Hi guys! This week we’re travelling into London on the Oxford Tube. A frequent and well-equipped bus (or is it a coach?) service from Oxford all the way to the capital.
In this video, I’ll be having a look at the interior of the vehicle, telling you how to buy tickets and how much it costs and, as per usual, we’ll see how it compares to other modes of transport in terms of regularity, comfort and price.
I must admit, I struggled a bit to describe the service. I wasn’t sure whether to call it a bus, a coach or an express coach. I think I used all three descriptions in this video! When you board, it feels like a bus. The seats and facilities make it seem like you’re on a coach and I guess because it doesn’t stop much at all, that allows the company to use the term ‘express coach’!
What do you think? Please let me know how you would describe it in the comments to this video.
As always guys, thanks for taking the time to watch my videos. All likes, comments, subs are massively appreciated and really helps the channel to grow. Lots more content to come!
Cheers for now.
Mark
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📖Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
00:37 – Oxford Bus & Coach Station
01:48 – Entrance chaos!
03:18 – Boarding and departure
05:50 – Seat and interior review
09:10 – Loo review
10:32 – Approaching London
13:25 – Disembarkation
13:56 – Summary
Picture Credits:
Route Map: OpenStreetMap (annotated)
45 Comments
Just to confuse the matter, Megabus (also owned by Stagecoach) use the same vehicles as Oxford Tube, albeit lower spec – so should it be Megabus or Megacoach?
yeay…Looking forward to a new trip. thanks for the upload, much appreciated
Parking right on a corner facing oncoming traffic . I really do wonder how some people ever got a driving licence
Great to see another of your travel videos and I can answer a few of your queries raised.
Gloucester Green used to be a bus and coach station in years gone by, but as Oxford city centre was redeveloped over the years, space became a premium. Thus, the network of local bus routes connecting the city to the suburbs and regional towns, all set down or start in city centre streets. Gloucester Green handles the longer distance services, such as National Express, Megabus, Oxford Tube and other operators connecting further afield.
Regarding the Bus Station office not appearing open, that is down to Stagecoach who, at the start of the pandemic, decided to close down all enquiry and ticket offices at Bus Stations across the entire UK and made their staff redundant. These offices have not been reopened, but some may still be retained for Admin reasons only.
You queried whether the vehicle you travelled on was a bus or a coach?
In the UK, a coach is regarded as a vehicle used for transporting passengers on longer distance routes, and invariably will have features such as air conditioning, comfortable seating, lights at each seat, underfloor luggage space, an on board toilet and washroom, and even entertainment options.
In contrast a Bus is defined as moving larger masses of passengers around within cities and towns, each possible having a wider metropolitan area to cover. Passengers may well only ride for a short distance, and thus, don't Thus require all the features that a coach has.
It reminds me of the Red Arrow pretty much non stop between Nottingham and Derby. It feels like a coach, but operates like a bus. There is definitely room for this type of operation
How frustrating for coach drivers up against drivers and cyclists like those at the start! I did like the interior of the coach/bus, looked very comfy and had all amenities. For hop on hop off, Mark you should come up here to Scotland and go on the Glasgow City Sightseeing tour bus, can recommend it👍
Excellent ❤🥇🥇🍾🍾🍾🍾🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂
Worked on the oxford tube in the 1990s we had the single deckers then loved doing the run
I feel the pain of the Oxford Tube driver, I really do! I'd always assumed it was called the Oxford tube, because the actual Tube didn't make it that far out, but that was always my assumption. Great video as always Mark, really do enjoy the bus ones!
Great video, Mark. Those buses look really comfortable and having a loo on board is a nice touch, too. What is it about selfish parking and cylists though. Something that is sadly becoming more common. Thank you again.
surprisingly small bus station for Oxford. would have thought loads of students with bin bags full of sweaty clothing etc. then realised ..Mum picks 'em up in a 4×4 so some kid studying for an 'OLOGY doesn't be seen on public transport (sic)…next point..a pound extra if you pay driver onboard. yes this is due to the additional cost incurred that he or she has to press a button. love your vids mate keep em coming! all the best
I think you're likely a bit unfair on Berry's. You have to remember, they are only a small, independent operator. They aren't your Stagecoach, National Express etc
Well at least it was a short journey could even see myself doing it, thanks mate and take care,cheers.
You have to be a Reading fan with that Oxford comment. COYL tomorrow. Love the review, nice work mate
A lot of people get on the Oxford Tube from High St or Headington. Oxford centre is very small, and the suburbs used to be separate villages, hence the coach station not being a focal point.
In the 80s there was genuinely a French travel guide that had options to Oxford being coach and metro!
Please stay safe if they did not tell you. It's the law to wear your seatbelt on such coaches. Those can save your life. The sam applies to all such vehicles.
