Brighton Travel Guide 2026: Everything You Need To Know Before You Visit
Drone footage and timelapses of Brighton and Hove seafront, the Palace Pier and the city from above.
Brighton is unlike anywhere else in England. It sits on the south coast, 50 miles from London, and has spent the better part of two centuries building a reputation as the place you go when you want something a bit different. Bohemian, creative, fiercely independent and genuinely welcoming, it combines a proper seaside town with a city that has real culture, real food and real nightlife. It is not a day trip destination that exhausts itself by 4pm. People come for a weekend and stay for years.
This guide covers everything. How to get here, where to stay, what to see, where to eat and drink, which beaches to go to, what is on each month and what locals know that visitors usually miss. Whether you are planning your first visit or your tenth, this is the most complete Brighton guide available for 2026.
Where is Brighton?
Brighton is located on the south coast of England in East Sussex, on the shore of the English Channel. It forms part of the city of Brighton and Hove, which received city status in 2000. The city sits at the foot of the South Downs National Park, meaning the countryside begins almost immediately where the urban area ends.
London is 50 miles to the north. The train journey from London Victoria or London Bridge takes between 55 minutes and 1 hour 10 minutes on a fast service, making Brighton one of the most accessible seaside destinations from the capital. It is close enough for a day trip and good enough to justify a longer stay.
Getting to Brighton
By Train
The train is by far the best way to get to Brighton. Southern Railway and Thameslink both run frequent services from London Victoria and London Bridge respectively, with trains running every 15 to 30 minutes throughout the day. Fast services take around 55 minutes. Tickets booked in advance are significantly cheaper than walk-up fares, so booking through National Rail or the Trainline a few days before your visit is recommended.
Brighton station sits at the top of Queen's Road, a 10 to 15 minute walk downhill to the seafront. The North Laine area begins immediately outside the station, so you are already in the city the moment you arrive.
By Car
Brighton is accessible via the A23 and M23 from London. Journey times vary significantly depending on traffic and the time of day. Driving into Brighton on summer weekends is not recommended as parking near the seafront is expensive and limited. Park and Ride facilities are available on the outskirts of the city. If you are driving, arriving early in the morning before 9am avoids the worst of the congestion.
By Coach
National Express runs regular coach services to Brighton from London Victoria Coach Station. Journey times are around 2 hours depending on traffic. Tickets are cheaper than train fares but the journey is considerably longer. The coach drops at Pool Valley Coach Station in the city centre, a short walk from the seafront and The Lanes.
Getting Around Brighton
Brighton's city centre is compact and walkable. The seafront, The Lanes, North Laine and Kemptown are all reachable on foot from the train station, and most visitors find they rarely need public transport for the central areas.
The city's bus network covers the wider area including Hove, Preston Park and the university campuses. The number 7 bus runs along the seafront. The 77 Breeze bus runs to Devil's Dyke at weekends, which is worth knowing if you want to get into the South Downs.
The Volks Electric Railway runs along the lower promenade from the Palace Pier to the marina during the summer season. It is the oldest operating electric railway in the world, opened in 1883, and is a pleasant way to travel the length of the seafront without walking. The walk back from the station to the train station is uphill the whole way. It is not steep but after a full day it feels longer than it did on the way down. A taxi from the seafront to the station takes a few minutes and costs very little.
Where to Stay in Brighton
Luxury Hotels
The Grand Brighton on Kings Road is the most iconic hotel in the city. The white-fronted Victorian building has dominated the seafront since 1864. It has a spa, multiple restaurants, sea view rooms and the kind of afternoon tea that justifies the price on its own. It is the choice for a special occasion or a treat weekend.
Drakes Hotel on Marine Parade is a boutique hotel with 20 individually designed rooms, a well-regarded restaurant and a more intimate alternative to the Grand for anyone who prefers character over scale.
Hotel du Vin Brighton occupies a Gothic Revival building in the city centre and has the wine-focused restaurant and bar the group is known for. Rooms are well finished and the location is excellent for The Lanes.
