Compare Oxford car hire

The general advice for driving in Oxford centre is: don't. Avoid it if you can. Hiring a car is fantastic for venturing out into the surrounding area, but the heart of the city is a gauntlet of bus gates, bus lanes and pedestrian-only streets.

Oxford High Street, which runs from the 12th-century Carfax Tower (a fantastic city viewpoint) to the Botanic Garden on the River Cherwell, has a car ban in place between 7.30am and 6.30pm. This is an attempt to protect the old college buildings, in-cluding Magdalen College and University College, and landmarks such as the University Church of St Mary. There are also sev-eral ‘bus gates’ in the city (on Castle Street, George Street and Magdalen Street) that have varying restrictions on other types of traffic.

In the areas you are allowed to drive, expect heavy traffic and a lack of parking spaces. All of this leads people to use the city’s five park-and-ride services. The closest to the centre are Seacourt, Thornhill, Redbridge and Pear Tree.

If you’d prefer to use one of the city-centre car parks, Worcester Street is closest to Oxford Castle and the High Street. There’s also Gloucester Green car park close to Oxford New Theatre, and two car parks just off the A420, opposite the Westgate Oxford shopping mall.

Blenheim Palace

Driving time: 30 minutes

Beautiful baroque Blenheim Palace sits within Blenheim Park just north of Oxford along the A44. With an opulent interior and gorgeous gardens designed by Capability Brown, this UNESCO-listed property – the birthplace and ancestral home of Winston Churchill – is one of the most impressive stately homes in the UK.

Bicester Village Shopping Outlet

Driving time: 30 minutes

Take the A34 north from Oxford and you’ll find a bargain-hunter's paradise, packed with designer deals from big names such as Mulberry, Prada and Gucci. It's in a different league to most out-of-town retail parks, with village-inspired architecture, paved 'streets' and pleasant cafes and restaurants.

Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens

Driving time: 50 minutes

Animal-lovers and families are sure to enjoy a day out at this conservation-minded attraction just outside the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. On the return trip, stop off in some of the pretty nearby villages and towns, such as medieval Burford, whose honey-coloured buildings house tearooms, smart delis and traditional pubs.