East Sussex

East Sussex pairs lively seaside resorts with quiet inland villages. Brighton leads the way for nightlife, shopping and a famously eclectic atmosphere, while Eastbourne and Bexhill-on-Sea offer calmer promenades and traditional seafront charm. Hastings mixes an old fishing quarter with a creative, slightly bohemian edge, and nearby Rye enchants with cobbled streets and timber-framed houses. History runs deep at Battle, site of the 1066 conflict that gave England a new chapter.

Inland, the pace slows further. Ditchling sits beneath the South Downs and suits those wanting walking country and village life, while Chiddingly, Isfield, North Chailey and Stonegate offer scattered farmland, old churches and pubs well away from crowds. Pett, close to the coast near Hastings, bridges the two worlds with cliff walks and marshland views. Together these places suit both bustling breaks and peaceful rural stays.

East Sussex offers a wide spread of places to stay, from grand seafront hotels to small, personally run B&Bs. Brighton has the greatest concentration and the widest range, taking in landmark names like The Grand Brighton alongside quirkier, independently minded spots such as Red Brighton Blue and Paskins Town House. Eastbourne's options tend to cluster along the seafront, with houses like Black Rock House and Beach Front Guest House trading on their sea views.

Rye and Hastings suit a quieter stay, with period townhouses and guesthouses such as Sherfield House and The Manse B&B reflecting their historic, more compact centres. Choosing between areas often comes down to pace: Brighton for nightlife and easy transport links, Eastbourne for a traditional seaside break, Rye and Hastings for cobbled streets and a slower rhythm. Smaller B&Bs like Annes House and Number Ninety One offer a more homely alternative to the larger hotels.

East Sussex offers a wide spread of days out, from the historic pull of Battle, where the 1066 story still shapes the town, to the seafront energy of Brighton and Eastbourne. Families will find soft play, craft workshops and activity centres clustered in the bigger towns, while the coast adds boat trips, climbing walls and panto seasons to the mix.

Smaller places such as Pevensey, Newhaven and Wadhurst tend to offer a quieter, more specific outing, whether that's a castle visit or a countryside pursuit, while Crowborough sits handily for those wanting to combine a day out with the surrounding forest and heathland. Brighton itself has the greatest concentration and variety, worth building a full day around, whereas the smaller towns suit a single stop on a longer route through the county.

East Sussex offers a wide spread of places to eat and drink, from Brighton's dense cluster of independent cafes and international kitchens to the quieter pub dining rooms found across the county's smaller towns. Brighton and Hove alone account for a huge share of the choice, with everything from La Choza Mexican Street Food and Hove Tandoori to familiar names like Wingstop UK, Harvester and Bella Italia sitting alongside neighbourhood spots such as Simit Palace and Rio Coffee House.

Away from the seafront, community-minded venues like the Malling Community Cafe and Emmaus Hastings & Rother show a different side of the county's food scene, while cafes such as The Spotted Dog make a case for slower, simpler stops. Whether you want a proper sit-down meal or just a decent coffee between sights, it's worth deciding first whether you fancy Brighton's crowded, varied streets or the calmer options further out.

East Sussex offers a wide spread of camping and glamping, from simple grassy pitches to shepherd's huts and pods set among farmland and woodland. Sites around Battle and Hailsham tend towards quieter farm settings, good for those wanting space and a slower pace, while spots near Brighton and Hastings suit trips that mix countryside nights with time in town.

Further inland, around Heathfield, Mayfield and Ringmer, smaller glamping ventures like Flower Meadow Glamping and Pondside Glamping make use of the rolling Weald landscape, often with just a handful of pitches or huts. Places such as Arlington Campsite and Warbleton Farms Campsite offer more traditional camping, while options like Battle Pods and Bells or Ganesha Retreats lean towards a more comfortable, ready-made stay.

With so many small, individually run sites scattered across the county, it's worth thinking about how central or remote you want to be, and whether you're after a working farm setting or something closer to the coast at Firle or Filching.

Self-catering options in East Sussex cluster around Hastings and Eastbourne, giving a choice between the seafront pace of a Victorian resort town and the tangle of streets around Hastings Old Town. Properties such as Warrior Square and Gensing Lodge sit within easy reach of the seafront, while others like Old Quarter Cottage and Mouse House put you among the antique shops and fishing-boat sheds of the Old Town itself.

Sizes and styles vary from compact bolt-holes such as Jack's Place to larger conversions like Duke of Wellington HQ and Breedsmoor Cottage, so it's worth matching the property to the trip rather than the town. Rooftops @ No83 and Moray Hastings View both offer elevated views over the rooftops and coast, useful if you want a sense of place without leaving the cottage. Bay House suits those wanting proximity to the water without the crowds of the main seafront.