Harbour Hotel Brighton has a rooftop pool, a spa and a seafront location that makes it one of the better luxury options for anyone who wants to feel the city rather than just sleep in it.
Mid-Range Hotels
Artist Residence Brighton in Regency Square is an independent boutique hotel with individually decorated rooms, a cocktail bar and a genuine personality. It is the kind of place that people go back to.
Hotel Pelirocco is a rock and roll themed boutique hotel in Regency Square with rooms designed around music themes. It is not for everyone but it is distinctly Brighton in the best possible way.
Maldron Hotel Brighton City Centre is a well-located, comfortable mid-range option a short walk from the seafront and North Laine. Good value for central Brighton.
The Old Ship Hotel on Kings Road is one of Brighton's oldest hotels with a seafront location and a reliable standard of rooms. It has been hosting guests since 1559 and the location on the seafront is hard to beat for the price.
Budget Hotels and Hostels
Travelodge Brighton Seafront is on the seafront and consistently good value for a budget stay. Rooms are standard Travelodge but the location is exceptional for the price.
Premier Inn Brighton City Centre on North Street is clean, well-maintained and centrally located. Breakfast for £9.50 cooked fresh to order is worth knowing about.
Selina Brighton is a hostel and co-working space that attracts a younger crowd and digital nomads. Private rooms are available alongside dorm options and the communal spaces are good.
a&o Brighton Beach is a budget hostel a short walk from the seafront with private rooms and dorms. One of the more affordable ways to stay close to the beach.
When to Book
Brighton gets busy. For any visit in May, July or August, booking accommodation several weeks in advance is essential. Brighton Pride weekend on 1 to 2 August 2026 and the Brighton Festival in May are the two periods where accommodation books out fastest. The shoulder months of April, June, September and October offer better availability and lower prices while still being good times to visit the city.
Brighton's Neighbourhoods
The Lanes
The Lanes is a dense network of narrow alleyways in the heart of the city, originally the street plan of a medieval fishing village. Today it is home to antique shops, jewellers, independent boutiques, cocktail bars and cafes. It is one of the most atmospheric parts of the city and the best place to spend an hour getting lost in. The jewellery shops here are well known across the south east, with a particular concentration of independent jewellers dealing in antique and vintage pieces.
North Laine
North Laine is Brighton's alternative and creative quarter, running north from the train station. It is the area that gives the city most of its bohemian reputation. Record shops, vintage clothing, independent cafes, small music venues and railway arch bars sit alongside each other across a compact grid of streets. The Open Air Market runs on Upper Gardner Street every Saturday and Sunday. North Laine is also where Komedia is based, one of the best live music and comedy venues in the south east.
Kemptown
Kemptown sits to the east of the city centre along St James's Street and Marine Parade. It is Brighton's LGBTQ+ quarter and one of the most celebrated gay neighbourhoods in the UK. Bars, restaurants, independent shops and nightlife venues line the main streets, and the area has a strong and visible community identity. Kemptown beach, to the east of the Palace Pier, is the more relaxed and local alternative to the busy central beach.
Hove
Hove sits to the west of Brighton and has a calmer, more residential character. The seafront in Hove is lined with beach huts and wide lawns, backed by Regency terraces. It is consistently quieter than central Brighton and a good choice for anyone who wants the seafront experience without the pier crowds. Hove also has a strong independent restaurant and bar scene on Church Road and Western Road.
Top Things to Do in Brighton
Palace Pier
Brighton Palace Pier opened in 1899 and stretches 1,722 feet into the English Channel. It is one of the most visited attractions in the UK and remains true to its original character. Fairground rides, arcade games, two mini roller coasters, bumper cars, a helter-skelter and a classic carousel all operate at the pier end. Entry is free and the pier is open daily. Fish and chips eaten at the end of the pier is a Brighton institution, though the seagulls make it a competitive experience.
Royal Pavilion
The Royal Pavilion is one of the most unusual buildings in England. Built as a seaside palace for King George IV between 1815 and 1823, it combines Indian exterior architecture with Chinese-influenced interiors. The result is extraordinary. Entry costs around £15 for adults and the interior is worth every penny. The gardens surrounding the Pavilion are free to enter and pleasant to walk through. The Royal Pavilion also hosts events throughout the year including candlelight concerts in the main rooms.
