Colchester travel information
Travelling to the Colchester Campus:
...by bicycle
The main campus is within easy cycling distance of Colchester and
Wivenhoe and is well-served by cycle routes.
There are nine separate cycle parks on campus. Current cycle routes on
Boundary Road and Valley Road allow access from Colchester and Wivenhoe to cycle
parks at both ends of campus. Three further routes onto campus are planned,
including one from the riverside trail between Wivenhoe and Colchester.
Further information is available on the web:
University of Essex Bicycle Users' Group;
University of Essex Bicycle Users' Group routes & maps ;
Colchester Cycling Campaign;
Cycle routes in Colchester;
University of Essex cycle routes and storage areas
...by local bus
The main University bus stop is at the Valley Road junction, near
Square One, there are other stops for North Towers and South Courts. The
University is served by the following buses:
-
From Colchester Rail Station (Forecourt): 61, 62, 74/74B, 76, 78
Combined frequency: every 10 minutes weekdays during the day, 3-4 per
hour weekday evenings. Weekends less frequent.
-
From Colchester Town Centre (High Street stops V and Z): 61, 62, 74/74B,
76, 78, 78X. Combined frequency: 8 per hour weekdays during the day, 3-4
per hour weekday evenings. Weekends less frequent.
Depending on the time of day, 20-30 minutes should be allowed when travelling
from the town centre to the University, and 45 minutes when travelling from
Colchester rail station to the University.
There are also frequent buses between the University and Wivenhoe, and 2
buses per hour to Clacton.
All buses are operated by First
(enquiries 01206 366911) except 78X which is operated by
Cedrics (return tickets are not interchangeable with First buses).
PDF maps showing bus services in
Colchester and bus stops in Colchester town centre are also available.
(Free
Acrobat Reader software is needed to view Portable Document Format
(PDF) files.
Access technology information and tools,
and a free
conversion tool for PDF documents are also available on Adobe's
website.)
...by car
If approaching the University's Colchester Campus from London and the
South via the A12, take the exit marked Colchester (A133). If
approaching from Ipswich and the North on the A12, take the exit marked
Colchester. From Colchester, the University is off the A133 to Clacton.
The University visitors' car park operates on a
pay and display basis.
The University is committed to being environmentally responsible and we
encourage all staff, students and visitors to consider the environment when
travelling to our campuses. We provide managed car parking at our Colchester
Campus and people wishing to use this must abide by the regulations of a
pay and display scheme. Drivers who do not adhere to these regulations will
be liable to have their vehicle clamped and be required to pay a fee to have
this released. Further information is available in our
transport policy.
More information about getting to the Colchester Campus is available on our
Traffic updates and route planners
web page.
...by local Taxis
A taxi from Colchester Rail Station to the University normally takes
about 10-15 minutes outside rush hour. There is a taxi rank on
Colchester High Street near the Red Lion Hotel.
Minicab Services Ltd
(formerly Micraline Taxis) (telephone 01206 544444 / 01206 544544) is a
Colchester-based company which has a contract with the University.
VP Cars are another taxi company in Colchester (telephone 01206 825001 /
07881422967, e-mail info@vpcars.co.uk).
Airport Express
(telephone 01206 251122 / AirportExpressCars.co.uk)
provide airport transfers to and from the University. They also offer
transportation to sea ports and Eurostar train stations. Note: the company does
not offer local taxi services. For booking enquiries, please use the
quotation form
on the website.
Further information is available on the web: Local Taxis in
Wivenhoe
and
Colchester.
...by train
Trains run between London (Liverpool Street) and Colchester Station
approximately every 10-20 minutes. The journey takes around an hour.
Services also connect with Colchester from Norwich, Ipswich, Felixstowe
and Harwich. Local bus and taxi services connect Colchester Station to
the University. (Note: Colchester has three stations - these directions
refer to the main station and not Colchester Town or Hythe.) Some trains
from London (Liverpool Street) also stop at Wivenhoe Station. When
travelling from the Clacton/Walton direction, alight at Wivenhoe or
Hythe Stations and use the local bus and taxi service to connect to the
University.
Further information is available on our
Traffic updates and route planners web page.
...by air and sea
Stansted (London's third international airport) is just 45 minutes
away by road via the A120 and A12. There is also a bus service
(the X22) from Stansted Airport direct to the Colchester Campus, the
timetable for the X22 service is
available online.
The University is only 30 minutes by road from the port of Harwich
(follow the A120).
Further information is available on our
Traffic updates and route planners web page.
...by coach
There are three coaches each day to/from London direct to the University
(Valley Road stops). Travelling from other areas in the country, you must change
at London (Victoria Coach Station). Further information is available from the
National Express website. There is
also a bus service from Stansted Airport direct to the Colchester
campus; times are available on the timetable.
Further information is available on our
Traffic updates and route planners
web page.