Getting to Brighton

and

Getting Around Brighton and District

To Brighton - by Road

Brighton is easy to get to - no matter where you start from. Most of its visitors come from the southern parts of England and the excellent motorway connections mean that you can drive right up to the edge of the city on motorways. It doesn't matter, therefore, whether you travel from Wick or Worthing, once you're on the motorway network, it's just a question of sitting it out. The M23 is the main link from London and the M25, the journey from the M25 to Brighton taking about 45 minutes, while the M27 brings you from the Southampton area.

To Brighton - By Rail

Life is pretty-much as rosy for the rail traveller as it was the railway which put Brighton on the map and has helped to keep it there. The excellent half-hourly Thameslink service from Bedford via London connects a wide that wide corridor through to the south coast, the journey from London taking about an hour.

There are also regular services serving other destinations in the UK with direct services operating from Scotland, the North West and the Midlands and from the West Country and South Wales

From European destinations, you can travel by Eurostar from both France and Belgium, arriving at London's Waterloo Station. A transfer from there to London Bridge station puts you directly on the Thameslink route directly to Brighton. Overall, the journey from Paris or Brussels takes about four hours.

To Brighton - By Coach

Regular coach services operate from London, taking about two hours and there are also regular services to Brighton from both Gatwick and Heathrow Airports.

To Brighton - By Air

Brighton is lucky enough to have its own international airport at Gatwick. Granted some people do call it 'London Gatwick' but with the regular Thameslink services passing through the airport itself, Gatwick is only 30 minutes from Brighton with both rail and coach services operating regular services. Heathrow is about 90 minutes travelling distance from Brighton, connecting the city to the other destinations which Gatwick misses out! These two airports bring Brighton within travelling distance of the rest of the world and the international focus of some of its events reflects this.

Brighton Flights

For more-local flights, Brighton City Airport, Brighton's personal air link to the outside, operates from Shoreham on the north-western edge of the city. This small airfield connects the city directly to Le Touquet in France and the Channel Islands airports in Jersey Guernsey and Alderney. All these destinations are short hops only and can offer the tourist the opportunity for a hop over the sea to take in a difference ambience for a day or two. The airport also offers 45 flights over the local area, enabling you to take in the outstanding location of Brighton, nestled to the south of the South Downs or, if you're a local, to take a new look at your city or county.

Brighton - By sea

If you want to arrive in Brighton by sea then I'm afraid that it'll be a pretty-small craft! However, from just 20 minutes away, in Newhaven, a regular service operates from there to Dieppe. The other major ports, Portsmouth, Dover and Folkestone are between one and two hours motorway drive along the coast.

To Brighton - By Vintage Car...or Bike

'The London to Brighton' - the vintage car rally is just one way to get to Brighton. It takes its time to travel the 54 miles as your vehicle has to have been built before 1905.

However, vintage cars are not the only way to make the trip and, every year, over 25,000 cyclists make the trip from London, raising money for the British Heart Foundation.

Getting Around Brighton

Brighton is well served by its extensive network of local bus services which will transport you efficiently around the city. They also offer a daily ticket which will give you the freedom to explore the city by hopping on and off the bus, as you desire. As their routes pass by all the major tourist attractions, monuments and interesting landmarks which you would wish to visit, these services provide you with an excellent way to get your bearings and plan the rest of your holiday.

Around Brighton

As if the city didn't have enough to see, the surrounding area also packs in a whole bundle of must-sees and there are regular organised day trips from the city. With castles nearby, at Hever, Leeds and Arundel the history lover can get their fill in a series of day trips from Brighton.

The more-energetic visitor may take to the South Downs to explore Brighton's hinterland, with its little villages and pubs and breath-taking views in all directions.

Steam buffs too will be able to partake of a bit of the past with a trip to The Bluebell Steam Railway as it chugs its way along the restored line.

The lover of racing is also catered for by Brighton Racecourse which provides regular meetings all through the summer months.