Brighton Staycation Guide: Where to Stay, What to Do and Where to Eat

Brighton is the closest thing England has to a seaside city break: a long shingle beach and two piers' worth of history on one side, and on the other the Royal Pavilion, the narrow Lanes and the independent shops of North Laine. Trains from London take around an hour, and the South Downs rise just behind the city, so a weekend here can mix sea air, shopping, food and a proper walk.

How long to stay

A two-night stay covers the seafront, the Pavilion and the shopping streets without rushing. Add a night if you want a day on the Downs or along the coast to the Seven Sisters. Summer weekends are busy and hotels fill quickly; spring, autumn and even winter are good times for a quieter break with the seafront to yourself.

Where to stay in Brighton

Most visitors want to be on or near the seafront, between the Palace Pier and the West Pier ruins, or around Kemptown to the east. The full list is on our Brighton hotels page.

Seafront grandeur

The Grand Brighton is the landmark 1864 hotel on Kings Road, a four-star with a spa and a restaurant, rated 4.4 from over 4,400 Google reviews. Drakes Hotel, a four-star in a seafront townhouse east of the pier, has individually designed rooms, many with sea views and free-standing baths.

Boutique and characterful

Regency Square has two of the city's most distinctive small hotels. Hotel Pelirocco has nineteen themed rooms built around music and pop culture, while Artist Residence Brighton spreads across two listed townhouses decorated by local artists. The Charm Brighton on New Steine is a boutique spa hotel well suited to couples.

Pubs, marinas and dogs

The Market Inn is a traditional pub with rooms, moments from the Royal Pavilion, and it accepts dogs. For more space and easy parking, Malmaison Brighton sits at the marina with many sea-view rooms.

Things to do in Brighton

Our Brighton attractions page lists everything; these are the highlights.

The Royal Pavilion is the one essential: George IV's seaside palace, Indian on the outside and lavishly Chinese-inspired within. In its gardens, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery covers fashion, decorative art and local history. Down on the seafront, Brighton Pier has fairground rides, arcades and deckchairs, and is rated 4.4 from over 37,000 Google reviews. The Brighton i360 lifts a glass pod high above the West Pier ruins for views along the coast and over the Downs.

Volk's Electric Railway, dating from 1883, runs along the beach towards the marina and is the oldest operating electric railway in the world. Under the arches by the station, the Toy and Model Museum is a good rainy-hour stop, with working railway layouts. For families, Upside Down House is a quick, photo-friendly visit, and Preston Park is a large park north of the centre, with playgrounds and plenty of space for dogs.

Where to eat

Brighton has one of the strongest independent food scenes on the south coast, with a particular reputation for vegetarian and vegan cooking. On the seafront, Shelter Hall is a food hall with stalls from local traders. Purezza serves plant-based sourdough pizza, Pizza Pilgrims is a dependable pizza stop, and Dishoom is a popular choice for a bigger meal. More ideas are on our Brighton restaurants page.

A two-day plan

Day one

Spend the morning in the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Museum, then wander the Lanes for lunch. In the afternoon, walk the seafront west towards Hove, ride the i360, and come back along the promenade for the pier and fish and chips on the beach at sunset.

Day two

Browse the independent shops and cafes of North Laine in the morning. After lunch, head up to Devil's Dyke on the South Downs for a walk with views over the Weald, or take Volk's Railway towards the marina and follow the undercliff path east towards Rottingdean.

Day trips from Brighton

Lewes, with its castle and steep streets, is a short train ride away. Eastbourne is the gateway to Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters cliffs, and Arundel has a castle and a cathedral above the River Arun. Chichester pairs a cathedral with the harbour, and Rye is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the south east.

Camping and cottages near Brighton

The South Downs make camping near Brighton easy. Woodfire at Chapel Field at Firle offers camping and glamping, with campfires and dogs welcome. The Secret Campsite at Barcombe is a simple meadow site with fire pits, and Fox Wood Camping near Patching is a dog-friendly woodland site. See camping near Brighton or cottages near Brighton for more.

Practical tips

Parking in central Brighton is limited, so the train is the easier way in; everything central is walkable. The beach is shingle, so bring suitable shoes for swimming. Brighton suits our guides to seaside long weekends, staycations without a car and foodie staycations.