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. 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 (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
$128
1 night at 3-star hotel
Colchester in January
Estimated hotel price
$128
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 Australia departs from Melbourne and takes around 23h 10m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by South Western Railway. The train journey from Colchester to Oxford takes 0h 54m and costs around $54 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Bristol, expect to pay about $57 for a 1h 36m 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 Europcar, among others, in London.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Colchester, including FlixBus, National Express and Megabus. From Bristol, the bus ride to Colchester takes 217 km and will cost you around $6. From Nottingham, the ticket costs about $15 for a journey of 225 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.

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 Australia departs from Melbourne and takes around 23h 10m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by South Western Railway. The train journey from Colchester to Oxford takes 0h 54m and costs around $54 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Bristol, expect to pay about $57 for a 1h 36m 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 Europcar, among others, in London.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Colchester, including FlixBus, National Express and Megabus. From Bristol, the bus ride to Colchester takes 217 km and will cost you around $6. From Nottingham, the ticket costs about $15 for a journey of 225 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 (4,699 reviews)
KLM
Good (848 reviews)
SWISS
Good (954 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,590 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,594 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,267 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (491 reviews)
Air France
Good (981 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,601 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,116 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,960 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,435 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,947 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (227 reviews)
Finnair
Good (862 reviews)
LOT
Good (681 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (923 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,168 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (819 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (5,728 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in popular areas of Colchester

Most booked hotels in Colchester

The George Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$170+
Holiday Inn Colchester
4 stars
Good (7.6, Good reviews)
$147+
Dragonfly Hotel Colchester
3 stars
Good (7.4, Good reviews)
$117+
The Essex Golf & Country Club Hotel
3 stars
Good (7.1, Good reviews)
$129+
Brook Red Lion Hotel
3 stars
Good (6.9, Good reviews)
$107+

Hiring a car in Colchester

Expect to pay $2.85 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 $34.20 and $45.59. Premium (Mercedes-Benz GLA or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Colchester, while also 54% cheaper than other types, on average.

Expect to pay $2.85 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 $34.20 and $45.59. Premium (Mercedes-Benz GLA or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Colchester, while also 54% cheaper than other types, on average.