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
€79
1 night at 3-star hotel
Colchester in January
Estimated hotel price
€79
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 Ireland departs from Milltown (Kerry) and takes around 1h 30m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Colchester to Oxford takes 1h 05m and costs around €24 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Southampton, expect to pay about €17 for a 1h 17m 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, Megabus and FlixBus. From Bristol, the bus ride to Colchester takes 135 miles and will cost you around €10. From Nottingham, the ticket costs about €10 for a journey of 140 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 Ireland departs from Milltown (Kerry) and takes around 1h 30m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Colchester to Oxford takes 1h 05m and costs around €24 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Southampton, expect to pay about €17 for a 1h 17m 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, Megabus and FlixBus. From Bristol, the bus ride to Colchester takes 135 miles and will cost you around €10. From Nottingham, the ticket costs about €10 for a journey of 140 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 (4,679 reviews)
KLM
Good (857 reviews)
SWISS
Good (928 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,510 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,610 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,304 reviews)
Air France
Good (983 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,565 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (479 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,943 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,133 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,479 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,815 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (228 reviews)
Finnair
Good (878 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,168 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (828 reviews)
LOT
Good (685 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (917 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (832 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Colchester

Average rates range from around €100 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to €106 and up for a 5-star experience.

Where to stay in popular areas of Colchester

Most booked hotels in Colchester

The George of Colchester
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
€99+
Holiday Inn Colchester
4 stars
Good (7.6, Good reviews)
€85+
Dragonfly Hotel Colchester
3 stars
Good (7.4, Good reviews)
€84+
The Essex Golf & Country Club Hotel
3 stars
Good (7.1, Good reviews)
€73+
Brook Red Lion Hotel
3 stars
Good (6.9, Good reviews)
€63+

Hiring a car in Colchester

Expect to pay €1.73 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 €20.75 and €27.67. The most frequently booked car type in Colchester is Compact (Polestar 2 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Ford Fiesta or similar) is, on average, 40% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Expect to pay €1.73 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 €20.75 and €27.67. The most frequently booked car type in Colchester is Compact (Polestar 2 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Ford Fiesta or similar) is, on average, 40% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.