Whether you are heading to Brighton for a holiday or visiting shortly from London, here are some ‘must sees’ I can vouch for after my recent day trip to this charming town!
Getting to Brighton from London:
For those of you planning a day trip, Brighton is very accessible from London and is also relatively cheap to travel to. I hold a 16-25 Railcard which gives me a discount on National Rail fares meaning my off peak return journey from Farringdon Station (departing at 10:15am from London) was £11.35.
Top 5 things to do on arrival:
1) Brighton Pier
Even on a cloudy day Brighton Pier was absolutely delightful and a highlight of my day. For those of you who love a good arcade, the one in the middle of the pier was bustling and there were some adorable fair rides at the end. Personally I just liked to wander the pier and take in the view.
2) Fish and Chips on the Broad-walk/Kings Road
Having fish and chips on the broad-walk for lunch or dinner is another activity that entails a gorgeous view of the sea. There are plenty of options to choose from and my new exchange student friends and I chose a place that had a £5.00 combo deal. Even though the batter on the fish was a tad too thick for my liking the chips were really fresh and it added to the whole ‘seaside experience’.
3) The Lanes
This sector of Brighton has so much character and was probably the place I spent the most time at apart from the seaside. There were the most amazing sweets shops – think hand decorated cupcakes, fudges, lollies and chocolates. My favourite place was Choccywoccydoodah chocolatier, it had the most extravagant cakes I had ever seen in my life. Lots of the places also had yummy samples (for example, a cookies and cream fudge that made my day).
4) North Laine
Whilst I didn’t go into many of the shops on North Laine, it was nice to wander the area and get a feel for some of the unique independent retailers. People watching here was also great as it has a super retro vibe.
5) Brighton Royal Pavilion and Museums Home
I had some extra time at the end of the day and had a brief but interesting visit to the Brighton Royal Pavilion and Museums Home. The palace itself is really wonderful, the distinctive Asian architecture really complimented the gardens it is situated in and was also a nice contrast from the rest of Brighton.
6) Beach Walk
To end the day I went for a walk along the beach. For me a pebble beach was just so unusual and a massive novelty, definitely a far cry from the white sand beaches back in Queensland! The dark water on the brightly coloured rocks was also spectacular.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my day trip to Brighton and would highly recommend adding it to your UK adventures 🙂
