Colchester is on the London-Norwich railway mainline. When the railway came to Colchester, one pub landlord was so excited that he knocked a hole through the Roman wall so his regulars could watch the trains arriving. That pub is The Hole in The Wall.
The fast intercity trains can get from London to Colchester in 45 minutes off-peak, 55 mins peak. Stopping trains will take just over an hour. The mainline station, Colchester North station, is a walk or a bus ride from the town centre. On the branch line out to Clacton, local station Colchester Town station is right in the town itself.
National Express coaches come through Colchester. Visitors arriving by bus and coach are recommended to keep their eyes open for ‘Colchester Bus Station’ as it is no longer a bus station as most people would recognise it, but merely a couple of stands on a corner.
Parking in Colchester
Colchester is easily accessible off the A12, and A120. The town has grown rapidly in recent years, and continues to grow, with lots of new housing in the town centre and surrounding areas, and the roads get very busy around rush hour.
There’a a new Park and Ride on the A12, and plenty of car parks in the town centre, although it can get quite tight on busy Saturdays, and in the run up to Christmas….
The large Pay and Display multistorey St. Mary’s Car Park (CO3 3AA) on Balkerne Hill would be our recommendation due to it’s size, being easy to find, and close to the shopping centre. Residents parking in and around the town centre means no side street parking.