There is a local coach company in Chesterfield, Gee Vee Travels, that does day trips, I think they also do weekend trips and maybe longer ones but I've only gone on a couple of the day trips so far. It's not a tour or anything, the coach just drops you off and picks you up at the end of the day. My trip to Liverpool was with this company. The tickets are quite cheap, usually £12.50 or £15.50.
I want to go on quite a few of their day trip, so when I found out I had a day off last Tuesday and that they did a trip to Oxford that day I booked it straight away! (There are some perks to working shifts instead of Monday to Friday…) I've been wanting to go to Oxford for years, not that I've known anything about what's actually there except for the university. I think I've been wanting to go there just because it's a place I've heard about, which in my book is a good a reason as any!
The weather gods were even kind to me while I was in Oxford, it was one of the nicest and warmest days so far this year. The drive there took 3 hours, sitting on a coach for hours is boring but at least it's not a National Express coach with loads of drunken weirdos and screaming children on it! (Touch wood)
I had put a map on my phone of things to see in Oxford. It was nice to see some of the historical buildings and some of the university buildings that I might not have seen had I just wandered around aimlessly, but I also enjoyed just wandering around aimlessly after I had seen everything on the map. I think it's because there was nothing specific in Oxford that I really wanted to see (if I'd had internet at home I would have been able to do a bit more research before I went!).
One thing I noticed about Oxford besides all the really old buildings were all the cyclists! The amount of bicycles parked outside some of the buildings; it was insane! But I also didn't see a lot of fat people, so at least people in Oxford get their exercise as well as being kind to the environment. You have to be careful when crossing the road though; everyone is so busy looking for approaching cars that they don't always notice a bicycle coming their way!
Oxford is a beautiful place, I do suggest going there for anyone that hasn't been, you'll see plenty in just one day if you haven't got time for more. I also loved all the cute and quirky shops there, some of the shops I walked past made me feel like I'd gone back in time!
I did think about going into the Botanical Gardens, but when I got there I saw a sign that you had to pay which I wasn't prepared to do when I knew I had to catch the coach back and didn't know how much time I'd actually be able to spend in the gardens. If you are in Oxford and you fancy a picnic there are plenty of other places to just sit down on the grass or a bench and chill out, something I saw a lot of people do.
One thing I did pay for was to go up Carfax Tower. It was only £2.30 and you get a nice view of the city. The 99 steps to the top are very narrow (you won't be able to pass anyone!) and if you're tall you will have to mind your head, luckily it wasn't very busy when I went, I don't know if it normally is, so I didn't have to wait for someone else to come up or down the stairs.
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| Carfax Tower |
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| View from Carfax Tower |
I really enjoyed Oxford, I wouldn't mind going back there, especially on a day like the one I had! If I go back I will have to bring someone with me so that we can go punting! I've never been punting but it looks like fun.
