I'll be traveling to Southern England this July and hope to take a group on the MINI factory tour. I have all the info regarding times, reservations and restrictions and have even figured-out train fares and schedules so that I can get from London to Oxford, but what I need to find out is how one would get from the Oxford (or nearest train station) to the plant then back to the station. Has anyone attempted this by rail? I find that booking the train tickets in advance from here in the US would cost me about $31.00. Can I do better just buying them once I get to London? Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

The easiest way to get from the station to the plant would be catch a taxi. I don't know how much that would cost.

Its been a while since I needed to catch a bus in Oxford, but looking at the Oxford bus company I'd walk in to town (about 1/2 mile), then catch a City 5 from Queen Street towards Cowley. Get off just past the "Original Swan" pub, and walk down the Garsington Road (which is the continuation of the Cowley/Oxford road you've just been travelling down). The plant is about 1/2 mile down the road just across the roundabout, though the visitor centre is about another 1/2 mile at the other side of the plant.

There maybe better busses, there are several different bus companies. http://www.transportdirect.info agrees with my idea. They also say that the cheapest train fair is £20, so $31 is a good price.

One alternative is to take a bus from London, like the "Oxford Tube", that can drop you off in Headington, the plant is about 2 miles south down the ring road. If you can't find a bus form there, there's always taxis.

Personally, I'd hire a car, preferably a MINI, to get to the plant.

 

No way I'm driving in the UK!!!

Thanks for the advice. Maybe we'll just grab a taxi at the train station. D'you think British cabbies might agree to come back for us when the tour's over? How long is the tour?

 

Isee you have very good taste in colour

 

Right now with the Winter we're having Mellow Yellow just might be the worst color to have! There's probably 1/2 an inch of road salt and cinders covering my pretty paint job. Can't wait for Spring so I can spend every weekend washing and waxing!

 

Why not?Maybe a couple of hours, I can't remember. You can ask the guy, or just give the company a call and order a new one when you're ready.