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. Consider staying at least one whole day in Colchester to see all of its attractions.

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
AED 312
1 night at 3-star hotel
Colchester in January
Estimated hotel price
AED 312
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 flight to Colchester from the United Arab Emirates departs from Abu Dhabi and takes around 11h 15m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Colchester to Oxted takes 0h 33m and costs around AED 66 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Birmingham, expect to pay about AED 66 for a 1h 28m 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 DRIVALIA and GREEN MOTION , 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 AED 15. From Birmingham, the ticket costs about AED 26 for a journey of 217 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 flight to Colchester from the United Arab Emirates departs from Abu Dhabi and takes around 11h 15m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Colchester, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Colchester to Oxted takes 0h 33m and costs around AED 66 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Birmingham, expect to pay about AED 66 for a 1h 28m 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 DRIVALIA and GREEN MOTION , 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 AED 15. From Birmingham, the ticket costs about AED 26 for a journey of 217 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 (4,607 reviews)
KLM
Good (848 reviews)
SWISS
Good (929 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,446 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,595 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,280 reviews)
Air France
Good (974 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,546 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (476 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,928 reviews)
Emirates
Good (2,124 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,480 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,718 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (226 reviews)
Finnair
Good (879 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (833 reviews)
TAP Portugal
Good (1,160 reviews)
LOT
Good (681 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (911 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (835 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)
AED 390+
Holiday Inn Colchester
4 stars
Good (7.6, Good reviews)
AED 332+
Dragonfly Hotel Colchester
3 stars
Good (7.4, Good reviews)
AED 301+
The Essex Golf & Country Club Hotel
3 stars
Good (7.1, Good reviews)
AED 279+
Brook Red Lion Hotel
3 stars
Good (6.9, Good reviews)
AED 249+

Hiring a car in Colchester

Expect to pay AED 6.80 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 AED 81.53 and AED 108.71.

Expect to pay AED 6.80 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 AED 81.53 and AED 108.71.