8
Getting to London
Bus
This is usually the cheapest way. First,
catchabustoOxford.FromOxfordBus
Station (called Gloucester Green bus
station)thereisaregularbuscalled‘The
OxfordTube’.Itrunsabouteverytwelve
minutesandcostssixteenpoundsreturn.
It stops atVictoria Coach Station, near
VictoriaStationincentralLondon.Ittakes
onehourandfortyminutesifthetraffic
is good.
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]
Train
You can catch a train to London from
OxfordorDidcot(about10kmsouthof
Abingdon - you will need a bus from
Stratton Way or a taxi to get there).
Itisveryexpensiveifyoubuyyourticket
ontheday.Youcangetcheaperdealsby
booking online beforehand.
Groups of four travelling together
get good discounts. The direct train
takes about 50minutes and arrives at
Paddington Station.
[
Tube
If youbuy a day’s travel cardwith your
trainticket,youcanhaveunlimitedtravel
ontheLondonUndergroundforaday.
TheLondonUndergroundislikeaMetro.
Itiscalled‘TheTube’byEnglishpeople.
Itisabitcomplicatedatfirstbutwewill
explain the process to you.
Frequent users of theTube can get an
electronic card called an Oyster Card
whichyoucanputmoneyonto,online(or
topupatthestation).Itisthecheapest
way to travel and can also be used on
buses in London.
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]
Getting around Oxford & London
Picture above: An oyster card, which is a
formof electronic ticketing used by the public
transport services within Greater London in
the United Kingdom. It is advisable to get one
of these if you are a frequent London traveller,
because it saves you a lot of money.
Oxford
The city of Oxford is a twenty-minute bus ride away and it has many more
shops, restaurants and facilities. Abingdon is about ten kilometres south of
Oxford.
Oxford is a small city, most famous for its university. The university consists
of 38 smaller colleges, which are spread out through the town. As well as
being full of students, Oxford attracts many tourists from all over the world.
There is plenty to do there: cinemas, shops, restaurants etc. Pupils need to
ask permission to go to Oxford on the weekends from their housemaster.
The bus stop is in front of the school and there are frequent buses (about
every ten minutes). The bus journey takes about 25 minutes and drops you
right in the centre. A return ticket costs £4.20 for an over 16-year old and
£2.10 for anyone under sixteen. You can catch bus X3 or X13 (red buses) or
bus 31 (white bus). You pay as you get on the bus. It is good to try to have the
right money ready. There is a bell to press when you want to get off. The bus
will only stop at bus stops. It is polite to say ‘thank you’ to the driver as you
get off. Buses leave for Abingdon from Oxford on St Aldates Road, outside
Christchurch College. When coming back, you stay on the bus till it stops at
Stratton Way in Abingdon.
London and the airports
Sometimes groups of Sixth Formers plan a day out in London on the
weekend. There is so much to see and do; it is a good idea to have a plan
before you go.
There are several international airports
in and around London. Heathrow is
the biggest and nearest to Abingdon.
Gatwick is the next largest. There is also
London City (which is small), Stansted
and Luton (both of which are further
from Abingdon and harder to get to).
You can get to Heathrow and Gatwick
direct on a bus from Oxford for about
£10. The busses run every hour during
the day. You can also make your way
to Heathrow and Gatwick on the train
from Oxford or Didcot but this is more
expensive and complicated. By using
the train and the London Underground
network you can access London City
Airport. To get to Stansted or Luton you
will need to take a taxi. If you want a
taxi speak to your house matron. She
will be able to order one for you using a
company that the school trusts. Shewill
also be able to arrange for the cost of
the taxi to be put on your school bill.
