Brighton

Quick Facts

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Coordinates

• Latitude: 50.820931
• Longitude: -0.139846

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Introduction

Brighton Pier

© All Rights Reserved Di and Cam

The land at the foot of the South Downs has been settled since the 7th Century with the founding of the sleepy fishing village of Brighthelmstone. In 1753 this changed when Dr Richard Russell suggested that a swim in the sea would be good for Londoners' health, and that Brighton would be the ideal place for it. Visitors began to arrive in droves, and Brighton has steadily grown from a sleepy fishing village to a vibrant, modern and cosmopolitan city.

Brighton has long been regarded as a vestige of the artistic, the rebellious, the intellectual and the marginalised. The annual Brighton Festival is England's largest, and second only to Edinburgh in the UK. The city has more Green councilors than any other, and two well-regarded universities. Brighton is also home to a thriving gay scene.

Sights

Many daytrippers from London jump off the train and walk straight down Brighton's shabbiest streets to the most crowded section of beach, spend a fortune in the most characterless bars and head straight back the same way. Wandering a little off the beaten track will reward you with some interesting sights, fab food, great shopping and friendly, characterful pubs and bars. Below is a sample itinerary for a half day that would take in many of Brighton's attractions.

Sample itinerary

Starting from the station, ignore the stream of people heading towards the sea down Queen Street and head under the railway bridge down Trafalgar Street.

Hidden in an archway under the bridge is the tiny Brighton & Hove Toy Museum - probably not worth a visit unless you're an enthusiast.

At the bottom of the hill you can see the imposing St Peter's Church, built in 1828 but in the gothic style.

Carry on down Trafalgar Street until you reach the junction with Sydney Street, and then turn right. You are now in the North Laine, a string of narrow streets with colourfully painted facades and interesting, eclectic small independent shops and cafés - you won't find Borders or Starbucks here. Follow the obvious route (lined with shops and cafés) along Kensington Gardens and Gardner Street, and turn left down New Road.

On the left as you walk down New Street is the shiny Jubilee Library, opened in 2005 - it won the Prime Minister's award for best public building, and was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize.

At the bottom of New Street is the Royal Pavilion. A genuine Royal Palace, the quirky and spectacular pavilion was built for King George IV in 1803. The exterior is inspired by the Taj Mahal. The interior is inspired by Chinese decorative art. A guided tour is definitely recommended. A quick wander around the pleasant, if small, gardens is also worthwhile, as is a nose around the Brighton & Hove Museum housed within the grounds.

Leave the Pavilion Garden through the entrance you arrived from, on New Street, and follow the wall around to the front of the Pavilion for a great photo opportunity.

You're now in the Old Steine. To your left is bohemian Kemptown, also home to Brighton's 'gay village' with a wide range of shops, bars and clubs catering to the community.

Brighton Pier

© All Rights Reserved sophos

Follow the main road down to the seafront, to the entrance of Brighton Pier. Formerly known as Palace Pier until the West Pier finally succumbed to decades of mishaps including arson and storm damage, Brighton Pier is Britain's fourth most visited tourist attraction. It's worth wandering up to the end and back if it's not too busy - there are even a couple of half-decent rollercoasters, even if they are a bit expensive.

Just to the left of the entrance to the pier, along Madeira Drive, is the Volks Electric Railway. Created in 1883 by eccentric Brighton inventor Magnus Volk, the railway was only the second electric railway in the world, and is the oldest still operating. Part of the railway used to run over the sea on stilts, but this has long since been removed. The railway has stops by the new Beach Sports Centre, and by Brighton Marina at Black Rock.

Give the Marina a miss, unless you like Marinas, as it seems to have been built exactly the same as every other Marina in the developed world.

Back at the entrance to the pier, a right turn takes you down to the attractively developed esplanade, which is really quite pleasant if the weather's nice and it's not too busy.

From the seafront, take a right turn up Black Lion Street or Middle Street and head into the cobbled alleyways of The Lanes. This is the heart of old Brighton, with streets too narrow to fit a car down, and a great place to get lost in. There is a preponderance of cafés and expensive jeweller's shops here, but also some great independent shops including the indie music stalwart Rounder Records where you can pick up tickets fo pretty much any music event in Brighton.

