# Brighton and the Seven Sisters

The pier, the Royal Pavilion and The Lanes in Brighton, and the white cliffs of the Seven Sisters a bus ride away. An hour by train from London.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/england/brighton-and-the-seven-sisters · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Brighton has been London's seaside city since the Prince Regent made it fashionable two centuries ago: a Victorian pier with amusements, a palace with oriental domes, alleys of shops and a pebble beach where Londoners spend their Sundays. Half an hour east by bus, the coast rises into the Seven Sisters, seven white chalk cliffs above the sea, the best-known postcard of the south of England. You can do it all in one long day from London, although with a night you see it without rushing.

## How do you get there from London?

By train, which is the usual way. From London Victoria and London Bridge, Southern and Thameslink reach Brighton in around an hour. If you fly into Gatwick, the airport is on the same line, about 30 minutes from Brighton: you can start or end your trip here without going through London.

By car it is about 85 km on the M23 and A23, around an hour and three quarters from central London. Brighton has expensive pay car parks that are full in summer; for the Seven Sisters, a car does help, with pay car parks at Exceat and Birling Gap.

To the Seven Sisters, by bus. The 12, 12A and 12X Coaster buses leave central Brighton along the coast road and stop at the Seven Sisters Country Park visitor centre, at Exceat.

## What to see in a day

In the morning, Brighton. Start at the Royal Pavilion, George IV's palace, with its Chinese-style rooms. Go down through The Lanes, the alleys of the old fishing village, to the sea, and walk the Palace Pier. Eat oysters at English's or fish and chips on the pier. If you stay in town in the afternoon, go up the i360 and stroll round North Laine.

If you prefer the cliffs, after lunch take the number 12 bus to Exceat and walk down the Cuckmere valley to Cuckmere Haven: 45 flat minutes to the beach, with the Seven Sisters straight ahead. Those with the legs for it can carry on along the clifftops to Birling Gap, two hours of ups and downs.

With two days, give one to each.

## When to go

From May to September, with long days, is the best time to combine the city and the cliffs. In July and August, the pier and beach fill up at weekends. Brighton works all year round; in winter, pick a clear, windless day for the Seven Sisters, because it blows hard up there and the grass path turns muddy.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Rye (a 62.7 km), London (a 76.1 km), Windsor (a 80.4 km), Canterbury (a 99.1 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Royal Pavilion, George IV's oriental palace** (1 h 30 · All ages · Adult £21.50, child aged 5 to 18 £13; families of one adult and two or more children, one child free; 5% off online): A palace with onion domes and minarets outside and Chinese-inspired rooms inside, with dragons and enormous glass chandeliers. It was built for the Prince Regent, the future George IV, as a seaside pleasure house. Nothing in England is like it.
From October to March it opens from 10:00 to 17:15 (last entry 16:30); from April to September, from 9:30 to 17:45. Entry costs £21.50 per adult and £13 per child aged 5 to 18; in families with two or more children, one goes in free, and online it is 5% cheaper. On Saturdays at 14:00 there is an official guided tour for £10 extra. From 21 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, the palace is decorated for Christmas.
- **Brighton Palace Pier** (1 h 30 · All ages · Walking is free; rides with a wristband or tokens, cheaper online): The wooden pier, more than half a kilometre long, that stretches into the sea opposite the centre, with amusement arcades, doughnut and candyfloss stalls and, at the end, funfair rides. It is Brighton in its purest form: noisy, a little old-fashioned and great fun with children.
Walking along it is free; the rides are paid for with a wristband, cheaper if bought online. The hours change with the season and the day: in November, from 12:00 to 17:30. On the pier is the Palm Court restaurant, with fish and chips and sea views.
- **Seven Sisters from Cuckmere Haven** (2 h 30 · Walkers from age 8; short, steep climbs · Free): England's most famous chalk cliffs: seven white hills cut sheer above the English Channel. The classic route starts from the Seven Sisters Country Park visitor centre, at Exceat, goes down the Cuckmere river valley between meanders to the Cuckmere Haven beach, with the coastguard cottages and the cliffs in full view ahead, and carries on up and down along the top of the Seven Sisters towards Birling Gap.
To the beach is about 45 flat minutes; continuing along the cliffs to Birling Gap is another two hours of short, steep climbs. Without a car, the 12 Coaster bus leaves from central Brighton and stops at the visitor centre; the simplest plan is to walk back the same way and catch the bus home. Do not go near the edge: the cliffs crumble.
- **Brighton i360, the pod at 138 metres** (30 min · All ages): A 162-metre tower on the seafront, next to the remains of the West Pier, with a doughnut-shaped glass pod that rises slowly to 138 metres. From the top you see the coast, the pier, the city and the South Downs hills. It opened in 2016.
Buy a timed ticket on its website, where each day's opening hours are also given. For those who want more, the 360 Extreme experience takes you up onto the roof of the pod in a harness. Downstairs there is a café, open from 7:30.
- **The Lanes and North Laine, on foot** (1 h 30 · All ages, pushchair friendly · Free): The Lanes are the narrow alleys of the old fishing village, between the sea and the Royal Pavilion: jewellers, antique dealers, cafés and pubs in passages where two people can barely pass. To the north, across North Street, is North Laine, more bohemian: second-hand shops, records, clothes and cafés in streets of low houses.
You can walk them in one or two hours, without a map: get lost. Start on East Street, by the sea, and finish at the station, which is at the end of North Laine.
- **Birling Gap, the beach below the cliffs** (1 h · All ages; 50 steps down to the beach · Free; parking £2 for the first hour, £8 for over two hours): The only place on the Seven Sisters where you can easily get down to the sea: a staircase of 50 steps leads to a shingle beach below the cliffs, with rock pools exposed at low tide. Above, the National Trust has a café, a shop and a viewpoint.
Parking is paid (£2 for the first hour, £8 if you stay over two). Dogs can go on a lead on the beach and in the shop and café. From here you can walk the most photographed stretch of the path in an hour, heading west along the cliff tops. Check the tide table before going down.

