Travel to Brighton

Flying to Brighton

Gatwick Airport is halfway between London and Brighton, 45km (28 miles) from either city. Flights to London Gatwick are available from a wide range of international airlines and low-cost carriers, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Ryanair and easyJet. Norwegian runs direct flights to the USA to Gatwick. There are a huge number of flights to choose from as London is a year-round destination, with the peak period for fares between June and September. If you're looking for cheap flights to London, consider flying during the shoulder periods during the spring or summer.

Flight times

To London: From New York - 7 hours; Los Angeles - 10 hours 30 minutes (to Heathrow); Toronto - 7 hours; Sydney - 24 hours 20 minutes (including stopover).

Travel by road

The UK has a well-maintained and safe road system. Traffic drives on the left, and drivers must be at least 17 years old. Speed limits are 113kph (70mph) on motorways, 97kph (60mph) on single-lane main roads and 48kph (30mph) in built-up areas. Overseas driving licences and International Driving Permits are valid for up to one year, and insurance is mandatory. Overseas visitors bringing their own cars should bring registration documents and check with their insurance company as to whether a Green Card is needed. The two major motoring organisations, the AA (tel: +44 121 275 3746; www.theaa.com) and the RAC (tel: +44 844 891 3111; www.rac.co.uk), are good sources of information.

Emergency breakdown services

AA (tel: 0800 887 766, in the UK); RAC (tel: 0800 828 282, in the UK).

Routes

Brighton is a 45-minute drive south along the M23/A23 from the M25 London orbital motorway. East-west traffic north of Brighton is served by the A27, which runs along the south coast. From Brighton it leads to Eastbourne and Hastings in the east and Worthing, Bognor Regis, Chichester and further on to Portsmouth in the west.

Coaches

Pool Valley Coach Station is the main bus and coach station in Brighton. All out-of-town services stop and start here. National Express (tel: +44 871 781 8181; www.nationalexpress.com) shuttle coaches run regularly to and from London.

Time to city

From London - 1 hour 30 minutes; from Cardiff - 3 hours 30 minutes; from Manchester - 4 hours 30 minutes; from Edinburgh - 8 hours.

Travel by Rail

Services

Brighton's main railway station is managed by Southern, which also operates a large rail network in the south of England. If you’re visiting The Lanes and the seafront attractions, you should alight at Brighton station on Queens Road, but there are also other railway stations throughout the Brighton area. For Hove County Cricket Ground, Hove Park and Hove Greyhound Stadium, alight at Hove station. It takes just three minutes by train to reach Hove from Brighton station, while it’s around a 40-minute walk between the two. For the large green expanse of Preston Park, a key celebration point for Brighton Pride, the nearest stations are London Road and Preston Park. For the Brighton and Hove Albion football ground, the AMEX Community Stadium, alight at Falmer station.

Operators

Thameslink (tel: +44 345 026 4700; www.thameslinkrailway.com) and Southern (tel: +44 345 127 2920; www.southernrailway.com) run frequent train services to Gatwick Airport and London. There are regular train services from Brighton to many local stations in the area surrounding the city. For train travel information, contact National Rail enquiries (tel: +44 345 748 4950; www.nationalrail.co.uk).

Journey times

From London - 50 minutes; from Manchester - 4 hours (including changes); from Cardiff - 4 hours (including changes); from Edinburgh - 6 hours (including changes).