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Back to Worthing

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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom

Worthing

Give Worthing one full day plus a night if you want the pier and South Downs; two nights if it is your base for Arundel, Chichester and Brighton.

Worthing is the largest town in West Sussex, a seaside town with a free pier, a promenade and the South Downs National Park starting just north of the built-up area. It is 75 minutes from London by train and about 20 minutes from Brighton, so most visitors use it as a quiet coastal base rather than a destination in itself. One day covers the seafront, the museum and a hill walk; two nights let you add Arundel or Chichester without rushing.

LondonAbbots LangleyAberaeronAbercastleAberdareAberdaronAberdeenAberdourAberdyfiAbereiddyAberfeldyAberffrawAbergavennyAbergeleWorthing200 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
United Kingdom
Best months
May–Sep
Avoid
Jan–Feb (cold, wet, many seafront places shut)
Stay
1–2 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

ItemPrice
Coffee£3–4.50
Fish and chips£10–16
Pub main course£12–20
Pint of draught beer£4.50–6
Bus single fare in town£2–3 (check)
Taxi, town centre to Goring£10–15 (check)
Museum entryFree

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

LGW · London Gatwick
About 45 min by train to Worthing; change at Gatwick or ride direct Southern services.
LHR · London Heathrow
No direct rail link; allow 2–2.5 h by train via London or by road.

Typical fares

Worthing → London Victoria, train
about 75 min, from about £15 off-peak advance (check)
Worthing → Brighton, train
about 20 min, about £6–8 (check)
Worthing → Gatwick Airport, train
about 45 min, about £12–16 (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: Montague and South Streets sit one block from the seafront. Stagecoach runs town buses, with the Pulse every 10 min daytime between Durrington and Lancing and the 700 Coastliner along the coast to Brighton and Littlehampton every 15–20 min. Southern Railway serves Worthing station plus East Worthing, West Worthing, Durrington-on-Sea and Goring-by-Sea. Bikes can be hired on the seafront; the South Coast Cycle Route runs east along the promenade.

See and do

Known for

  • Worthing Pier
  • South Downs National Park
  • Worthing Museum and Art Gallery
  • Dome Cinema
  • Cissbury Ring hillfort

Day trips

WhereHowTime
ArundelTrain to Arundel via Ford or Barnham, then a 10-min walk uphill to the castleAbout 1 h
ChichesterDirect Southern train west along the coastAbout 40 min
BrightonSouthern train east, or the 700 Coastliner busAbout 30 min by train
Cissbury RingBus or taxi to Broadwater or Findon, then walk upAbout 45 min from the centre

Sleep

Seafront and Marine Parade
Pier, promenade and restaurants on foot; sea-view rooms cost more.
Town centre (Montague and South Streets)
Pedestrian shopping streets, 5 min walk to the beach; best for a short stay without a car.
East Worthing (Brighton Road)
Guesthouses and B&Bs; quieter, 15–20 min walk or a short bus ride to the centre.
Goring-by-Sea and West Worthing
Near Highdown Gardens and the western beaches; own railway station.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
Excuse me / SorryExcuse me / Sorry
Thank youThank you
PleasePlease
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

  • The sea is cold year-round and the beach is shingle in places: swimming is for strong swimmers only, and there are no lifeguards outside the summer season.
  • Seafront restaurants and attractions run shorter hours or close in winter; check before a special trip.
  • Parking near the seafront fills on sunny weekends; use the station car parks or come by train.
  • The South Downs weather changes fast: take a waterproof for any hill walk.

Worthing is a low-crime seaside town and safe to walk in the centre by day. The real risks are cold water and strong currents off the beach, unlit paths on the South Downs after dark, and late-night drinkers around the South Street strip: keep to lit streets and take a taxi back if you are staying outside the centre.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Worthing yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Worthing Pier
  • South Downs National Park
  • Worthing Museum and Art Gallery
  • Dome Cinema
  • Cissbury Ring hillfort

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Worthing

To this address, please

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

  • NHS non-urgent111
  • Police non-urgent101

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

English is the only language you need here.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/worthing). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.