand 15 for Terminals 1, 2 and 3
• Arrivals Concourse Terminal 5 Stand 10 for Terminal 5.

For those landing at Terminal 4:

1. Either: Go to the Central Bus station:
   Free shuttle trains run between Terminal 4 station (Platform 1) and Heathrow Central station (For Central Bus Station and Terminals 2 & 3). There are four trains an hour. Average journey time: 20 minutes. Frequent London Underground trains also run on this route but the transfer is only free if you use a Transport for London Oyster card or a contactless payment card.
2. Or: Go to Terminal 5:
   Bus number 482 or 490 (destination: Heathrow Terminal 5) from Bus Stop 7. (This is also free.) This option also takes about 20 minutes.

If you have purchased flights that also included the coach journey to Oxford:

1. The itinerary might state the coach ticket is issued by National Express.
   While this is correct and it would be reasonable to assume the coach is operated by National Express “The Airline" is operated by the Oxford Bus Company. In the itinerary this detail is often buried at the foot of the page in the small print. Most National Express Coaches are white. "The Airline” is nearly always Oxford Blue.
2. For those landing at Heathrow the itinerary might state to go to the Central Bus Station to catch the coach irrespective of the terminal at which you land. This information is not optimal (see above).

From Stansted & Luton Airports

From Stansted & Luton Airports, National Express has a (not so frequent) service to Oxford: bus 737. From London, you can take the train or for a cheaper option, the bus (X90 or OxfordTube).

Although the airport bus is the cheapest option for individuals, it is also possible to take a taxi all the way from/to the airport, and this option may be cheaper for groups. In this case, it is recommended to book ahead, as the cost doubles without pre-booking. Costs for pre-booked taxis are about £65 from Oxford-LHR, and £75 from LHR-Oxford. Suggested company: http://www.british-airport-transfers.co.uk

By car