You can get to Brighton from London in less time than it probably takes you to get home from work.
The seaside town often called London’s Beach, has a magical pier, quirky shops, the quirky Royal Pavilion, and of course miles of pebble beach. But its newest, and coolest attraction, the British Airways i360 should definitely put Brighton on your must-see list.
Use these information resources to plan your trip to Brighton using various forms of transportation. If you are fit and up for a challenge, you might even try cycling. It is less than 60 miles.
By car
Brighton is 54 miles south of London. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to drive. South of the M25 ring road, the M23 leads to Brighton. This is an easy but very popular route. Many Londoners take day trips and short breaks to Brighton. Visitors to France, through the canal tunnel, also like Brighton’s arts, antiques and gay scenes. All of this means that you can expect a lot of traffic at popular times.
There is good municipal parking in Brighton, covered and underground car parks where you can leave your car out of the sunlight for most of the day at a relatively reasonable price.
If you drive, keep in mind that gasoline, called gasoline in the UK, is sold by the liter (just over a quart).
By train
The easiest and fastest way to get to Brighton is by train. The 54-mile journey generally takes less than an hour and trains run from very early to late, so if you get caught on the party animal side of Brighton, there’s a good chance you can still catch a train. back to London.
Thameslink and Southern Trains run frequent trains to Brighton Station from London Victoria, London Bridge Station and St Pancras International throughout the day and most of the night. The trip takes between an hour and an hour and a half, depending on the service you choose.
If you plan well and book your tickets about two weeks in advance, you can save quite a bit. If you can be flexible with travel times, use the National Rail Inquiries cheapest fare finder for the best deals.
By bus
National Express runs coaches from London to Brighton. You can save quite a bit, but plan to heat the bus seat for at least an hour longer than if you had taken the train. Trips take from 2 hours 20 minutes to 3 hours 40 minutes. There is a quick trip each way that takes two hours, but most coaches take considerably longer. Buses run every half hour between London Victoria Coach Station and Brighton Coach Station. Some services have Wi-Fi to help you while you pass the time.
Tip for UK travelers: Bus tickets are generally sold as one-way trips with each leg of your journey priced differently, depending on when you travel. If you are flexible about travel time, you can generally save more.
Bus tickets can also be purchased online. There is usually a reservation fee.
