Students enjoy a quaint old game of cricket outside an Oxford college

The brains of Britain, the university city of Oxford (population 120,000) is where Radiohead create futuristic soundscapes, stuffy academics mumble into their beards, elite students plot their takeover of the world and aid organization Oxfam try to patch up the harm caused to the world by former Oxford students.

Tourists, of course, are exempt from deep-thinking duties, left to wander around Oxford University's 35 colleges, "ooh" and "aah" at the medieval architecture, browse the museums and galleries, punt along the Thames or Cherwell rivers and mix with the presidents and diplomats of the future in gorgeous traditional English pubs.

Oxford is only one hour by train from London's Paddington station.