Travel

Planning Your Journey to Oxford

Travelling By Coach 

If you are arriving at London Heathrow or London Gatwick airports, the most affordable way to get to Oxford is by the direct coach (bus) service called The Airline. All information and online booking (36 hours in advance or more) are here: https://airline.oxfordbus.co.uk/

You can also purchase tickets on the coach itself. The driver will ask you which stop in Oxford you want: for both St Anne’s College and the Rothermere American Institute, the best stop is the final one, called Gloucester Green.

Travelling By Train 

If you are arriving at London Heathrow or London Gatwick, you can also travel by train to Oxford. All journeys will require one transfer. The most direct routes from each airport are as follows:

London Heathrow (via the Heathrow Express) – Paddington Station – Oxford

London Gatwick – Reading – Oxford

Train tickets can be booked via the National Rail website or on the day of travel.

How to reach the Rothermere American Institute (‘the RAI’), 1a South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UB

For those planning to go directly to the RAI or coming there from somewhere other than St Anne’s, details on its location, including a map, are here:

http://www.rai.ox.ac.uk/contact

The easiest way to reach the RAI from the bus and train stations is to walk (about 20 minutes); a taxi will take slightly longer than does the taxi ride from the stations to St Anne’s College and may cost slightly more due to the complicated traffic system in town.

You will find signs to the RAI on South Parks Road – the Institute is a pale-coloured stone building set far back from the road. Go around the outside of the building to the entrance, which is on the garden side.

If you prefer to take a taxi, taxis are nearly always available behind the Gloucester Green coach/bus station (ask the coach driver where to find them) and also at the train station. The taxis are on a metre and the ride should cost under £10, or thereabouts. The journey is about 10 minutes by taxi, more during rush hour periods.

If you have questions, please contact Amanda Niedfeldt for further details: niedf005@umn.edu.

We look forward to welcoming you in Oxford!