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. We recommend you stay at least 5 days in order to fully appreciate everything Colchester has to offer.

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 February
Estimated hotel price
$65
1 night at 3-star hotel
Colchester in February
Estimated hotel price
$65
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 the United States departs from Boston and takes around 12h 25m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Colchester to Cardiff takes 2h 00m and costs around $39 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Brussels, expect to pay about $29 for a 2h 01m trip. Located 5 miles from the city center, Colchester Marks Tey is the busiest station in Colchester. Another popular train station is Colchester Town, located 1.0 mile from the center.

Car

Another option to get to Colchester is to pick up a car rental from London, which is about 51 miles 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 135 miles and will cost you around $4. 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 downtown Colchester. Colchester Bus Station is also a commonly used station, and is 0.8 miles from the city center.

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 the United States departs from Boston and takes around 12h 25m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Colchester to Cardiff takes 2h 00m and costs around $39 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Brussels, expect to pay about $29 for a 2h 01m trip. Located 5 miles from the city center, Colchester Marks Tey is the busiest station in Colchester. Another popular train station is Colchester Town, located 1.0 mile from the center.

Car

Another option to get to Colchester is to pick up a car rental from London, which is about 51 miles 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 135 miles and will cost you around $4. 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 downtown Colchester. Colchester Bus Station is also a commonly used station, and is 0.8 miles from the city center.

Airports near Colchester

Airlines serving Colchester

Lufthansa
Good (4,596 reviews)
KLM
Good (848 reviews)
SWISS
Good (926 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,441 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,597 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,279 reviews)
Air France
Good (973 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,551 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (478 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,923 reviews)
Emirates
Good (2,121 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,481 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,700 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (226 reviews)
Finnair
Good (876 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (836 reviews)
LOT
Good (680 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,160 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (910 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (835 reviews)
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Where to stay in popular areas of Colchester

Most booked hotels in Colchester

The George of Colchester
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, 1605 reviews)
$107+
Holiday Inn Colchester
4 stars
Good (7.6, 3294 reviews)
$91+
Dragonfly Hotel Colchester
3 stars
Good (7.4, 2258 reviews)
$82+
The Essex Golf & Country Club Hotel
3 stars
Good (7.1, 1748 reviews)
$76+
Brook Red Lion Hotel
3 stars
Good (6.9, 1329 reviews)
$68+

Renting a car in Colchester

Expect to pay $7.00 per gallon in Colchester (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $84.04 and $112.05. The most frequently booked car type in Colchester is Mini (Fiat 500 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Opel Astra or similar) are, on average, 71% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Expect to pay $7.00 per gallon in Colchester (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $84.04 and $112.05. The most frequently booked car type in Colchester is Mini (Fiat 500 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Opel Astra or similar) are, on average, 71% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.