Oxford on a Shoestring Budget: A Perfect Day Trip for History, Vintage Finds, and Magic

After finally hitting the one month mark of living, studying, and working in London, I felt like it was finally time for a quick, cheap day trip. In full transparency, the most important factor for my friends and I in choosing where in England to travel to for the day was finding the cheapest option possible. Budgeting for travel has been one of the more annoying, but certainly realistic, parts of studying abroad. Upon looking into Oxford, we found insanely cheap bus rides and found a few cute cafes on Google and decided that Oxford would be our best option. With full credit to my roommate’s photography skills, I was able to capture my trip to Oxford step by step as we walked through the historic streets, beautiful restaurants, and surreal campuses.

One of my favorite stops on the trip was our very first stop, right in front of where the bus dropped us off. The Grand Cafe is the site of the first coffeehouse in England, and even though I surprisingly didn’t end up getting coffee, their tea was some of the best I’ve had since I landed in London last month. After fueling up for the day, we explored a bunch of the antique shops and vintage stores that Oxford had to offer. I even found a few vintage postcards from a hotel near my hometown in Virginia. We walked to Oxford University and walked around the grounds on a perfect, gloomy England day; being able to see all of the historical buildings on the university’s campus was definitely surreal. But the highlight of the day was definitely going to the New School just a short walk from Oxford University, where some of the classic scenes from Harry Potter were filmed. While I’m not a huge Harry Potter fan, I’ve seen all of the movies and standing in the courtyard where some of the most iconic scenes were filmed was a very cool experience. If you take anything from reading this post, especially if you’re studying abroad (or planning to) in London, it’s that you should absolutely take a day trip to Oxford. Being immersed in the history and the culture was an incredible experience, and one that I’ll remember for a very long time.

Throughout the day, as I wandered the streets of Oxford with some of my closest friends, I was overcome with a massive appreciation for what I was currently experiencing. Being able to pay 20 pounds to hop on a bus and explore such a beautiful and historic city in one day was something I never would have dreamed of being able to do just a few years ago. Everyone has certain moments in their lives where they can pinpoint a specific, overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the experiences that they’ve earned and the journeys that they’re able to embark on. For me, this random, mundane Saturday was one of those days. For many years to come, no matter where I am in my life, I’ll always remember what I felt during my day in Oxford.