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.
Activities & attractions in Colchester
Activities
Where to Eat in Colchester
If you’re looking for affordable options, The Crown Inn - Stoke-by-Nayland (Stoke By Nayland Park Street) and The Barn (Brook Road, Great Tey) 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
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 Belfast and takes around 1h 10m.
Train
Eurostar is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by AccesRail. The train journey from Colchester to Bristol takes 1h 34m and costs around £30 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Southampton, expect to pay about £24 for a 1h 45m 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 National Express, Megabus and FlixBus. From Bristol, the bus ride to Colchester takes 209 km and will cost you around £5. From Southampton, the ticket costs about £5 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
Where to stay in Colchester
Average rates range from around £102 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £104 and up for a 5-star experience.
Where to stay in popular areas of Colchester
Most booked hotels in Colchester
Hiring a car in Colchester
Hiring a car in Colchester costs £34 per day, on average, or £69 if you want to hire it for 2 days.
Expect to pay £1.46 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 £17.52 and £23.36. The most frequently booked car type in Colchester is Economy (Class Economy Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact car hire (Volvo V40 or similar) is, on average, 83% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.