When visiting Brighton & Hove, it’s easy to make a beeline for the beach the minute you step off the train. This is totally understandable, given that it’s a ten minute walk in a straight line at the end of which lies that soothing sea-filled horizon. BUT – and here’s the thing – venture beyond the beach, and beyond the places you’ve visited before, and you’ll make so many new and satisfying discoveries that you’ll feel all warm and fuzzy inside – and maybe just a teeny bit smug!

Even quicker to reach than the beach is the North Laine. Step off the train, walk down Trafalgar Street beneath Brighton Station till you get to Sydney Street and you’re there! Then wind your way through streets lined with enticing and intriguing independent shops, eateries and watering holes of every kind. This area is alive and buzzing all year round, but at weekends, pedestrians replace traffic and there’s a chilled, holiday feel in the air. Walk on towards the seafront and next up are The Lanes – a historic higgledy-piggledy maze of alleyways offering more retail heaven and places to wine, dine and people-watch.

To the east of Brighton Palace Pier towards Brighton Marina is Kemptown, the heart and soul of the LGBTQIA+ community. Kemptown is full of fun and fashionable shops and restaurants, interiors and vintage stores, indie bookshops and more. If you’re looking for village charm and vibrant nightlife, Kemptown is the place to find it. Meanwhile, not far away in the London Road area, a student vibe, an eccentric cinema, a multitude of awesome restaurants and the warm and welcoming Open Market are just some of the delights waiting to be discovered by those curious enough to explore beyond the beach and city centre.

Somewhere around the old West Pier is where Brighton merges into Hove. Those magnificent creamy-coloured seafront crescents and squares back onto an area packed with independent shops, restaurants, pubs and cafés. And if you’re into watersports or skateboarding, Hove Lagoon (next to the beach) is worth a visit, too. There are many different areas of Brighton & Hove worth exploring, so if you have the time, check out Portland Road in Hove where you can find more indie and artisan shops, or enjoy entertainment for all the family at Brighton Marina, or venture a little further on to Rottingdean, where a picturesque village lies a stone’s throw from the beach. 

Brighton as a base

We recommend you stay a little longer so you can make time to explore beyond Brighton and Hove – and discover even more hidden gems. Not only is Brighton sitting in the middle of a UNESCO World Biosphere Region, both East and West Sussex are overflowing with pretty villages, natural beauty spots, award-winning vineyards and exciting tourist attractions. Stunning Seven Sisters Country Park, the breath-taking Cuckmere Valley, eye-popping Birling Gap and the beautiful South Downs National Park are just a few of the locations you’ll be glad you made the effort to visit while you’re so nearby.