Essex travel guide

Essex Tourism | Essex Guide

You're Going to Love Essex

Essex is a must-see destination in Connecticut, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Consider staying at least one whole day in Essex to see all of its attractions.

When to visit Essex

Essex in January
Estimated hotel price
$161
1 night at 3-star hotel
Essex in January
Estimated hotel price
$161
1 night at 3-star hotel

How to Get to Essex

Plane

Although Essex doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Tweed-New Haven (HVN), which is located 41 km from Essex. The shortest domestic flight to Essex departs from Washington, D.C. and takes around 1h 10m.

Train

Amtrak is the most popular train carrier serving Essex, followed by Acela. The train journey from Essex to Washington, D.C. takes 0h 20m and costs around $48 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Newark, expect to pay about $22 for a 2h 29m trip.

Car

Another option to get to Essex is to pick up a car rental from New York, which is about 148 km from Essex. You’ll find branches of Sixt and Kyte, among others, in New York.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Essex, including FlixBus, Peter Pan Bus Lines and Greyhound.

Plane

Although Essex doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Tweed-New Haven (HVN), which is located 41 km from Essex. The shortest domestic flight to Essex departs from Washington, D.C. and takes around 1h 10m.

Train

Amtrak is the most popular train carrier serving Essex, followed by Acela. The train journey from Essex to Washington, D.C. takes 0h 20m and costs around $48 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Newark, expect to pay about $22 for a 2h 29m trip.

Car

Another option to get to Essex is to pick up a car rental from New York, which is about 148 km from Essex. You’ll find branches of Sixt and Kyte, among others, in New York.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Essex, including FlixBus, Peter Pan Bus Lines and Greyhound.

Airlines serving Essex

Lufthansa
Good (4,677 reviews)
KLM
Good (843 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,583 reviews)
Air France
Good (979 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,111 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,433 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,977 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,991 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (227 reviews)
Finnair
Good (856 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (5,749 reviews)
JetBlue
Good (1,581 reviews)
Frontier
Okay (1,357 reviews)
Korean Air
Excellent (773 reviews)
ANA
Excellent (486 reviews)
Aeromexico
Good (811 reviews)
Copa Airlines
Good (780 reviews)
Sun Country Air
Good (141 reviews)
American Airlines
Good (5,771 reviews)
Virgin Atlantic
Good (493 reviews)
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Where to stay in popular areas of Essex

Most booked hotels in Essex

Saybrook Point Resort & Marina
3 stars
Excellent (9, 339 reviews)
$350+
Water's Edge Resort & Spa
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, 429 reviews)
$344+
The Griswold Inn
3 stars
Excellent (8.5, 251 reviews)
$276+
Liberty Inn Old Saybrook
2 stars
Good (7.4, 233 reviews)
$94+
Quality Inn Old Saybrook - Westbrook
2 stars
Good (7.3, 497 reviews)
$116+
Pier Blue Inn Old Saybrook - Essex
2 stars
Good (7.2, 825 reviews)
$91+

Renting a car in Essex

Expect to pay $3.90 per gallon in Essex (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $46.79 and $62.38. The most frequently booked car type in Essex is Intermediate (Hyundai Elantra or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Toyota Corolla or similar) are, on average, 21% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Expect to pay $3.90 per gallon in Essex (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $46.79 and $62.38. The most frequently booked car type in Essex is Intermediate (Hyundai Elantra or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Toyota Corolla or similar) are, on average, 21% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.