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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Chichester
Give Chichester one full day on foot for the cathedral, Roman palace and gallery; sleep here only if you want Goodwood or the harbour.
Chichester is a compact cathedral city on the West Sussex coast, built on the Roman town of Noviomagus and still ringed by stretches of Roman wall. The centre is a cross of four streets meeting at the medieval Market Cross, and everything in it is walkable in an afternoon. Most travellers see it as a day trip from Brighton, Portsmouth or London; it earns a night if you are adding Goodwood, the canal and harbour, or the South Downs.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, wet, quiet)
- 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 £45–75 excl. bed · Mid £75–130 excl. bed · High £130+ 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 emergency number 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 | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £12–20 |
| Pint of draught beer | £4.50–6 |
| Cathedral entry | Free; suggested donation £4 |
| Pallant House Gallery | £12.50 |
| Fishbourne Roman Palace | £15 adult, £14 senior, £7.50 student |
| Local bus single | £2–3 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | £8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LGW · London Gatwick
- Direct Southern trains to Chichester, roughly 1 h; the closest major airport.
- LHR · London Heathrow
- No direct rail; train or coach into London, then Southern from Victoria, about 2.5–3 h total.
- SOU · Southampton
- Rail via Southampton Central and change, about 1 h 15 min–1 h 45 min.
Typical fares
- Train London Victoria → Chichester
- about £25–40 advance single, 1 h 30 min–1 h 45 min
- Train Chichester → Portsmouth
- about £8–12, 30–40 min
- Taxi in town
- £6–10 for a short hop
Get around
The centre is small enough to cross on foot in about 15 minutes; the four main streets meet at the Market Cross. Local buses run from the bus station beside the railway station and many stop on West Street by the cathedral. Taxis are mostly private hire: book by phone or app rather than hailing.
See and do
Known for
- Chichester Cathedral
- Fishbourne Roman Palace
- Pallant House Gallery
- Chichester Festival Theatre
- Goodwood
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Arundel | Train from Chichester, change at Barnham | About 45–60 min |
| Selsey | Stagecoach bus from Chichester | About 40 min |
| Bracklesham Bay | Stagecoach bus from Chichester | About 30–40 min |
| Worthing | Train from Chichester, change at Barnham or direct | About 40–50 min |
| Portsmouth | Frequent train from Chichester | About 30–40 min |
| Brighton | Frequent train from Chichester | About 1 h |
Sleep
- City centre (North Street and around the Cross)
- Walk to the cathedral, Novium and Pallant House; the only area that makes a car-free stay work.
- Near the station
- Cheapest practical base for one night with bags; 5–10 min walk into the centre.
- Chichester Harbour villages (Bosham, Itchenor)
- Quieter, pricier, needs a car or taxi; good for walkers and sailors.
- Goodwood and the South Downs edge
- Country inns and hotels for race days, the Revival and walking; book far ahead for events.
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
- Chichester is a low-crime city; the usual UK cautions apply — watch bags in pub and festival crowds, and stick to lit streets at night.
- Goodwood events (Festival of Speed, Revival) sell out and push local hotel prices up sharply: book months ahead or stay in Portsmouth or Brighton.
- Many restaurants stop serving by 21:00–22:00 outside summer; eat earlier than you would in London.
- Sunday and bank-holiday bus and train frequencies drop; check the last service before an evening out.
- Fishbourne Roman Palace and the Weald and Downland Museum are outside the centre: check opening days before travelling.
One of the safer small English cities; the real risks are wet pavements, dark lanes after pub closing, and Goodwood event days when taxis and hotels are booked out.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Chichester yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Chichester Cathedral
- Fishbourne Roman Palace
- Pallant House Gallery
- Chichester Festival Theatre
- Goodwood
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- The Great Sussex Way — official visitor site: www.thegreatsussexway.org/
- Chichester District Council: www.chichester.gov.uk/
- Chichester Cathedral: www.chichestercathedral.org.uk/
- Pallant House Gallery: www.pallant.org.uk/
- Fishbourne Roman Palace (Sussex Past): sussexpast.co.uk/our-historic-sites/fishbourne-roman-palace-gardens/
- The Novium Museum: www.thenovium.org/
- Chichester Festival Theatre: www.cft.org.uk/
- Goodwood: www.goodwood.com/
- Weald and Downland Living Museum: www.wealddown.co.uk/
- Wikivoyage: Chichester, revision 5328069 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5328069
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Chichester
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Chichester; the US Embassy and most others are in London. Consulates-general for many countries are in London, Edinburgh or Belfast.
English is the only language you need here.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/chichester). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.