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
The Brighton Museum sits inside the Royal Pavilion estate and is free to enter. It covers art, design, fashion, world cultures and local history across well-curated permanent collections and regularly changing temporary exhibitions. It is one of the better free museums on the south coast and worth an hour or two regardless of the weather.
The i360
The British Airways i360 observation tower stands at the site of the old West Pier ruins on the seafront. A glass observation pod ascends to 162 metres, giving 360-degree views across the city, the South Downs and the English Channel. Tickets cost around £18 for adults and should be booked in advance online. The pod takes around 25 minutes for a full ascent and descent and has a bar on board. It is best experienced at sunset.
Sea Lanes
Sea Lanes opened on Madeira Drive in 2023 and is a 50-metre outdoor swimming pool on the seafront, filled with filtered seawater and heated to around 19 degrees year-round. It is one of the best additions to the Brighton seafront in recent years and offers outdoor swimming without the cold shock of the open sea. Lane swimming sessions can be booked online in advance.
Saltdean Lido
A few miles east of Brighton along the coast, Saltdean Lido is a Grade II listed Art Deco outdoor pool built in 1938. It has been restored in recent years and is worth the bus journey for anyone with an interest in outdoor swimming or mid-century architecture. Open during the warmer months, it is one of the most underrated day trips from Brighton city centre.
Devil's Dyke
Devil's Dyke is a steep dry valley in the South Downs National Park, five miles north of Brighton city centre. The views from the top are some of the best in the south east, taking in the Weald to the north and the coast to the south on a clear day. It is accessible by the 77 Breeze bus from Brighton at weekends. The walk along the ridge in either direction is well worth doing and is suitable for most levels of fitness.
Volks Electric Railway
Running along Brighton's lower promenade from the Palace Pier to the marina, the Volks Electric Railway is the oldest operating electric railway in the world. It opened in 1883 and still carries passengers along the seafront during the summer season. It is a short and pleasant ride and a piece of history that is easy to overlook.
Where to Eat in Brighton
Brighton has one of the strongest independent food scenes in the UK. The city has been named one of the best places to eat outside London on multiple occasions and the quality and variety of its restaurants consistently outperforms what you would expect from a city of its size.
Best Restaurants
64 Degrees on Meeting House Lane in The Lanes is one of Brighton's most celebrated restaurants. The menu changes constantly based on what is available and the food is creative without being pretentious. Small plates, a counter seating area and an open kitchen. Booking in advance is essential.
The Little Fish Market in Hove is a small, serious seafood restaurant with a set menu that changes daily. It is expensive and requires booking well in advance, but it is consistently regarded as one of the best restaurants in the south east.
Terre a Terre on East Street is Brighton's most famous vegetarian restaurant and one of the best in the UK. It has been running since 1993 and the menu is genuinely inventive rather than relying on meat substitutes.
Cin Cin in Hove and the city centre serves handmade pasta from a short, seasonal menu. It is one of the most reliably excellent meals in Brighton at a reasonable price point.
Plateau on Queens Road serves modern European food in a relaxed, well-designed space a short walk from the station. Good value for the quality and one of the better pre-theatre options in the city.
Best Casual Eating
Riddle and Finns on the seafront does champagne and oysters and has been doing it well for years. It is a Brighton institution for a reason.
Pompoko on North Street and Sydney Street serves Japanese street food at low prices and is consistently one of the best value meals in the city centre.
The seafront fish and chip shops are a Brighton staple. The quality varies but the ones along the lower promenade between the two piers are reliably good. Eating fish and chips on the beach is one of the more honest Brighton experiences regardless of the weather.
Coffee in Brighton
Brighton has a genuinely strong independent coffee scene. Small batch roasters and independent cafes are scattered across the city, particularly in North Laine and Kemptown. Some of the best include Small Batch Coffee, which roasts its own beans and has multiple sites across the city, Marwood in Middle Street which doubles as an eccentric bar and gallery space, and Pelicano Coffee on East Street which is one of the most serious espresso spots in the city.
