Cambridge or Oxford, England? Which is the Better Destination
When I was planning my backpacking trip to The UK, I was stuck on the decision of which town to visit: Cambridge or Oxford, England. I ended up venturing to both towns, but there was certainly one that I preferred. I’d certainly advise you to visit both as they each have wonderful perks that will spice up any trip to the UK, yet Oxford was unquestionably my favorite of the two towns.
I. Oxford, England Overview
Oxford has everything you’d picture in an English town, and a two night trip simply wasn’t enough time. I didn’t want to leave Oxford at the end of my stay. Oxford has quaint cobbled side streets, medieval bars, a vibrant nightlife and a stunning university.
II. Cambridge, England Overview
Cambridge was a bit more sleepy than Oxford. It had the beauty of a botanical garden, the old town and the colleges but in Oxford, sites like this were more accessible. Unfortunately when I visited Cambridge there was only one college of many open and entry into just that one cost me 10 pounds. The botanical gardens also costs 5 pounds for entry. Cambridge was expensive, however I managed to get around Oxford for almost nothing.
III. Tours in Cambridge & Oxford, England
In Oxford, the tours, museums and entry into almost everything we wanted to see was free. I’d highly recommend taking one of the free Harry Potter tours. Although the guides ask for a small tip (I believe I left about 3 pounds) the tour was incredibly worthwhile whether you’re a Harry Potter fan or not.
Our guide took us to popular sites around Oxford that we wanted to see anyway like different colleges in the Oxford University system (all for free!), historic Oxford chapels and filming locations for Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and The Chronicles of Narnia. I brought my friend along on this even though she doesn’t love tours and is not a big Harry Potter fan, yet even she found it interesting. The tour lasted about three hours and we didn’t want it to end. A similar tour in Cambridge would have cost me 20 pounds.
IV. Museums in Cambridge & Oxford, England
Another free perk of Oxford was the Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum. Both are interconnected and completely free for entry aside from a small, optional donation. There is absolutely no pressure to donate if you don’t want to.
1. The Natural History Museum
This museum is slightly compact compared to ones in bigger cities, but it contains everything that I would have wanted to see. It features creatures from each continent in stuffed animal representations and diagrams. Each was truly beautiful. The museum was open and not at all crowded.
2. The Pitt Rivers Museum
This museum is adjacent to The Museum of Natural History and has a unique collection of objects and treasures from all over the world. It is four stories high and packed with unusual groups of everything from a gun collection to ancient Chinese artifacts. Each artifact had interesting historic descriptions and was quite worth the time we spent there. Cambridge unfortunately didn’t have a comparable museum.
V. Food in Cambridge & Oxford, England
Finally, the food of Oxford outweighed the dining options of Cambridge. I realized that there was a bar competition happening in Oxford at the time which scored me 5 pounds off food at our bar of choice. We discovered an old pub called the Turf Bar that ended up being one of our favorite restaurants in all of England.
I’d highly recommend the Turf Bar. It had a rustic college bar feel comparable to one you’d find at UNC Chapel Hill but with old english vibes that I loved. I tried a craft beer (my friend drank Corona) and I got an order of their amazing fish and chip board. It included white fish sliders, fried anchovies, chips and fried shrimp. Although it was meant for two, it made the perfect dinner for one (me!).
Overall, if you have to make the tough decision between Cambridge or Oxford I’d certainly go with Oxford. Cambridge has its perks and is beautiful, but from my experience I’d choose Oxford over and over again before returning to Cambridge. This is all based on my own opinions and (incredibly cheap) budget. I am in no way trying to talk you out of visit Cambridge, just consider my experience.
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