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. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Colchester deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Where to Eat in Colchester

If you’re looking for affordable options, The Barn Cafe Stanway (The Barn Garden Centre & Cafe Turkey Cock Lane) and Three Wise Monkeys - Colchester (60 High Street) are great picks.

When to visit Colchester

Colchester in October
Estimated hotel price
$139
1 night at 3-star hotel
Colchester in October
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 60 km from Colchester. The shortest flight to Colchester from New Zealand departs from Auckland and takes around 27h.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by Avanti West Coast. The train journey from Colchester to Bristol takes 1h 32m and costs around $49 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Nottingham, expect to pay about $64 for a 1h 46m trip. Located 8 km from the city centre, Colchester Marks Tey is the busiest station in Colchester. Another popular train station is Colchester Town, located 1.6 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Colchester is to pick up a car hire from London, which is about 83 km 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 Cambridge, the bus ride to Colchester takes 193 km and will cost you around $20. From Bristol, the ticket costs about $8 for a journey of 209 km. The most popular bus station is Colchester University of Essex, located 4 km from the city centre of Colchester. Colchester Bus Station is also a commonly used station, and is 1.2 km from the city centre.

Airports near Colchester

Airlines serving Colchester

Lufthansa
Good (3,657 reviews)
KLM
Good (671 reviews)
British Airways
Good (3,395 reviews)
SWISS
Good (802 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,163 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,058 reviews)
Air France
Good (820 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,221 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,181 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (1,794 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,397 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (396 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (3,964 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (195 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (723 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (751 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (992 reviews)
Finnair
Good (950 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (584 reviews)
LOT
Good (636 reviews)
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Where to stay in popular areas of Colchester

Most booked hotels in Colchester

The George Hotel
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$127+
Holiday Inn Colchester
Good (7.4, Good reviews)
$155+
Dragonfly Hotel Colchester
Good (7.4, Good reviews)
$110+
Brook Red Lion Hotel
Good (7, Good reviews)
$150+

Hiring a car in Colchester

Expect to pay $3.23 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 $38.71 and $51.61. Mini (Toyota Aygo or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Colchester, while also 26% cheaper than other types, on average.