street performers. Oxford boasts an impressive number of bookshops and coffee shops (as you might expect from a university town) of which Blackwell's is the most famous. Anyone will be able to direct you to it and have a look in the basement if you are looking in -  you'll see why when you get there.

If you are there in January or February look out for students wearing scarves in their college colours, and if you are there in June lookout for students wearing formal gowns and carnations as they make their way to exams, and the messy celebrations that follow the end of exams. Summer also means punting – there will be a few spots on the River Cherwell where you can hire a punt and try your luck, or you can stand on the banks of the Isis at any point of the year and watch rowing boats zoom up and down in preparation for the tri-annual races.

Oxford is just off the M4 motorway (leave at junction 13 but it is very well signed) making it easily accessible by car from London. But don't drive into the centre because there are never any parking places – stop at one of the well-signposted "park and ride" car parks and get a bus from there. If you want to get a bus the whole way from London then the Oxford Tube runs a bus service from a few stops in central London and the Oxford Express runs buses from Heathrow and Gatwick airports. You can also get the train from London Victoria to Oxford station and from there it is only ten minute's walk into town.

There are many, many places to eat in the city at every price level, from Sandwich bars and fastfood outlets, through Indian, Thai, Sushi, fish, Chinese (!) and Lebanese eateries to more expensive restaurants on Little Clarendon Street and, if you want to really push the boat out, Raymond Blanc's two Michelin starred Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, one of the best restaurants in England, is just a short distance outside the city at Great Milton. Be warned though: a meal for one will cost you well over 1000 yuan.

The selection of places to stay is not so good. If you are visiting out of term time then the colleges will be happy to rent their rooms out to you, and it can be fun to live in the old buildings, but keep in mind student accommodation can be fairly basic and for the $100 a night you could well be paying, you are unlikely to get an en suite bathroom and highly unlikely to have a television or comfortable furniture. I would recommend the Four Spires Hotel as a good quality hotel that is good value for money, although it is a ten-minute walk from the centre. There are a few bed and breakfast places nearby and a hostel in Hythe Bridge Street, but Oxford is not a cheap place to stay.

For more information on places in the city and things to do, see the Student Union's guide: http://www.oxfordhandbook.com/ Use the categories at the top to see a review of every eatery, pub and club as well as more detail on every college, transport and accommodation, and news of what's currently going on in Oxford.

(CRIENGLISH.com)

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