Brighton's Beaches
Brighton Beach is pebbles, not sand. The pebbles keep the water clear and the beach drains fast after rain. Bring something to sit on. The seafront stretches for miles from Hove in the west to the marina in the east, with different stretches suiting different types of beach day.
The central beach between the two piers is the busiest and has RNLI lifeguards from May to September. Kemptown beach to the east is more local and relaxed, historically associated with Brighton's LGBTQ+ community. Hove beach to the west is the quietest option, popular with families and people who want sea air without the arcade noise.
For our full guide to Brighton's beaches, swimming spots and seafront, see our Brighton Beach Guide 2026.
Brighton's Nightlife
Brighton has one of the best nightlife scenes in the UK for a city of its size. Concorde 2 and Patterns on the seafront handle the club nights. The Lanes are the best area for cocktail bars. Kemptown is the heart of the LGBTQ+ scene with Revenge on Old Steine as the main club. North Laine covers the pub and live music circuit. Most venues are within walking distance of each other.
For the full breakdown of every venue, area by area, see our Brighton Nightlife Guide 2026.
Brighton's Events Calendar
Brighton has something on every month of the year. The busiest periods are May, which brings the Brighton Festival, Brighton Fringe and The Great Escape, and August, which brings Brighton Pride. Both periods require advance planning and early accommodation booking.
For a full month by month breakdown of everything happening in Brighton throughout 2026, see our Brighton Events Guide 2026.
Day Trips from Brighton
The Seven Sisters
The Seven Sisters are a series of chalk cliffs on the East Sussex coast, around 12 miles east of Brighton. They are one of the most dramatic coastal landscapes in southern England and the walk along the cliff top is one of the best day walks in the south east. Accessible by bus from Brighton, the most popular route runs from Seaford to Eastbourne along the cliff edge.
Lewes
Lewes is a market town eight miles northeast of Brighton, accessible by train in around 15 minutes. It has a Norman castle, a strong independent high street, an excellent food and drink scene and is home to Harvey's Brewery, one of the oldest independent breweries in England. Lewes is also famous for its Bonfire Night celebrations in November, the most dramatic in the country.
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is 20 miles east along the coast and accessible by train in around 30 minutes. It has a well-maintained Victorian seafront, the Towner Eastbourne gallery and access to the South Downs and Beachy Head.
Arundel
Arundel is a small historic town in West Sussex with a well-preserved castle, a cathedral and a good selection of antique shops and independent cafes. It is around 30 minutes by train from Brighton and makes a pleasant half-day trip.
Practical Information for Visitors
Best Time to Visit
Brighton is a year-round destination but the character changes significantly by season. Summer, from June to August, is the busiest period with the warmest weather and the fullest events calendar. May is excellent for the festival season. September and October are underrated, with the summer crowds gone but the weather still reasonable and the events calendar still active. Winter Brighton has its own appeal, particularly the seafront in December.
How Long to Spend
A day trip from London is perfectly feasible and gives enough time to cover the seafront, Palace Pier, The Lanes and a meal. A weekend gives time to go deeper into the city's neighbourhoods, nightlife and day trip options. Three days or more allows you to feel like you actually know the place.
Money
Brighton is not a cheap city by UK standards outside London. Budget around £15 to £25 per head for a main meal at a mid-range restaurant, £10 to £12 for a cocktail in The Lanes and £15 to £25 for a club entry on weekends. The beach, Royal Pavilion gardens and Brighton Museum are free. The Palace Pier is free to enter. The i360 costs around £18.
Useful Links
Visit Brighton at visitbrighton.com is the city's official tourism website with up-to-date listings for events, accommodation and attractions. The Royal Pavilion booking page at brightonmuseums.org.uk handles tickets for the Pavilion and museum. Sussex Police at sussex.police.uk carries the most current local safety information.
This guide is updated regularly throughout 2026. If you spot anything that has changed or closed, get in touch via our contact page.
