Brighton from Eastbourne: A Day Trip Guide

Getting to Brighton from Eastbourne

The easiest way to reach Brighton is by train. Direct services run regularly from Eastbourne station and take around 40 minutes, dropping you a short walk from the seafront, the Lanes and the main sights. If you’d rather drive, it’s roughly 22 miles west along the A27, taking around 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic — but be warned that Brighton is notoriously tricky (and pricey) for parking, so the train really is the stress-free choice for a day out.

Local tip: take the train and leave the car at home — Brighton’s parking is a headache, and the station puts you within easy walking distance of almost everything. On sunny weekends, book the big attractions ahead to skip the queues.

Brighton Palace Pier and the beach

No trip to Brighton is complete without the Palace Pier. Opened in 1899 and Grade II listed, this classic Victorian pleasure pier stretches out over the sea packed with fairground rides, arcades, sideshows and the irresistible smell of doughnuts and fish and chips. It’s a magnet for families, and — like Eastbourne’s own pier — a wonderful spot to watch the sun go down. Either side stretches Brighton’s famous pebble beach and seafront promenade, perfect for a stroll, an ice cream or simply people-watching on a warm day.

The Royal Pavilion

Brighton’s most extraordinary sight is the Royal Pavilion, the fantastical seaside palace built for the pleasure-loving King George IV. From the outside, its Indian-inspired domes and minarets look utterly unlike anything else in England; inside, the lavish interiors blend Regency grandeur with Chinese-influenced decoration in gloriously over-the-top style. It’s an unmissable slice of Regency extravagance right in the heart of the city, surrounded by the peaceful Pavilion Gardens, with the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery close by.

The Lanes and North Laine

Brighton is one of the best shopping cities on the South Coast, and its two historic quarters each have their own character. The Lanes are a charming maze of narrow alleyways — once the old fishing town — now filled with jewellers, antique shops, independent boutiques, cafés and pubs. Just north, North Laine is quirkier and more bohemian, a colourful jumble of indie shops, record stores, vintage clothing and vegetarian cafés, dotted with street art (keep an eye out for a Banksy or two). Together they’re the creative, offbeat soul of the city.

The i360 and the seafront

For the best views in the city, ride the Brighton i360, the slender seafront observation tower that lifts you gently up its glass viewing pod for a slow rotation 138 metres above the beach. On a clear day you can see across the rooftops, out over the South Downs and along the Channel coast. (Note that the tower closed briefly during a change of ownership but reopened in 2025, and having dropped its former sponsor’s name, it’s now simply the Brighton i360.) At its base sit the atmospheric ruins of the old West Pier, while nearby you’ll find SEA LIFE Brighton — one of the world’s oldest aquariums — and, in season, Volk’s Electric Railway, the oldest operating electric railway on the planet.

Brighton’s character

Part of Brighton’s magic is simply its spirit. Long celebrated as one of the UK’s most vibrant, creative and inclusive cities — and a proudly LGBTQ+-friendly one — it hums with festivals, live music, independent food and a nightlife that punches well above its size. If Eastbourne is elegant and genteel, Brighton is its louder, more flamboyant cousin down the coast — which is exactly what makes the two such perfect companions for a change of scene.

Good to know: opening times, ticket prices and even which attractions are running change over time, and some — such as Volk’s Railway — are seasonal, so it’s always worth checking current details before you set off.

Brighton from Eastbourne: FAQs