Colchester travel guide

Colchester Tourism | Colchester Guide

You're Going to Love Colchester

With a population of 109,414, Colchester is a must-see destination in England, United Kingdom. We recommend you stay at least 7 days in order to fully appreciate everything Colchester has to offer.

Where to Eat in Colchester

If you’re looking for affordable options, The Barn (Brook Road, Great Tey) and Preto Colchester (59 High Street) are great picks. For delicious green meals, The Greyhound Inn (The Street) and Rubino Kitchen, Inworth (Kelvedon Road, Inworth) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Colchester.

When to visit Colchester

Colchester in January
Estimated hotel price
$139
1 night at 3-star hotel
Colchester in January
Estimated hotel price
$139
1 night at 3-star hotel

How to Get to Colchester

Plane

Although Colchester doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Cambridge (CBG), which is located 37 miles from Colchester. The shortest flight to Colchester from New Zealand departs from Auckland and takes around 27h 15m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Colchester to Bristol takes 1h 34m and costs around $62 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Norwich, expect to pay about $56 for a 1h 50m trip. Located 5 miles from the city centre, Colchester Marks Tey is the busiest station in Colchester. Another popular train station is Colchester Town, located 1.0 mile from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Colchester is to pick up a car hire from London, which is about 51 miles from Colchester. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and DRIVALIA , among others, in London.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Colchester, including National Express, FlixBus and Megabus. From Southampton, the bus ride to Colchester takes 95 miles and will cost you around $11. From Bristol, the ticket costs about $7 for a journey of 135 miles. The most popular bus station is Colchester University of Essex, located 3 miles from the city centre of Colchester. Colchester Bus Station is also a commonly used station, and is 0.8 miles from the city centre.

Plane

Although Colchester doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Cambridge (CBG), which is located 37 miles from Colchester. The shortest flight to Colchester from New Zealand departs from Auckland and takes around 27h 15m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Colchester to Bristol takes 1h 34m and costs around $62 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Norwich, expect to pay about $56 for a 1h 50m trip. Located 5 miles from the city centre, Colchester Marks Tey is the busiest station in Colchester. Another popular train station is Colchester Town, located 1.0 mile from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Colchester is to pick up a car hire from London, which is about 51 miles from Colchester. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and DRIVALIA , among others, in London.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Colchester, including National Express, FlixBus and Megabus. From Southampton, the bus ride to Colchester takes 95 miles and will cost you around $11. From Bristol, the ticket costs about $7 for a journey of 135 miles. The most popular bus station is Colchester University of Essex, located 3 miles from the city centre of Colchester. Colchester Bus Station is also a commonly used station, and is 0.8 miles from the city centre.

Airports near Colchester

Airlines serving Colchester

Lufthansa
Good (4,684 reviews)
KLM
Good (849 reviews)
SWISS
Good (944 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,551 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,618 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,301 reviews)
Air France
Good (983 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (489 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,591 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,968 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,118 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,457 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,882 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (228 reviews)
Finnair
Good (873 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (923 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,179 reviews)
LOT
Good (683 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (818 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (5,674 reviews)
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Where to stay in popular areas of Colchester

Most booked hotels in Colchester

The George of Colchester
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$187+
Holiday Inn Colchester
4 stars
Good (7.6, Good reviews)
$155+
Dragonfly Hotel Colchester
3 stars
Good (7.4, Good reviews)
$132+
The Essex Golf & Country Club Hotel
3 stars
Good (7.1, Good reviews)
$136+
Brook Red Lion Hotel
3 stars
Good (6.9, Good reviews)
$114+

Hiring a car in Colchester

Expect to pay $3.06 per litre in Colchester (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $36.68 and $48.91. The most frequently booked car type in Colchester is Mini (Fiat 500 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Volkswagen Polo or similar) is, on average, 61% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Expect to pay $3.06 per litre in Colchester (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $36.68 and $48.91. The most frequently booked car type in Colchester is Mini (Fiat 500 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Volkswagen Polo or similar) is, on average, 61% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.