Day trip to Oxford from Reading

25 minutes by direct train, $18 off-peak return, and the easiest big-hitter day trip you’ll do from Reading.

Guide

Day trips

Length

6 min read

Region

Reading

Radcliffe Camera and Oxford skyline from a college tower

Getting there

Great Western Railway runs direct Reading-to-Oxford trains 3-4 times an hour, journey time 25-30 minutes. Off-peak day return is around $18; peak morning trains push $30. Buy in advance on the GWR app for the cheapest fares. Oxford station is a 10-minute walk from the city centre — turn right out of the station, cross the river, and you’re on Hythe Bridge Street. Ignore the taxis, you don’t need one.

What to do with 6 hours

Book the Bodleian Library extended tour online ($22, 90 minutes) — it's the only way into the Duke Humfrey's Library and the Divinity School. Christ Church College charges around $22 with the Great Hall (yes, the Harry Potter one). Climb the University Church tower for $6 — best view in Oxford. The Ashmolean Museum is free and easily eats 2 hours if it rains.

Eating and getting back

Lunch at the Covered Market — the Alpha Bar for hot boxes ($10) or Georgina's for cake. Dinner at the Turf Tavern down St Helen's Passage if you’re staying late, around $18 for a proper pub meal. Last direct trains back to Reading run until about 11pm; check GWR before you commit. Otherwise, the Oxford Tube coach is $18 return and runs 24 hours to London, though it doesn’t help for Reading.