Colchester

The easiest way to get in/out of Colchester is either by Rail or Coach. All travel timetables both into and around Colchester can be found from the County Council (http://www.essexcc.gov.uk...)

By train

Colchester is served by 5 train stations.

Colchester Station

known locally but unofficially as North Station local buses call it North Station on the schedules is located about 1 mile north of the town centre and is Colchester's main rail hub. It has approximately 5 services an hour to London Liverpool Street taking 50 minutes to 1 hour. Half-hourly expresses between London Liverpool Street and Norwich cover the 50 mile trip in around 50 minutes with 1-2 intermediate stops. Commuter trains take a bit longer and make many intermediate stops and are less comfortable, although tickets are valid on either service. There are also services north to Norwich 50 minutes, Lowestoft and Peterborough no services to Cambridge - you should change at Ipswich and local services to Ipswich, Colchester Town, Harwich, Clacton-on-sea and Walton-on-the-Naze. The station has recently been re-developed and has two entrances - the north entrance has a ticket office, self-service machines, ATMs, a taxi stand, long-stay parking and a bus station. The south entrance is smaller and has bicycle parking and self-service ticketing but no staffed ticket booths. You need a ticket to enter and exit the station as it has automatic ticket barriers. To get to the town centre, buses 61 and 62 run from right outside the north exit to Colchester High Street, although most local services depart from North Station Road - go through the south exit and walk down to the main road.

Colchester Town Station

is more conveniently located at the St. Botolphs road junction in the south-east of the town centre and has a half-hourly shuttle to Colchester North as well as hourly services to Walton-on-the-Naze. To reach London outside of peak hours you should change at Colchester North.

Hythe

is a small, unstaffed station in the eastern suburb of Hythe, close to the large Tesco superstore and within walking distance of the University of Essex. There are hourly services between Colchester and Walton plus occasional peak hour services to Clacton and London. Avoid this station after dark as it's often too quiet and isolated.

Wivenhoe

serves the attractive riverside suburb/town of Wivenhoe and the University of Essex - it has hourly services to London and Clacton, and a local hourly service between Colchester and Walton.

Marks Tey

is in the western suburb/village of Marks Tey and is the interchange for the local line to Sudbury. It has regular connections from Colchester and London mostly for services towards Clacton and Harwich as well as occasional services to Ipswich and beyond and hourly services to Sudbury.

By car

Colchester can be reached by car either via the A12, which links up with the M25 from the south, or the A14, which links up with the M1/M6 from the North.