Chiltern from Marylebone

Wed 15 Mar 2017, 15:00

And: there's a train every 30 minutes all day. And the last one back from Marylebone leaves at 23.10. No Cotswold line connection, of course, but at least a fairly short drive and mostly on the train.

Wed 15 Mar 2017, 10:44

Used it many times. Brilliant. Quiet, cheap, clean, wifi, not busy and air conditioning. What is there not to like.

Wed 15 Mar 2017, 10:00

I had to go into London yesterday and took the opportunity to use the new Chiltern service on the way home. GWR restrict the tickets you can use from Paddington in the evening peak, whereas Chiltern are happy for you to use Off-Peak or even Super Off-Peak tickets from Marylebone.

Very impressed: the train was punctual, comfortable, and not too busy. Lots of tables to work on, power points, good wifi (with a bigger data allowance than on GWR), and it was an interesting change to see the Chiltern scenery rather than the Thames Valley.

I caught the 16.50 from Marylebone which got into Oxford at just before 18.00. It was then just a 20-minute wait for the 18.17 back to Charlbury. Total journey about 1hr 45, which is a little longer than the direct journey from Paddington would be, but at £33.70 vs £64.80 for the return (pre-Railcard discount) I'm not complaining.

I'd recommend it. If you ask an online journey-planner for 'London Marylebone to Charlbury' it will still probably send you via Paddington (and the tube) - you can get times by adding 'via Bicester Village'.