'''Oxfordshire''' is a large county in South East England, on the southern fringes of the West Midlands, bordered by Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. Straddling the upper reaches of the Thames River valley west of the Chilterns, Oxfordshire is home to the ancient university city of Oxford and vast areas of archetypal English landscape, studded with fascinating towns and villages, many along the River Thames.
Cities, towns and villages
Cities
Oxford - ancient cathedral and university city, county town of Oxfordshire
Towns
Abingdon
Banbury
Bicester
Chipping Norton
Didcot
Henley-on-Thames
Shillingford
Thame
Wallingford
Witney
Villages
Cholsey
Goring
Shiplake
Other destinations
Bladon - close to Woodstock, a small picturesque village and church, burial place of Sir Winston Churchill
Blenheim Palace - one of the great stately homes of England and a popular destination
Cotswolds [http://www.cotswolds.com] is a recognised area of outstanding natural beauty which includes part of Oxfordshire.
'''Kelmscott Manor''' in Kelmscott, the home of writer and Arts and Crafts designer William Morris
Woodstock - an historic village just north of Oxford, location of Blenheim Palace
Whitehorse Hill - the highest point in Oxfordshire, in the Vale of White Horse, reaching 261m (856 ft).
[http://www.sulgravemanor.org.uk/ Sulgrave Manor] - Near Banbury
Understand
Get in
By plane
The nearest large airports for Oxfordshire are London Heathrow International and Birmingham International.
By train
Oxford is connected to regular train services from, Birmingham New Street, London Paddington and Worcester. Didcot Parkway station is connected to Oxford, and is also a stop on the main line between London and Bristol. Bicester and Thame are also connected to London Marylebone, in one direction, connecting with the Oxford-Birmingham line at Banbury.
By road
The M40 motorway provides the fastest access to Oxfordshire from both London and Birmingham.
By bus
Oxford is connected by regular buses to London's Victoria Coach Station, and to Cambridge via Buckingham, Milton Keynes and Bedford. All of the local airports are connected, with the most frequent connections to Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
Get around
There are bus services from Oxford to each of the major towns in the county. There are also railway connections along the Cotswold line toward Worcester, this being the only railway line across the Cotswolds. There are regular stopping trains servicing the line between Oxford and London Paddington. To go by rail between Bicester or Thame and Oxford requires a change in Banbury or London.
Buses can be infrequent to non-existent in rural areas, and often do not run an evening service.
See
the '''Oxfordshire Cotswolds''' [http://www.oxfordshirecotswolds.org/] - the county enjoys a large portion of the famed Cotswolds region within its boundaries, second only to Gloucestershire
many of the villages of Oxfordshire were the locations for the TV series, "Inspector Morse" and "Midsomer Murders".
Eat
Drink
Stay safe
Oxfordshire is, on the whole, one of the safest counties in England (as regards both people and the environment), however Oxford city has higher levels of crime than the national average (for all major crime types) [http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0708.html] and visitors should be cautious when wandering around certain parts the city at night.
Get out