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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Brighton
Give Brighton 2 nights: one full day for the pier, Pavilion and Lanes, one for the seafront or a South Downs trip. Skip it as a London day trip in July–August.
Brighton is a Regency seaside city on the English Channel, 76 km south of London and about an hour by train from Victoria. Its compact centre — pier, Royal Pavilion, the Lanes and North Laine — fits into a day, but the pebble beach, the South Downs and a busy festival calendar reward a two-night stay. It is the UK's best-known LGBT city and a student town, so prices and crowds swing hard with the season.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug weekends (crowds, higher room rates), Pride Saturday in early August
- Stay
- 2 nights
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 £55–85 excl. bed · Mid £85–140 excl. bed · High £140+ 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
- 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 | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £12–18 |
| Fish and chips | £10–16 |
| Pint of draught beer | £5–7 |
| Bus single / day ticket | £2.20 / £4.40 (check) |
| Taxi, 3 km (1.9 mi)Taxi, 1.9 mi (3 km) | £8–12 |
| Royal Pavilion entry | check the official site |
| Pier rides wristband | check the official site |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LGW · London Gatwick
- Closest major airport; direct trains to Brighton in as little as 25 min
- LHR · London Heathrow
- National Express coach 025 direct, about 1 h 40 min; train via London is slower door to door
- ESH · Brighton City Airport (Shoreham)
- Light aircraft and sightseeing flights only; no scheduled services
Typical fares
- Gatwick → Brighton by train
- about 25–40 min; check the fare (roughly £10–12)
- London Victoria → Brighton by train
- about 1 h; check the fare (roughly £15–25 off-peak)
- Brighton & Hove Buses day ticket
- £4.40 (check)
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
The centre is walkable: station to pier is about 20 min downhill. Brighton & Hove Buses run frequent city routes; a day ticket covers the city. Trains link Brighton with Hove, London Road and Falmer (universities, Amex stadium). Taxis are teal and white and pricier than most English cities; Uber and FreeNow also operate.
See and do
Known for
- Brighton Palace Pier
- Royal Pavilion
- The Lanes and North Laine
- Pebble beach and seafront
- LGBT nightlife in Kemptown
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Seven Sisters and Eastbourne | Train to Eastbourne or Seaford, then bus or walk the coast path | 1.5–2 h each way |
| Lewes | Train from Brighton, about 20 min | About 40 min |
| Hastings | Train along the coast, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
| Rye | Train via Hastings or Lewes, about 1 h 30 min | About 2 h |
| Newhaven | Train from Brighton, about 25 min | About 45 min |
| London | Train from Brighton to Victoria or London Bridge, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- The Lanes and North Laine
- Central, walkable to the pier and Pavilion; noisiest at weekends, book early.
- Kemptown
- East of the pier; LGBT bars and guesthouses, 10–15 min walk to the station.
- Seafront and Hove
- Sea views and quieter nights; Hove is 15–20 min walk west of the pier.
- Around Brighton station
- Best for one night with bags; 10 min downhill to the seafront.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello |
| Thank you | Thanks / Thank you |
| Please | Please |
| Sorry / Excuse me | Sorry |
| Where is the station? | Where is the station? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
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
- Pebble beach: bring shoes for the water, not bare feet.
- Seafront parking is limited and expensive on sunny summer days; arrive early or take the train.
- Avoid driving in on Brighton Festival children's parade day (early May), London to Brighton Bike Ride (a June Sunday), Pride Saturday (early August), the marathon (early April) and the veteran car run (first Sunday of November).
- Saturday trains are packed when Brighton & Hove Albion play at home: surge towards Brighton at lunchtime, back to London late afternoon.
- Taxi meter starts at a higher rate after midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Brighton is generally safe for visitors. The real risks are the pebble beach on bare feet, strong currents and cold water, seafront crowds on summer weekends, and drink spiking or card skimming in late-night bars: watch your drink and your bag.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Brighton yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Brighton Palace Pier
- Royal Pavilion
- The Lanes and North Laine
- Pebble beach and seafront
- LGBT nightlife in Kemptown
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 Brighton (official tourism site): www.visitbrighton.com/
- Brighton & Hove City Council: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/
- National Rail — Brighton station: www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/BTN.aspx
- Brighton & Hove Buses: www.buses.co.uk/
- Brighton Palace Pier: www.brightonpier.co.uk/
- Wikivoyage: Brighton, revision 5328061 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5328061
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Brighton
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Brighton; they are in London. US citizens: US Embassy, London. Check your own country's London embassy for consular help.
English is the only language you need. Tipping: 10–12.5% in restaurants if no service charge is added; not expected in pubs.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/brighton). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.