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
£67
1 night at 3-star hotel
Colchester in January
Estimated hotel price
£67
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 domestic flight to Colchester departs from Edinburgh and takes around 1h 20m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Colchester to Oxford takes 0h 52m and costs around £16 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Cambridge, expect to pay about £31 for a 1h 06m 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 Southampton, the bus ride to Colchester takes 153 km and will cost you around £6. From Cambridge, the ticket costs about £5 for a journey of 201 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 domestic flight to Colchester departs from Edinburgh and takes around 1h 20m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Colchester to Oxford takes 0h 52m and costs around £16 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Cambridge, expect to pay about £31 for a 1h 06m 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 Southampton, the bus ride to Colchester takes 153 km and will cost you around £6. From Cambridge, the ticket costs about £5 for a journey of 201 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 (847 reviews)
SWISS
Good (955 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,592 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,261 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,586 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (490 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,600 reviews)
Air France
Good (980 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,111 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,432 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,965 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,962 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (227 reviews)
Finnair
Good (856 reviews)
LOT
Good (677 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (820 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (925 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,166 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (834 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Colchester

Average rates range from around £96 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £113 and up for a 5-star experience.

Where to stay in popular areas of Colchester

Most booked hotels in Colchester

Oakwrights
0 stars
Excellent (9.8, Excellent reviews)
£100+
The George Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
£89+
St Nicholas Hotel
3 stars
Good (7.7, Good reviews)
£60+
Holiday Inn Colchester
4 stars
Good (7.6, Good reviews)
£77+
Dragonfly Hotel Colchester
3 stars
Good (7.4, Good reviews)
£60+
The Essex Golf & Country Club Hotel
3 stars
Good (7.1, Good reviews)
£68+

Hiring a car in Colchester

Hiring a car in Colchester costs £35 per day, on average, or £69 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

Expect to pay £1.49 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 £17.80 and £23.73. Compact (Volvo V40 or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Colchester, while also 84% cheaper than other types, on average.

Hiring a car in Colchester costs £35 per day, on average, or £69 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

Expect to pay £1.49 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 £17.80 and £23.73. Compact (Volvo V40 or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Colchester, while also 84% cheaper than other types, on average.