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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Arundel
Give Arundel one full day and one night: castle in the morning, cathedral and town in the afternoon, riverside walk before dinner. Two nights only if you add Amberley or the wetlands.
Arundel is a small West Sussex town built around a medieval castle that was heavily rebuilt in the 19th century, with a Roman Catholic cathedral, a compact old centre and the River Arun running through it. It sits at the foot of the South Downs, about 90 minutes by train from London Victoria. The centre is walkable in half a day; the castle and gardens take the rest. Most travellers come as a day trip from London, Brighton or Chichester, or stop one night on the way to the coast.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- Apr–Oct (castle and gardens open; lido and boat hire running)
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (castle interiors closed; short days, wet ground)
- 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 £60–95 excl. bed · Mid £95–160 excl. bed · High £160+ 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 · EU-wide emergency 112 · NHS non-urgent 111 · Police non-urgent 101
- 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 or tea in a café | £3–4.50 |
| Pub lunch main | £12–18 |
| Restaurant dinner main | £16–28 |
| Pint of ale or lager | £5–6.50 |
| Castle and gardens admission, adult | £27 |
| Cathedral entry | Donation |
| Local bus single, town to coast | £2–4 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | £8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LGW · London Gatwick
- Direct trains to Arundel on the same line, about 40–50 min; the usual arrival airport for this area.
- LHR · London Heathrow
- No direct rail link; train or coach into London, then a Victoria service to Arundel. Allow 2.5–3.5 h door to door.
Typical fares
- Arundel station → town centre
- about 1 mile, 20 min walk uphill; taxi £6–10
- Arundel → London Victoria
- about 90 min, advance fares from about £10–40
- Arundel → Chichester
- about 30–40 min via Barnham
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
Walk. The town is compact but High Street climbs steeply from the river to the castle gate, so allow more time than the distance suggests. Arundel station is about a mile southeast of the centre; taxis are limited, so check the walk or arrange a pickup. Buses run along the A27 corridor to Worthing, Littlehampton and Chichester.
See and do
Known for
- Arundel Castle
- Arundel Cathedral
- River Arun and Swanbourne Lake
- WWT Arundel wetlands
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Amberley Museum and village | Train from Arundel to Amberley, about 10 min, then a short walk to the museum | About 45 min |
| Chichester | Train via Barnham, about 30–40 min, or bus 85 on limited days | About 1 h |
| Worthing | Bus 9 along the coast, roughly hourly | About 1 h |
| Littlehampton | Train via Barnham, about 25–35 min | About 50 min |
| Brighton | Train via Barnham, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- High Street and Tarrant Street
- In the old centre, walking distance to castle gate, cathedral and all restaurants. Priciest and noisier on weekend evenings.
- Around the station and The Causeway
- Budget and chain hotels, 15–20 min walk downhill into town; best if you arrive late or leave early by train.
- Crossbush, on the A27 east
- Car-oriented chain hotels with parking; 25–30 min walk or a short taxi to the centre. Only worth it with a car.
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
- Castle opening is seasonal and not daily: check dates and last entry before you book travel.
- The station is a mile from the centre with a steep approach; not ideal with heavy bags.
- High Street is steep and some pavements are narrow; the riverside and wetlands paths flood after heavy rain.
- Restaurant kitchens in town close early on quiet weeknights; book dinner if you arrive after 20:00.
Arundel is a low-crime small town and safe to walk by day and evening. The real risks are the steep, uneven pavements, flooded riverside paths after rain, and dark unlit stretches on the walk back from the station.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Arundel yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Arundel Castle
- Arundel Cathedral
- River Arun and Swanbourne Lake
- WWT Arundel wetlands
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Arundel: www.visitarundel.co.uk/
- Arundel Castle: www.arundelcastle.org/
- Arundel Cathedral: arundelcathedral.uk/
- Arundel Museum: www.arundelmuseum.org/
- WWT Arundel Wetland Centre: www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/arundel/
- National Rail — Arundel station: www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/ARU/details.html
- Wikivoyage: Arundel (England), revision 5325597 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5325597
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Arundel
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Arundel; the US embassy is in London, and most other countries' embassies are in London too. Check the official embassy site for consular hours.
English is the only language you need here.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/arundel-england). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.