What are my London to Oxford train options?

Looking for a day out from the Capital to a famous university city that's steeped in history? No worries. We're here to show you the best London to Oxford train price and how to book it with Railsmartr. We'll also show you which route is the best one for you.

There are two different companies to choose from if you're going from London to Oxford. You can travel with either Chiltern Railways (from London Marylebone) or Great Western Railway (from London Paddington).

If you're booking at the last minute, or you want to stay flexible, then the fare is the same no matter which company or route you choose:

• An Anytime Day Return is £81.10
• Off-Peak Return tickets (valid to return within one month) are £36.20
• An Off-Peak Day Return is £33.40.

The Off-Peak Return ticket is valid after 09:30 on weekdays, but you can also use it on the 09:23 from London Paddington.

The Off-Peak Day Return is valid after 08:30 on weekdays from London Marylebone, and 09:20 on weekdays from London Paddington. There aren't any restrictions on weekends or Bank Holidays.

There are also train-specific Advance tickets offered by each company. Let's go through them now.

How do I book the best London to Oxford train price?

You can get the best London to Oxford train price with Railsmartr, of course! If you want a full picture of all of the fares on offer, we'd recommend searching for London (any mainline station) to Oxford. Let's say that we want to travel up to Oxford at 10am, a week in advance:

As you can see, Chiltern Railways offer the best London to Oxford train price by quite a large amount. The Advance fare offered by Great Western Railway on the 10:23 train above is barely any cheaper than the fully flexible one. Meanwhile, £5.40 is the very cheapest fare that Chiltern Railways offer.

In order to get these fares, you'll need to book at least 24 hours or so in advance. It isn't possible to buy them on the day that you're travelling.

What are the trains like and how fast are they?

In terms of frequency, both companies usually run two trains every hour direct to Oxford. Great Western Railway is the fastest option, as their trains take less than an hour. The fastest ones only stop at Reading and take around 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, Chiltern Railways services typically take 80 to 85 minutes. Let's see what each of the trains are like.

Great Western Railway

Every Great Western Railway service that runs between London Paddington and Oxford is operated by five or nine-car Intercity Express Trains:

They have free WiFi and access to a three-pin power socket underneath every seat. On most services, it's also possible to reserve a seat. If you don't have a reservation, then you'll find the unreserved carriage in Coach G. All seating in Standard Class is in a 2+2 layout.

Chiltern Railways

Chiltern Railways have two different types of trains on their London Marylebone to Oxford route. These are the Turbostar (left) and Turbo (right):

The Turbostar trains have a better on-board experience, as you'll find power sockets at every window seat and more comfortable seats:

Meanwhile, the Turbo trains have seats in a mixture of 2+2 and 3+2 layouts. They don't have any power sockets either, so they're more of a commuter train than a long-distance train.

There aren't any reservations on Chiltern, so you can simply pick any seat you like.

So, in a nutshell, you're likely to get a comfortable and faster train with Great Western Railway, but a much better price with Chiltern Railways. If time isn't of the essence, then you're likely to prefer the latter.

Is there anything else I should know?

Here at Railsmartr, we know how difficult it can be to navigate the world of train tickets. Why not check out our pages on the best time to travel for cheap tickets and train seat types next?

Thinking of taking a trip soon? You can book the best London to Oxford train price, and more, with Railsmartr. We’ll be sure to show you the slower and cheaper options, so you can get the best value fare for your journey.

Changed your mind? Need to travel on a different day? No problem at all. You can change or refund your ticket (if it’s refundable) without any extra fees.

_{^{All fares stated on this page are for ONE adult with no Railcard discount and were correct at 17:00 15/02/24. Flexible fares correct at September 2024. They’re subject to change at any time and Railsmartr are not responsible for any loss or disappointment incurred as a result of the information provided.}}