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. 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 January
Estimated hotel price
C$ 116
1 night at 3-star hotel
Colchester in January
Estimated hotel price
C$ 116
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 Canada departs from Toronto and takes around 7h 05m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Colchester to Haslemere takes 1h 06m and costs around C$ 44 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Southampton, expect to pay about C$ 26 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 rental 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 Megabus, National Express and FlixBus. From Bristol, the bus ride to Colchester takes 135 miles and will cost you around C$ 5. From Birmingham, the ticket costs about C$ 10 for a journey of 135 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 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 Canada departs from Toronto and takes around 7h 05m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Colchester to Haslemere takes 1h 06m and costs around C$ 44 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Southampton, expect to pay about C$ 26 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 rental 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 Megabus, National Express and FlixBus. From Bristol, the bus ride to Colchester takes 135 miles and will cost you around C$ 5. From Birmingham, the ticket costs about C$ 10 for a journey of 135 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 centre.

Airports near Colchester

Airlines serving Colchester

Lufthansa
Good (4,677 reviews)
KLM
Good (855 reviews)
SWISS
Good (933 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,522 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,619 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,305 reviews)
Air France
Good (984 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,583 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (478 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,951 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,123 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,476 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,834 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (228 reviews)
Finnair
Good (873 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,174 reviews)
LOT
Good (684 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (922 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (824 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (833 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in popular areas of Colchester

Most booked hotels in Colchester

The George of Colchester
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
C$ 148+
Holiday Inn Colchester
4 stars
Good (7.6, Good reviews)
C$ 125+
Dragonfly Hotel Colchester
3 stars
Good (7.4, Good reviews)
C$ 123+
The Essex Golf & Country Club Hotel
3 stars
Good (7.1, Good reviews)
C$ 108+
Brook Red Lion Hotel
3 stars
Good (6.9, Good reviews)
C$ 93+

Renting a car in Colchester

Expect to pay C$ 2.55 per litre in Colchester (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 30.52 and C$ 40.69. The most frequently booked car type in Colchester is Compact (Nissan Juke or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Volkswagen Polo or similar) are, on average, 65% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Expect to pay C$ 2.55 per litre in Colchester (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 30.52 and C$ 40.69. The most frequently booked car type in Colchester is Compact (Nissan Juke or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Volkswagen Polo or similar) are, on average, 65% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.