X5 and 905 Routes

Oxford

It’s fun shopping in Oxford. You’ll find big high street names in Westgate  and Clarendon  shopping centres and speciality shops in the city’s main streets.

Don’t forget to wander down the many alleys and side roads. The covered market  is great for browsing and shopping for bargains. On the first and third Thursday of each month there’s a farmers’ market at Gloucester Green, where you can buy local fresh produce. In Broad Street you’ll find world-famous Blackwell’s bookshop.

If you want to discover more about this ancient university city, explore Oxford on foot or by open top bus with City Sightseeing Oxford . There are lots of guided tours available – visit the Tourist Information Centre in St Aldates for more details. You can:

• wander around the many colleges 
• see the famous Radcliffe Camera
• visit the Sheldonian Theatre designed by Christopher Wren
• climb to the top of St Mary the Virgin’s tower for a view of the city
• relax in the Botanic Gardens 
• find drawings by Raphael and Michaelangelo at the Asmolean Museum 
• take a guided tour of Oxford Castle 

You’ll also find plenty of cafés, brasseries, teashops and restaurants to suit all tastes and pockets.

Bicester

Set in Oxfordshire, close to the idyllic Cotswolds, Bicester Village  is home to over 130 designer outlet boutiques set around delightful open-air pedestrianised streets.

It offers up to 60% off previous seasons’ collections from the world’s leading fashion and lifestyle brand names including:

Milton Keynes

Whizz off to Milton Keynes on the X5 coach and indulge in some serious power shopping. It’s a retail paradise with over three hundred shops in the centre:mk .

As well as favourite high street names like M&S, Mexx, Gap, Next and Zara, there are a number of smaller independent places too. 

Explore the markets on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with antiques and bric-a-brac to rummage through on Thursdays.

Fancy going a bit wild? Whoosh your way down an indoor ski slope with real snow! Xscape  is a fabulous indoor complex with sports activities, places to eat, bowling and a cinema.

If you’d rather relax and take in a show, find out what’s on at the Milton Keynes Theatre .

Bedford

Bedford is a thriving market town with its original ‘charter’ market dating back more than 800 years.

Charter Markets are held every Wednesday and Saturday. Bedford also hosts speciality markets on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

It also has shops big and small, many in the undercover Harpur Centre . 

Bedford is renowned as having one of the finest river settings in the country. Enjoy panoramic views of the River Great Ouse from the restored Castle Mound. Relax by the river or stroll along the riverbank – the gardens are quite exquisite. 

There are lots of things to do in Bedford . You can:

• find historical treasures at  The Higgins Bedford  museum and art gallery 
• take a cruise along the beautiful River Great Ouse on a Bedford community boat 
• see a comedy, theatre production or music event at the Bedford Corn Exchange 

Cambridge

Cambridge is a charming and historical city. It also has an array of designer and high street shops. The market square is a good place to bargain hunt and find some interesting stalls.

Cafés, bars and restaurants are everywhere, you’ll find your usual high street regulars as well as stylish locally-owned places with real character. 

There’s always so much going in Cambridge. Just wander around and soak up the atmosphere. 

The Tourist Information Centre  in Market Street can help you with everything there is to see and do. You can:

• admire King’s College chapel and see Rubens’ masterpiece, the Adoration of the Magi
• visit Pepys Library in Magdalene College and discover his diaries
• climb the tower of Great St Mary’s church for a breath taking view of the city
• find antiquities, ceramics, textiles and paintings at the Fitzwilliam Museum 
• watch punts lazily drifting by on The Backs, or try one yourself!