Eastbourne Without a Car: A Visitor’s Guide

Arriving by train

Getting to Eastbourne is refreshingly simple. Direct trains run from London Victoria in around 90 minutes, and the town also sits on the coastal line, with regular services west to Brighton (via Lewes) and east towards Hastings. Eastbourne is a terminus, so there is no risk of sailing past your stop — the train pulls in and everybody gets off.

Best of all, the station could hardly be more central. You step out right into the heart of the town centre, a few minutes’ walk from the shops, and only about ten to fifteen minutes on foot from the pier and the seafront. There is no long transfer and no need for a taxi rank dash — you are, quite literally, already there.

Getting around town

Once you have arrived, Eastbourne is a wonderfully walkable town. The star of the show is the seafront promenade — a long, flat, beautifully kept path that runs for miles from Sovereign Harbour in the east, past the pier, the bandstand and the Carpet Gardens, all the way to Holywell in the west. It is level, pram- and wheelchair-friendly, and one of the finest seaside strolls in England. For the full route, see our Eastbourne seafront walk.

For longer hops, a network of local buses covers the town and its suburbs. And for two wheels, Eastbourne is a genuinely good cycling town: the seafront has a dedicated cycle path, and on the northern edge of town you can join the traffic-free Cuckoo Trail, which follows a disused railway line for miles into the countryside. For a fuller rundown of local transport, see our guide to getting around Eastbourne.

Reaching Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters

You might assume the great chalk cliffs need a car. They don’t. Regular Coaster buses (the 12, 12A and 12X) run along the coast between Eastbourne, Seaford and Brighton, stopping at Beachy Head, Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters Country Park at Exceat. They leave from near the railway station and run frequently through the day, so reaching the clifftops takes only a short, scenic ride.

In the summer months there is an even more enjoyable option: an open-top sightseeing bus that loops from the seafront up over Beachy Head to Birling Gap and back, letting you hop on and off along the way. Many visitors use the buses to walk one way and ride back — taking the bus out to the Seven Sisters or Birling Gap, then walking the glorious clifftop path back towards town, or vice versa. It turns a car-free day into the best kind of adventure. Plan your visit with our Beachy Head guide and Seven Sisters and Birling Gap guide.

Car-free day trips by train

Eastbourne’s place on the coastal railway makes it a brilliant base for exploring the wider Sussex coast without ever touching a steering wheel. In under an hour by train you can reach a whole string of characterful towns, each an easy day out and then a simple ride home in the evening.

Head west for the buzzing city of Brighton or the historic county town of Lewes with its castle and steep old streets. Head east for atmospheric Hastings with its Old Town and fishing beach, modernist Bexhill, or the cobbled medieval streets of Rye. For a full menu of ideas, see our guide to days out by train from Eastbourne.

Tips for a car-free visit

A little planning makes a car-free visit effortless. Choose accommodation near the station or the seafront and almost everything will be within walking distance. Pack comfortable shoes for the promenade and the Downs, and travel light — you will be on and off trains and buses. And if you are here on a sunny weekend, remember that the cliff buses can get busy, so allow a little extra time.

Frequently asked questions