My First Trip To Oxford On A Budget

After living in England for a few years, I thought it was finally time to visit the beautiful and historic city of Oxford. I originally planned my first trip to Oxford for October 2024. I purchased a return ticket, booked a hotel, and planned my itinerary, but had to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances. I forgot all about it after moving to London, to be honest, until one of my cousins came for a visit this summer and took a day trip to Oxford.

As someone who has been a fan of The Lord of the Rings since my teenage years, her trip to Oxford, the home of J.R.R. Tolkien, was a poignant reminder that I still hadn't been there, despite residing in England for years. A few weeks later, I booked another trip to Oxford for autumn and this time I was planning to make it. I chose autumn again because it's my favourite season and I wanted to see what Oxford looks like in autumn colours.

I had a lot going on at the time, and couldn't be careless with money, but I still wanted to make the trip. So I purchased a return ticket by coach for a day trip. Oxford is just a little over two hours away from London by coach and an hour by train. A day trip was perfect for my first time in the city. I left home at first light to set out on my journey. I had to board the Oxford Tube from Victoria Station, which is far from where I live, and I didn't want to be late.

My First Trip To The Historic City Of Oxford

I left home before the trains started running, so I had to take a bus to Victoria Station, and the journey was nearly two hours. I got there in time to board my coach to Oxford, even though I went to Victoria Coach Station thinking that's where I was travelling from. Oxford Tube is one of the most affordable ways to travel to Oxford; a one-way advanced (cheap) train ticket to Oxford from London was around £50, and I paid only £25 for a return ticket with Oxford Tube.

It was raining lightly when I left London, and I was worried that I might have to walk in the rain for my first visit. I arrived in Oxford a couple of hours later, and it was raining lightly. The first thing I did was to find a cafe for breakfast as I was starving. I walked down the streets blindly until I found one where I had a pain au raisin and a latte. After breakfast, I went to the Westgate shopping centre, which was just a few minutes away. I wasn't looking for anything in particular; I just wanted to see what it looked like. I was sightseeing after all.

It was still too early to visit Christ Church Meadows, so I went to the covered market. I first heard of Oxford University when I was a kid, and it felt surreal to walk down the streets of such a famous and historic city. It happened to be graduation day, and I ran into a few students in their graduation gowns, accompanied by their proud parents. One of the best things about my trip was walking in Oxford's back alleys; it was so picturesque!

A view of a Gothic tower behind a stone gate with iron bars, surrounded by autumn trees

Honey Limestones, Historic Buildings And Fallen Leaves

As I mentioned above, I had a tight budget and couldn't afford the fee to visit most universities. Some offered free entry, but there was a long queue, and I had to go back to London on the same day. It's still possible to have a fun trip without breaking the bank. I stopped by the covered market on my way to Christ Church Meadows, where there were characters from Alice in Wonderland on the market's ceiling. It was fun to walk all over the place looking for my favourite one.

I only found out before my trip that Lewis Carroll was a lecturer at Oxford Christ Church, and the story was inspired by Oxford and its people. There is also a cow covered in Alice in Wonderland characters at Oxford Westgate's shopping centre. The highlight of my trip was looking at the historic buildings made of honey coloured limestones bricks behind the bright colours of autumn. The scenery was breathtaking, and I couldn't help but capture it with my camera.

Nothing screams tourist more than holding a vlogging camera and a DSLR, but it didn't matter; the moment was too beautiful to care how I looked to other people. And that's the moment I knew that I wanted to move to Oxford. I haven't been in London for a year, but I've been thinking about leaving because I feel out of place, and it keeps reminding me of why I left this city when I moved to the UK.

The Trip That Changed My Life

When I got off the coach after arriving in Oxford, a bus driver told me to have a good day, and I can't remember the last time a stranger was so nice since moving to London. I lived for years in a town where it's normal to greet a stranger on the street or thank your driver, but that's not how it is in London. I wouldn't call people in London unfriendly, but they can get under your skin, and I don't like the person I'm becoming, trying to fit in.

That's the reason I've been thinking about leaving London, but I wasn't sure whether to head back north or move to Scotland or Wales. Now I know exactly where I want to live next, and I couldn't choose a better city than Oxford. Is spending a few hours there enough to make such an important decision? I moved up north after travelling to Manchester for a weekend and stayed for years until last summer. I will take a leap of faith once again, and whatever happens happens!

The cost of my day trip to Oxford came down to £40. I spent £25 on coach tickets and £15 on food. I didn't get to visit the universities, but I had fun walking down the streets, looking at the historic buildings outside, running into Oxford graduates and exploring its back alleys. More importantly, this trip changed my life as it gave me a new purpose, a start to a new life in Oxford. I highly recommend a visit to Oxford, and I hope you'll love it as much as I did!

Christ Church Meadows, behind lined trees in autumn