Rail
They say that trains are the new Limosines. Better, in fact – much longer and MUCH cheaper. Especially if you book in advance (try www.trainline.co.uk).
Sample travel times for a one-way journey from the following destinations:
Birmingham: 1h 10 min
Edinburgh: 6h 20 min
Liverpool: 3h
London Paddington: 1h
Manchester: 3h 15 min
Newcastle: 5h
Sheffield: 2h 30 min
Southampton: 1h 20 min
We've hired private coaches to transport delegates for free between Oxford train station and the John Radcliffe Hospital at the beginning and end of the conference - look out for the GHC08 signs! Do note coaches have a seating capacity of 50 passengers only. Please allow up to 45 minutes for travel between the train station and JRH.
Coaches will leave Oxford train station for the John Radcliffe Hospital at the following times on Saturday morning:
8.00 am, 8.15 am, 8.30 am
Coaches will leave the John Radcliffe Hospital for Oxford train station at the following times on Sunday evening:
5.00 pm, 5.10 pm, 5.20 pm
If you miss the coaches, buses 13, 14 and 14A run between the Oxford train station and the John Radcliffe Hospital. Bus stops for all of these buses are located just outside the entrance of the train station and a few metres away from the conference venue at the John Radcliffe Hospital.
Coach
Particularly for those travelling relatively short distances, you may prefer to travel by coach, which is usually cheaper (but often takes longer) than the train. Oxford is served by the National Express. The coach stops at Gloucester Green station. We've hired private coaches to transport delegates for free between Oxford train station (a 5-minute walk away from Gloucester Green) and the John Radcliffe Hospital at the beginning at end of the conference. GHC committee members will be at Gloucester Green between 7.50 and 8.20 am on Saturday morning to direct you to the train station. Please see the 'Rail' section for details on when coaches will be leaving the train station.
For those travelling from London, the Oxford Tube and Oxford Espress travel very regularly between the two cities. The stop closest to the John Radcliffe Hospital is the stop for Headington shops (5-minute walk to conference venue). Directions from Headington shops: Look for Osler Road (map). A hundred metres along is a left-turn to the hospital. Follow the footpath and you'll come to the Women's Centre. To the right of this is a small road that slopes steeply downwards. Walk down this road for another 20m and the Academic Centre is on the right. Alternatively, if you plan to arrive before 8.20 am on Saturday morning, you can alight several stops later at Gloucester Green bus station and be directed to the train station to board one of the coaches hired to bring delegates to the John Radcliffe Hospital. See the 'Rail' section for more information.
Air/Road
In keeping with Medsin’s ethos, we would like to discourage you from travelling by car or plane. However, we appreciate that for some people the train or coach journey would simply take too long. In these instances, we would like to point you towards a great website - www.carbonfootprint.com. This allows you to calculate the carbon dioxide generated by your travel and offset it by investing a few pounds in a carbon dioxide-saving scheme.
We’d also discourage you from driving for your own benefit, as parking in Oxford can be a bit of a nightmare. Parking at the hospital is pretty expensive (http://www.oxfordradcliffe.nhs.uk/findus/jr/car.aspx#Car%20Parking) but you may be able to find a parking space near your host’s house.
Transport during the conference weekend
Coaches will take delegates from the John Radcliffe Hospital to the Oxford Union (not to be confused with the Oxford University Student Union) on Saturday evening. On Sunday morning, delegates can board coaches to the John Radcliffe Hospital at two central locations (St. Giles and the Tesco Metro, Cowley Road).
- Saturday morning: Train station to John Radcliffe Hospital ("JR"). Times: 08.10, 08.20 & 08.30
- Saturday afternoon: JR to St Giles (Ashmoleum) via Cowley (Tesco Metro) Times: 17.20, 17.35, 18.40, 19.00
- Sunday morning: St Giles (Ashmoleum) via Cowley (Tesco Metro) Times: 08.10,08.20, 08.25
- Sunday afternoon: JR to Oxford bus/train station Times: 17:20, 17:30, 17:40