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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Harwich
Give Harwich one night, not a base: a ferry or rail-and-sail stop with a half-day of Napoleonic fort, two lighthouses and a working pier.
Harwich is a small Essex port at the meeting of the Stour and Orwell, opposite Felixstowe's container port. The old town is compact and walkable, the sights are mostly seasonal, and the main reason to come is the Stena Line crossing to Hook of Holland or a quiet half-day off the Manningtree line. Dovercourt, 20 minutes away, has the beach and the chain hotels.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (many sights closed, cold and windy)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £45–70 excl. bed · Mid £70–120 excl. bed · High £120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Police non-urgent 101 · NHS non-urgent 111
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £12–18 |
| Pint of draught beer | £4.50–6 |
| Fish and chips | £10–16 |
| Bus fare, Colchester ↔ Harwich | £5–7 (check) |
| Taxi across town | £6–10 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- STN · London Stansted
- No direct public transport to Harwich; Airlink X20 to Colchester then bus 102/104, daytimes only.
- SEN · London Southend
- Small airport; no direct link to Harwich.
Typical fares
- Harwich Harbour Ferry, one way
- about £6, 15 min to Felixstowe (check)
- Train Harwich Town → Manningtree
- about £6–8, 25–30 min (check)
- Bus 102/104 Harwich → Colchester
- about £6, roughly 1 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Old Harwich is walkable end to end in about 20 minutes. First Bus route 20/20A runs every 30 min between Old Harwich and Parkeston ferry terminal. Trains on the Mayflower Line link Harwich Town, Dovercourt and Harwich International roughly hourly toward Manningtree. Driving is easy and town-centre parking is cheap.
See and do
Known for
- Harwich Redoubt
- Ha'penny Pier and LV18 lightvessel
- Electric Palace cinema
- Stena Line ferry to Hook of Holland
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Felixstowe | Harwich Harbour Ferry from Ha'penny Pier, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Colchester | Bus 102/104 from Harwich, or train via Manningtree | About 1 h |
| Manningtree and Mistley | Greater Anglia Mayflower Line train | About 30–40 min |
| London | Train via Manningtree to Liverpool Street, or a few direct services | About 1 h 30 min–2 h |
Sleep
- Old Harwich (The Quay)
- Pubs, pier and the Redoubt on foot; The Pier hotel is the only proper hotel here.
- Dovercourt
- Beach, supermarkets and the chain hotels; 20–25 min walk or a short bus from Old Harwich.
- Parkeston
- Around Harwich International ferry terminal; useful for an early sailing, little else.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Excuse me / Sorry |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Please | Please |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- Many attractions are summer-only: the Redoubt runs 1 May–31 Aug, the Maritime and Lifeboat museums May–Aug, LV18 March–end October.
- The Electric Palace cinema and the Treadwheel Crane open only at set times or by arrangement: check before you walk out.
- O2 mobile signal is poor in Harwich and on the approach roads; EE, Three and Vodafone give 4G.
- The foot ferry to Felixstowe and Shotley runs spring to autumn only.
A quiet, low-crime small town; the real risks are the wind and tide on the pier, unlit paths after dark, and summer-only opening hours that strand you with nothing to do.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Harwich yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Harwich Redoubt
- Ha'penny Pier and LV18 lightvessel
- Electric Palace cinema
- Stena Line ferry to Hook of Holland
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Harwich Society (Redoubt, museums, heritage trail): www.harwich-society.co.uk/
- Stena Line — Harwich to Hook of Holland: www.stenaline.co.uk/routes/harwich-hook-of-holland
- Greater Anglia — Rail and Sail Holland: www.greateranglia.co.uk/tickets-fares/discounts/rail-and-sail-holland
- Harwich Harbour Ferry: www.harwichharbourferry.com/
- National Rail — Harwich International: www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/harwich-international/
- Wikivoyage: Harwich (England), revision 5236943 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5236943
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Harwich
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Harwich; the US Embassy is in London, and most countries keep embassies or consulates in London.
English is the only language you need here.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/harwich-england). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.