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Burning of the Clocks Parade, Hove Lagoon & Upside Down House in Brighton, UK

Best things to do in Brighton UK - Sara Darling - beach views

Gorgeous beach views in Brighton

I’m really excited to interview Sara Darling, freelance journalist and podcast host, about Brighton, England. Sara’s tips for the best things to do in Brighton are awesome because she’s lived in the city for 20 years after moving here from Wales to be closer to the seaside. She loves the laid-back style of the beach, people, and music of the city.

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Best things to do in Brighton UK - Sara Darling - city view

Views of the city

Brighton, United Kingdom

Brighton is a seaside resort on the southern coast of England, located about 90 minutes south of London. It has a popular promenade lined with beach huts and delicious eateries that are frequented by locals and visitors on a beach vacation. Brighton Palace Pier offers family-friendly entertainment and amusement park rides. The British Airways i360 Observation Tower on the waterfront offers stunning views of the city and coast from 450 feet in the air.

The city offers numerous parades and festivals that you shouldn’t miss, including the Burning of the Clocks Parade, Brighton Fringe Festival, and Bonfire Night. Hove Lagoon is great for windsurfing and there’s even a zipline at the end of the beach. When you visit, you’ll see the remnants of the West Pier, which opened in 1866 and closed in 1975 due to a fire. Its metal framework is all that remains today.

We share a lot of resources and local suggestions in today’s podcast, but you should also check out Visit Brighton, the local visitor’s bureau. They are a wealth of information and can help you plan an itinerary based on your time, budget, and interests.

If you’d like to learn how to travel for free using airline miles and hotel points, check out my free 7-day email course.

Best things to do in Brighton UK - Sara Darling - stroll along the beach at sunset

Stroll along the beach at sunset

Getting around Brighton

The local airport is Gatwick Airport (LGW), which is about a 30-minute drive to downtown. Use our Expedia tool below to find flight, hotel, and rental car options.

Sara says that, if you’re staying downtown, there’s no need to rent a car. She says that parking is a nightmare for both locals and tourists. Besides, everything is walkable in Brighton anyway. When you need a ride, Uber and Lyft are excellent ways to get around.

If you must rent a car, click here for the best offers from Avis, Budget, or Hertz.

When you only need a car for a couple of hours, you can rent by the hour with Zipcar. Join now to get $25 loaded into your account.

Best things to do in Brighton UK - Sara Darling - surfing

Go windsurfing or rent a kayak in Hove’s Lagoon

Places we talked about on the podcast

Here is a map of all of the places we talked about on the podcast episode with Sara Darling about Brighton, England. You can zoom into the map and click on each dot to explore the city.

  • Red dots = best places to eat in Brighton, England
  • Green dots = best things to do in Brighton, England
  • Yellow dots = best places to stay in Brighton, England

Who is Sara Darling?

Sara Darling is a travel writer with a gypsy soul. She has lived in Brighton for more than twenty years and likes nothing more than pootling up and down the seafront on her bicycle and people-watching in the Laines when she’s not dancing on tables or on an airplane!

Best things to do in Brighton UK - Sara Darling

Here are a few articles that she’s written:

You can connect with Sara on her website and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

We-Travel-There-Brighton-UK-Sara-Darling-podcast-one-sheet

Click here to download our one-page guide of Sara’s tips for Brighton.

Big thanks to today’s affiliate partner – CLEAR

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That’s why I use CLEAR to skip the lines and get to my flight quicker.

For my listeners, I’ve worked out a special deal where you can try CLEAR free for 2 months. This is a limited-time offer, so go to WeTravelThere.com/clear to sign up today.

Best things to do in Brighton UK - Sara Darling - West Pier

All that remains of the West Pier after a devastating fire

Stay tuned for our next episode

Best things to do in Oklahoma City OK - Nicky Omohundro - Plaza Walls mural selfie

Nicky at the Plaza Walls mural

Listen to the next episode when Nicky Omohundro of Little Family Adventure shares the best things to do in Oklahoma City, OK. In this episode, Nicky and I talk about fun on the water at Riversports OKC, visiting the OKC Bombing Memorial, and the Chisholm Creek entertainment area. We hope you’ll join us when We Travel There.

What’s your favorite part of Brighton? Send us a Tweet, let us know in the comment section below, or continue the discussion in our Facebook group!

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To see which cities we’ve interviewed and scheduled, please visit WeTravelThere.com/map. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please submit an application at WeTravelThere.com/guest.

Related episodes

If you’re planning a trip to the United Kingdom, check out our other episodes for the region: