Serviced Apartments in Bicester

Discover the best activities and attractions Bicester has to offer, and find out what makes this city a vibrant and exciting place to live or visit.

Bicester Village
Bicester Village is one of the UK’s most famous outlet shopping destinations, offering dozens of luxury and high-street brands at discounted prices in a designer open‑air mall. Its international draw brings millions of visitors a year, supporting local hospitality, transport and employment — from hotels and cafés to tour operators and retail staff. The Village’s events (seasonal sales, late-night shopping and themed market days) make it a shopping-and-leisure magnet and give Bicester high visibility on the tourist map.

Bicester Heritage
Bicester Heritage is a restored WW2 RAF station turned centre for classic car restoration, specialist engineering businesses and heritage events. It hosts car shows, track days, restoration workshops and the popular “Scramble” events that attract enthusiasts nationwide. The site has become an economic driver for specialist engineering jobs, niche manufacturing and cultural tourism, while also preserving aviation and motoring heritage for the local community.

Garth Park and the Bicester Green Spaces
Garth Park, close to the town centre, is a Victorian park with lawns, play areas, a bandstand and seasonal community events. Alongside nearby green corridors and canal-side walks, these spaces provide daily recreation, dog-walking and family gathering places that improve quality of life for residents. Regular community events, summer concerts and charity runs held in the parks contribute to social cohesion and bring footfall into nearby cafés and shops.

Sheep Street & Bicester Market (Town Centre shopping and dining)
Sheep Street and the Market Square form Bicester’s historic shopping and dining hub, where independent boutiques, cafés, traditional pubs and a weekly market offer local produce, crafts and street food. This area sustains small businesses, nurtures entrepreneurship and gives visitors a taste of local culture beyond the big-name outlets. Markets and seasonal street events also help circulate spending within the town and strengthen community identity.

St Edburg’s Church and Local Cultural Events
St Edburg’s Church, a landmark with medieval roots, anchors many of Bicester’s cultural and community activities — from concerts and heritage open days to civic ceremonies. Alongside town-wide events such as the annual community festival, farmers’ markets and Christmas lights switch-on, the church and associated events sustain local traditions, attract heritage tourism and provide venues that support arts, music and volunteer-led initiatives that benefit the wider community.

Explore the diverse transport options available in Bicester, from efficient public transportation systems to convenient road networks. Whether you're commuting to work or exploring the city, this section will give you an overall look at the available transportation systems.

Public Transit System
- Rail — Bicester North - Station on the Chiltern network providing frequent Chiltern Railways services to London Marylebone and northbound connections; key rail link for commuters and regional travel.
- Rail — Bicester Village - Reopened/upgraded station on the Oxford–Bicester line offering regular services that improve links with Oxford and London (convenient for shoppers and local travellers).
- Bus services - Local and regional bus routes (operated by Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and local operators) linking Bicester with Oxford, Banbury, Buckingham, surrounding villages and local neighbourhoods; town feeder buses and some evening/Sunday services available.
- Park & ride, car parks and taxis - Large retail and commuter car parks (notably around Bicester Village) plus local park-and-ride options, taxis and private-hire vehicles for last-mile access.
- Community and demand-responsive transport - Dial-a-Ride/community minibuses and voluntary transport schemes supplement fixed-route services for rural areas, elderly and mobility-impaired residents.

Major Highways
- M40 - Primary motorway providing fast links between London and the Midlands; nearest junctions (eg J9) give direct access to Bicester and connect to the local road network.
- A34 - Major trunk road linking Oxford and the M4 with the M40/A34 corridors; important for access to Oxford, the south-west and longer-distance journeys.
- A41 - Regional A-road serving routes toward Aylesbury and forming part of the regional network used by commuter and freight traffic.
- A4421 / A4095 / B4100 - Local A- and B-roads that form Bicester’s ring-road and radial routes into the town, providing connections to nearby villages, business parks and motorway junctions.

Cycling Infrastructure
- Dedicated cycle lanes and National Cycle Network links - A developing network of on-road cycle lanes, segregated paths and traffic-calmed streets in and around Bicester, with connections to Sustrans National Cycle Network routes (e.g., NCN 51), cycle parking at stations/retail areas and local schemes to expand safe commuting and leisure routes.

Recent and Upcoming Improvements
- Oxford–Bicester rail upgrades - Line improvements and the reopening/upgrading of the Oxford–Bicester route (including Bicester Village station) in the 2010s increased frequencies and direct links to London and Oxford, improving commuter options.
- East West Rail (planned) - The East West Rail programme (stages to reinstate/upgrade routes between Oxford, Bicester, Bletchley/Milton Keynes and onward) is a major regional project expected to deliver significantly improved east–west rail connectivity through the Bicester area.
- Local junction and highway works - Developer- and council-funded junction upgrades and targeted road improvements around the town and motorway junctions to manage growth and reduce congestion have been implemented, with further schemes planned as new housing and employment sites progress.
- Bus network and parking enhancements - Incremental improvements to bus frequencies/routes and management of parking (including for Bicester Village) to cope with visitor peaks and commuter demand, alongside occasional trial services for new routes.
- Active travel and EV infrastructure investment - Continued investment in cycle/footway upgrades, safer crossings and expansion of public and private electric vehicle charging points to support low-carbon travel and meet local transport strategy goals.