Awesome video thank you for doing this trip
Is there any shops in the Oxford bus station to buy a drink or food ?
Always been a bit of a mystery as to why its branded the 'Tube'.
I know you love a good comparison so why not try the other service on offer? The X90 run by Oxford Bus Co also between Oxford and London to see which you prefer??
You should try the bus that goes from Whitby to Scarborough. I think it starts In Middlesbrough first and think it’s the x93 .
Rather than suggesting a sightseeing tour bus, why don't you try open top double decker services such as the 109 seaside service in Scarborough (which I delightfully tried in 2019) or those provided by Stagecoach on the Lake District, which is in my bucket list.
Anyway, sometimes I regret not having taken the Oxford Tube last year rather than a jampacked GwR train.
Stagecoach also operates another service, the Oxford Airliner, which I saw in Heathrow, but I also know they serve Gatwick as well
Some of the buses used on the X76 Kilmarnock to Glasgow route here in Scotland also use some older VanHool Astromega TD927 that were formally used on the OxfordTube.
If it was a bus, the fare would have been capped at £2, wouldn't it?
It strikes me as a similar type of service to the Green Line 702, which I used to use regularly for commuting and leisure travel when I lived in Slough. It serves some (but by no means all) local bus stops. You can pay the driver. But it also runs on the motorway.
Interestingly you can go all the way from central London to Reading (albeit via quite a ridiculous route) for £2 at the moment under the subsidised fares scheme. Not very practical for London to Reading journeys, perhaps, but it is practical (and extremely good value) for those travelling from London to Slough or London to Windsor.
Would like to see you do the sightseeing bus in Glasgow. Always seen it go round and wondered what it actually shows you 🤣
Mounds are known as Northala hills, and as someone else pointed out made from rubble from the old Wembley stadium.
Council also done a lot of work behind them and it's not a very nice nature area/park which is very busy when the sun is out.
Nearest tube is northolt about a mile away
Shame you couldn't video the cycle storage. I would also like to have seen the Lewknor stop.
Loved the video very informative especially about the cycle storage on the coach.
That Hampton by Hilton next to Park Royal is an excellent place to stay. Not only is it next to Park Royal on the Piccadilly Line but also just down the road from Hangar Lane on the Central Line
Really enjoyed your video, the coach looked really nice and I would definitely use it.
From what I remember of it, Oxford Gloucester Green is more of a Coach Station akin to London Victoria Coach Station; predominantly used by long distance and inter-city services.
Most of the local buses terminate or start from the bus bays outside Oxford Railway Station.
Most bus services serve George Street outside the bus station and most don't call in there, a lot of buses terminate at Magdalen street and then head off on the Woodstock or Banbury road.
Great video, as always. In my bus and coach driving days I used to see these on stand at Victoria on a daily basis and always thought I would like to ride on one.
Now retired I recently took a return trip to Oxford and have to say that, for £16 return, it is one of the best passenger experiences on a bus service I have had. I did wonder why the bus stopped at Lewknor on the way to Oxford. I left Oxford on the 4.30pm weekday service and was surprised to find that by the last stop in Oxford the bus was completely full, with a large proportion of students, a number of which alighted at Lewknor to be picked up by waiting cars blocking the bus stop!
Not many people know that, on the Plaxton Panarama coaches, to get the window seats reclined, you have to raise the centre armrest & the button is below it.
I enjoyed your video if you could do mega taurs in London it's run by Megabus
From memory the coach route started as Oxford to Tube but the ‘to’ got dropped. So yes you were right. The green hills as already mentioned were the spoils from the ‘redesign’ of Wembley centre as well as a shed load of spoils when the A40 was realigned as was Hillingdon underground station.
Hillingdon old ski centre in the ninetees
i use the oxford almost every time when i go into london its one of the greatest stagecoach coach services in the uk and in the past is was a private coach trip by thames transit before stagecooach took over in 1998
I would recommend having a journey on City Sightseeing Tour great way to explore a place I have done York, Cardiff, Oxford, Stratford and Chester
Bicycles are allowed to pass on the left of other vehicles however this seemed like a pretty dangerous move in this situation. The Highway Code says that bicycles can pass stationary and slow moving traffic on the left or right.
I think the expensive train fare from London to Oxford makes this business viable with all the shiny new coaches and regular service pattern etc
London – Cambridge is in similar distance, but such business is not feasible there because of the relatively cheaper fare from GA/Northern/Thameslink
That's a very nice bus. Loved the wireless charger on the seat back.
Hi Mark, excellent content I think it’s a coach very upmarket anyway.
York has the best open buses. I recommend the x46 from hull interchange to York then get off at york railway station then get on the open top bus
The scenes as the coach arrived were hilarious 😂
The office you referenced at Gloucester Green is just a staff rest room. They usually have a ticket seller outside on the stand, but I guess that’s only during peak times.