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Major city · United Kingdom

Hastings

Give Hastings one full day and one night: Old Town, castle and The Stade on foot, then a second day only if you add Battle or Rye.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
GBP
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Dec–Feb (many seafront places shut or on short hours)
Airports
LGW · LHR
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
  • United Kingdom ↗Most visitors who do not need a UK visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling; this includes EU nationals. Irish citizens are exempt. Check the UK government site for your passport.
  • United Kingdom ↗The UK is outside the EU and the Schengen area; a Schengen visa is not valid for the UK.
  • United Kingdom ↗Driving is on the left; London has congestion and emissions charges for most vehicles, so do not drive in the city.

Hastings is a south-coast seaside town in East Sussex, about 1 h 40 min by train from London Charing Cross. The draw is the medieval Old Town, the hill-top castle ruins and The Stade, home to a beach-launched fishing fleet and the tall black net huts. The seafront is mixed: Victorian terraces and a pier sit beside stretches that have seen better days. Most visitors see the core in a day and use the town as a base for 1066 Country.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Hastings, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
  • BeerPint of beer£4.50–6 (≈ US$6–8)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi across town£8–12 (≈ US$11–16)
  • Metro or bus rideBus ride in town£2–3 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Museum or sight ticketCastle or museum entrysome sites are free£5–12 (≈ US$7–16)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per person£30 (≈ US$40)
  • Mid-range bedB&B or hotel double room, a night, per room£120 (≈ US$160)
  • High-end bedB&B or hotel double room, a night, per room£200 (≈ US$300)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget £55 (≈ US$75) · Mid £100 (≈ US$140) · High £170 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

1066 battle and castle ruinsOld Town lanes and antique shopsThe Stade net huts and fishing fleetTwo cliff funicularsHastings Country Park
Airports
LGW London Gatwick (Direct hourly train to Hastings, about 1 h 30 min.) · LHR London Heathrow (No direct train: cross London to Charing Cross or Victoria first.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Hastings: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

8°C

3°C

12 rd

Feb

8°C

3°C

10 rd

Mar

10°C

4°C

10 rd

Apr

13°C

6°C

9 rd

May

16°C

9°C

8 rd

Jun

19°C

12°C

8 rd

Jul

21°C

14°C

8 rd

Aug

21°C

14°C

8 rd

Sep

19°C

12°C

9 rd

Oct

15°C

9°C

11 rd

Nov

11°C

6°C

11 rd

Dec

9°C

4°C

12 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is walkable: station to Old Town about 15 min, Old Town to The Stade about 10 min. Buses 20, 22, 22a and 26 run along the seafront every 5–10 min between the castle and St Leonards. Bus 304/305 runs hourly to Battle, about 30 min, and on to Robertsbridge. Two funiculars, the East and West Hill Lifts, climb the cliffs. Trains link Hastings, St Leonards Warrior Square and West St Leonards.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Battle

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Bus 304/305 from the station area, hourly, about 30 min; or train to Battle station

Abbey and the 1066 battlefield; half a day is enough.

Rye

go

Door to door: About 30–50 min

Train from Hastings, about 20 min; or bus 100/101, about 45 min

Cobbled hill town; go early, it is small and busy in summer.

Eastbourne

go

Door to door: About 50–80 min

Train west, about 45 min; or Stagecoach bus 99, about 75 min

Pier and the start of the South Downs cliffs at Beachy Head.

Brighton

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

Train via Lewes and Eastbourne, about 75 min

Doable as a day, but it is a full one; an overnight is easier.

Robertsbridge and Bodiam Castle

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

Train to Robertsbridge, then taxi or a long walk to Bodiam

No bus to the castle; without a car this is slow.

Newhaven

skip

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

Train west via Lewes, about 1 h

Ferry port and fort; little for a short trip.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Old Town (High Street, George Street)

Best for a short stay: pubs, cafés and the castle on foot. Book early, few rooms.

Seafront and White Rock

Hotels facing the beach between the pier and the station; 5–10 min walk to the Old Town.

St Leonards-on-Sea

Quieter, one mile west, with its own station and a growing food and drink strip.

Battle or Sedlescombe (inland)

Country hotels and B&Bs; only worth it with a car.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
£55–85 (≈ US$75–120) excl. bed
Mid
£85–140 (≈ US$120–190) excl. bed
High
£140 (≈ US$190)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
B&B or hotel double room1 × 1 night × £120£120
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × £100£200
Return train from London Charing Cross2 × £60 · off-peak fares are lower£120
Bus day ticket, one day2 × £6£12
eSIM, about a week of data2 × £10£20
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge£47
Trip total≈ £260 per person per day, bed included£519≈ US$700

2026 estimate in pounds; travel to Hastings excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
Fish and chips£10–16 (≈ US$14–25)
Pint of beer£4.50–6 (≈ US$6–8)
Castle or museum entrysome sites are free£5–12 (≈ US$7–16)
Bus ride in town£2–3 (≈ US$3–4)
Taxi across town£8–12 (≈ US$11–16)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Hastings is a normal British seaside town and safe by day. At night the seafront and some town-centre streets are quiet and poorly lit: stay near lit areas, keep to the Old Town and White Rock, and treat late-night drinking crowds as you would anywhere.
  • Parts of the seafront are run down; stick to the Old Town, White Rock and St Leonards for eating and sleeping.
  • The beach is shingle, not sand: bring shoes you can walk on pebbles in.
  • Check opening days for the small museums and the castle before you travel; some close out of season.
  • Seafront parking fills on summer weekends; the train avoids it.
  • Last train back to London leaves in the late evening: check the time before a late dinner.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
999
Police non-urgent
101
NHS non-urgent
111

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

HastingsHastings

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance999
  • Police non-urgent101
  • NHS non-urgent111

Embassy

No embassies in Hastings; the US embassy is in London, and most countries' embassies are in London.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Train London Charing Cross → Hastings: about 1 h 40 min, every 30 min; off-peak return about £40–60 (≈ US$55–80)
  • Train Hastings → Rye: about 20 min
  • Bus Hastings → Battle: bus 304/305, about 30 min, hourly

Say or show

  • Single / return ticket, please — Single / return ticket, please
  • Where is the beach? — Where is the beach?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?

Tipping: 10–12.5% in restaurants if no service charge is added; not expected in pubs.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Hastings. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Dec–Feb (many seafront places shut or on short hours) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to United Kingdom

Sources