Oxford Travel Answers

Central 'historical' Oxford is not that big..easily walkable. You can stay anywhere fairly central and see most of it in the time you have allowed (depends on how many hours you want to spend at the superb Ashmolean and Pitt-rivers museums of course!). I always stay at the Travelodge at Pear Tree. Nothing spectacular, but perfectly ok (don't bother with their expensive breakfast, have yours at the cafe/restaurant a few steps away if you can't wait till you get into the city). If you have a car (?) it's ideal (because parking in Oxford is difficult and expensive)....it's right next to the park & ride facility (regular buses during the day, car park is not closed when buses finish). Without a car you do need to stay more centrally. No personal recommendations, but do look at what is on offer at www.booking.com which is a reliable site with honest guest reviews and good mapping. You may even find Ranger's recommendations there (and often at lower rates than the hotel's own website). :-)

there are some central quality hotels right in the centre,The Randolph,The Eastgate,and Malmaison,and a short walk away Cotswold Lodge and Linton Lodge are also good,slightly further out a short bus or taxi ride Remont Guest House,and out on the Woodstock Road Barcelo has some offers on at the moment. As a previous post mentioned it is quite a small city to explore on foot easily Personally i would finish off the evening at the bottom end of Woodstock road/Jericho area (nice restaurants here) and get a taxi back to either Holiday Inn (pear tree),or The Barcelo and make use of their leisure facilities.

As I live in Oxford, I cannot really recommend a hotel to stay (never needed one), but perhaps I can help you with some information about sights. Oxford's historic centre is quite small, so you'll be able to see it in two days. I'd recommend doing the colleges first, because they will (with the exception of Christchurch) not be open before 2pm-ish. Plan at least 1hour for Christchurch, and about 20-30 min per other college. Magdalen, Exeter, Wadham, Merton and Brasenose are colleges that I like very much. Exeter's fellow's garden is an open secret, yet you will hardly ever see tourists there - and you can enjoy the best view on Radcliffe Square. Speaking of Radcliffe Square: Don't miss climbing the spire of St. Mary the Virgin for a great view over Oxford. If you enjoy walking, then you should definitely check out Christchurch Meadow. Send me a mail if you need further information. Golo

If you're looking for somewhere good to eat on Saturday evening, I can't suggest the Cowely Road more. This part of Oxford is just outside the central historical part and is about a 10 minute walk down the beautiful High Street. I'd say that the Cowely Road has a much more edgy feel about it. There appears to be a restaurant from every country in the world (possibly a huge exaggeration) but there really is a very ethnic and alternative feel here.For people who live here it is a favorite. Check out Aziz for literaly the best Indian you will ever have in your life and the Kaz Bar for stylish dining e.g. spanish/north african tapas and delicious mojitos. Cafe Cocos has a quirky vibe and does gorgeous Italian food and there are numerous good quality thai, chinese, japanese, polish and middle eastern restaurants. The road is not too long and overwhelming so I suggest just checking out the restaurants yourself. Happy eating!