Oxford is the “city of dreaming spires”, home to the historic colleges of the world’s oldest English-speaking university, the Bodleian Library, museums and riverside walks. Central hotels are limited and in demand, so cheap rooms are more often found in guesthouses along the main roads or in university accommodation during vacations.
Finding cheap rooms in Oxford is easier when you know where to look. We compare live hotel rates across the top booking sites and point you to the neighborhoods where hotels are cheap but the location is still great.
Rooms come in more shapes than hotels — in Oxford you can also compare apartments with kitchens, vacation rentals for families, B&Bs and budget hostels in one search.
Among the colleges and libraries — the best location, with few and pricey hotels.
A characterful neighbourhood of pubs and restaurants just north-west of the centre.
A lively, multicultural area with guesthouses and often lower rates.
A suburb with B&Bs and frequent buses into town.
A Victorian Gothic hotel opposite the Ashmolean Museum, opened in 1864.
Check rates at The Randolph HotelZoom and pan the map to compare hotel prices by neighborhood; rates come live from the booking sites.
Spring and early autumn are lovely. Graduation weeks and summer bring crowds; university vacations sometimes open up college rooms for visitors.
Guesthouses on the Abingdon, Iffley and Cowley roads and in Headington usually cost less than the centre.
Yes — trains and coaches run frequently — but an overnight stay gives time for the colleges and museums.
Some colleges offer rooms to visitors during university vacations; availability varies.