Day trip from London
Brighton
London's favourite seaside escape
Approximately 1 hour by train
Why visit
Brighton has been London's seaside playground for two centuries, and it still does the classic day at the beach better than anywhere — but with a twist. Between the flamboyant onion domes of the Royal Pavilion, the vintage amusements of the Palace Pier and the maze of independent shops in The Lanes, it's the most characterful coastal escape in the South East.
Top things to see
- Royal Pavilion — the Prince Regent's extraordinary Indo-Saracenic pleasure palace
- Brighton Palace Pier — fairground rides, doughnuts and classic seaside views
- The Lanes — historic narrow alleyways filled with jewellers, cafés and antiques
- North Laine — Brighton's bohemian quarter of vintage shops and street art
- Brighton Beach and the seafront promenade
- Brighton i360 — the glass viewing pod rising 138 metres above the seafront
Suggested one-day plan
Arrive at Brighton station and walk down Queen's Road to the Royal Pavilion — tour the opulent interiors, then explore the surrounding Pavilion Gardens.
Fish and chips on the beach or lunch in The Lanes, followed by an hour browsing the antique shops and boutiques.
Stroll the seafront to the Palace Pier for rides and arcade games, walk the pebble beach, and — if the weather's clear — ride the i360 for views along the coast.
Sunset drinks on the seafront or dinner in North Laine before the train back to London.
Trains run from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton in around 1 hour, with Thameslink services also running from London Blackfriars and St Pancras. The station is a 15-minute walk from the seafront.
A full day (7–9 hours) — long enough for the Pavilion, the pier and a proper dose of sea air.
- Brighton Beach is pebbles, not sand — bring something to sit on and shoes you don't mind.
- The Royal Pavilion is busiest at midday; book ahead and go early or late for a calmer visit.
- Seafront wind can be brisk even on sunny days — pack an extra layer.
- Summer weekends get very busy; arriving before 10am makes a real difference.