Writing something on Oxford is a daunting task, even if it’s just factual information.  The first thing that visitors need to bear in mind when coming to Oxford, is that it’s two cities into one.  One part is the well known and romanticised university settlement, the other is the commercial and industrial centre and county capital.  Over the last twenty years much of this division has rubbed off, with the two intermingling.  As a result, some of the more romantic appeal of the city has been lost, but this is probably the effect of ’globalisation’ that these days only unique cities like Venice have escaped. Having said so, there is still much to see and a visitors can still soak up a lot of the unique atmosphere of this truly delightful city.

Key tourist sights can easily be seen in one day as most of the colleges are within walking distance from each other.  Be prepared, however, to put up with a lot of walking, and a lot of queuing if you are coming at the height of the season.  If you are not travelling as part of a group I would recommend buying a ticket for one of the tourist buses.  These buses are frequent and allow you to hop on off, while onboard you can listen to good quality commentaries and therefore have a good idea of what you will be visiting.

One aspect of Oxford that most tourists find puzzling is the collegiate arrangement of its University.  This arrangement is not unique as there are other similar university cities (like that famous ’other’ place in England...!), but it’s often a cause of confusion and curiosity.  Every college is an independent unit, with its own governing body, library, resources, dons, chapel, refectory and so on.  Yet to make matters more complicated,  many of the resourses are also shared among all the colleges, and of course there is only one Chancellor, although he is elected by all the academics and is primarily just a figurehead.  More information on the University of Oxford is available in an excellent Wikipedia article.

In ideal circumstances you would spend at least a night in this city, savouring some of its buzzing nightlife, its excellent pubs, restaurants, theatres and walks.  You should be aware that there are very few truly centrally located hotels, and most of the good ones are quite expensive.  Looking for a place just outside the centre would substantially reduce your cost, while still allowing you to get the flavour of this city.

You can visit Oxford at any time of the year, as there is always something to see, and with the vagaries of the British weather you are never really assured of a dry day even in the height of summer, so be prepared!

You will be hard pushed to find true ’Oxonians’ in the course of your trip to Oxford.  By its nature the university city has a very large transient population, with students from every corner of the globe, in addition, lots of people from all over the world migrated and settled in Oxford.  If you are seeking ethnicity you should take yourself down the Cowley Road, visiting some of the excellent Indian restaurants in that area.  Beware, however, as this area can get a bit rough in the evening and late at night, same problem in the area around George St (coach station), especially at weekends when a lot of kids descend from neighbouring areas to consume vast quantities of alcohol.