Leaving the Lanes through the exit on North Street leaves you opposite Bond Street in the North Laine, giving you the option of heading back to the station the way you arrived.

Activities

Events and Festivals

Brighton Festival

England's largest festival.

Getting there

Plane

The nearest international airport to Brighton is Gatwick, 25 minutes by train from Brighton with very regular services. There are also direct trains from Luton, Southampton and Bournemouth.

If you're arriving from the North of France, or from Alderney, you could fly into tiny Shoreham Airport - just five miles from Brighton and home to Britain's only art deco terminal building.

Train

Brighton is 50 minutes by train from London Victoria station. Direct trains also connect Brighton with other destinations including Southampton, Bath, Bristol, Hastings, Birmingham and Manchester.

Bus

Megabus and National Express both run cheap and regular services between London Victoria coach station and Brighton. National Express also connect with a wide range of destinations across Britain.

Boat

Transmanche Ferries operates a regular service between Dieppe and Newhaven, a short train journey from Brighton.

Getting around

The Brighton & Hove Bus Company runs a very regular and comprehensive service within the city. If you're going to be doing a lot of travelling around Brighton, the cheapest option is to buy a 'day saver' ticket as you board any bus - this currently costs £3 and gives unlimited travel on all Brighton & Hove buses.

Taxis are plentiful and reliable, and there is a fun 'tuk-tuk' service where colourfully painted tuk-tuks (like the ones you might see in Bangkok) ply a fixed route around the city. Another slightly wacky option, and a bona fide tourist attraction in its own right, is the Volks Electric Railway - the oldest operating electric railway in the world, and the second ever constructed.

Eat

With so many cafés and bars, you're never too far away from a half-decent bite to eat, and the standard of food is good compared to most of the rest of England.

For cheap Italian, the area around Meeting House Lane seems to have about 10 places in competition, meaning you can get Pizza or Pasta for less than £4 and a full meal from around £6 per person (excl. wine). Pablos and Opposition are good bets.

Bombay Aloo is a Brighton favourite - an all-you-can-eat Indian vegetarian buffet for £4.

For tapas, Casa don Carlos is authentic, friendly and moderately priced with tables on the street during the summer, whilst Pintxo People is a very highly rated, more contemporary (and correspondingly pricer) place.

For pub food, try the Sovereign on Preston Street, or the Bath Arms in the pedestrianised bit of Meeting House Lane - both make a point of serving tasty, well-sourced food.

Brighton is home to two of the best vegetarian restaurants in Britain, if not Europe. Terre a Terre is a spectularly good dining experience - the the most you'll probably splash out for a veggie meal anywhere. Food for Friends is fast catching up - gone are the days of bean stew served in the canteen, much to the disgruntlement of some older Brighton residents.

For the best thoroughly Brightonian dining experiences, here are two recommendations - one the most expensive listed and one the cheapest.
Due South has great food, full stop. Simple, creative, imaginative dishes created with ingredients sourced from within 40 miles of Brighton, in a great location under Kings Road Arches.
Bardsleys has a reputation as one of the best fish 'n' chip shops around - after all, this is the seaside.

Drink

Sleep

The official YHA option is a very pleasant old building but is actually five miles out of town, at Patcham. There are regular bus services, but if you want to be in the thick of the action you might want to base yourself elsewhere. Budgies Backpackers is a cheap old favourite where some people end up for months. St Christophers Inn is a bit of a party hostel - great location, cheap and clean but don't expect much sleep if you stay there at the weekend.

The manky Brighton Backpackers has vanished, and in its place is the Grapevine Seafront Hotel, with really cheap, newly refurbished rooms. Grapevine also run a cheap hostel/b&B in the North Laine.

Brighton is littered with B&Bs, most of which are perfectly OK. Make sure that you book ahead if you're travelling mid summer, or on an English bank holiday, as all of the accommodation in Brighton can be booked up.

Some of the big chain hotels offer big discounts off season. There are plenty of swanky splash-out options. Lansdowne Place, Drakes and Hotel Du Vin are the ones getting rave reviews at the moment.

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