## Dónde comer
- **English's of Brighton** (Restaurant, Brighton, €€€). Qué pedir: half a dozen oysters at the bar and a fish of the day; if it is an occasion, the lobster.
- **Palm Court, on Brighton Palace Pier** (Restaurant, Brighton, €€). Qué pedir: the classic fish and chips, at a table by the windows.
- **Birling Gap Café (National Trust)** (Café, Birling Gap, €). Qué pedir: a tea and something to eat at the end of the cliff walk.

## By plane: Fly to Gatwick, half an hour from Brighton
Gatwick, London's second airport, with direct flights from many Spanish cities, is on the same train line as Brighton: about 30 minutes without going through London. If you fly to Heathrow, Stansted or Luton, go through the centre and take the train at Victoria or London Bridge. For Brighton you do not need a car; for the Seven Sisters, the 12 bus solves it.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **The Grand Brighton** (Hotel): The house
The big white hotel on Brighton's seafront, opened in 1864 and known at the time as the "palace of the coast". It sits between the Palace Pier and the i360, facing the beach. It has a restaurant, Cyan, the Victoria Bar, afternoon tea on the terrace and a spa with a thermal suite.
The rooms
The ones facing the sea are the reason to sleep here; there are junior suites with a balcony over the seafront. It has its own pages for families and for those travelling with a dog: check the conditions and supplements when booking.
Getting there
From Brighton station it is about 15 minutes' walk downhill along West Street, or a short taxi ride. The Lanes start five minutes away and the Royal Pavilion is ten. For the Seven Sisters, the 12 bus leaves from central Brighton.
- **Hotel du Vin Brighton** (Small hotel): The house
A boutique hotel in a restored 19th-century building on Ship Street, the street that links The Lanes to the seafront. Rooms and suites with classic furniture, some with sea views, free wifi and, downstairs, a French-cuisine bistro with a wine list chosen by its sommelier.
Who it suits
For a night in Brighton with everything on foot: The Lanes at the door, the sea a minute away and the Royal Pavilion five. It is quieter than the seafront hotels and sits in the middle of the restaurant district.
Getting there
From the station, about 12 minutes' walk downhill. If you are driving, ask about parking when booking: you cannot park on the street in The Lanes.
- **Premier Inn Brighton City Centre (North Street)** (Hotel): The house
A Premier Inn on North Street, the street that separates The Lanes from North Laine, halfway between the station and the sea. What it offers is what the chain offers: predictable rooms, a restaurant with breakfast and free wifi, at a lower price than the seafront hotels.
The rooms
Large beds, a shower and a desk; there are accessible rooms and, if you are travelling with children, ask about family rooms when booking. Do not expect views: the good thing is the location, ten minutes from the beach and the pier and five from The Lanes.
Getting there and parking
From the station, about ten minutes' walk downhill. The hotel has no car park; the nearest is the paid North Road Car Park, at 44 North Road (BN1 1YR), with a reduced price for guests if you register your number plate at reception.
### Servicios
- **Brighton station (trains from Victoria and London Bridge)**: Southern and Thameslink trains from London Victoria and London Bridge in about an hour; from Gatwick, about 30 minutes. 10–15 minutes from the sea.

## Car-free: Train to Brighton and the coast bus to the cliffs
Brighton and the Seven Sisters are easy without a car: an hour by train from London, the town on foot and the 12 Coaster bus along the coast road to the Seven Sisters visitor centre. Parking in Brighton, on the other hand, is expensive.
Presupuesto orientativo: 110–200 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **The Grand Brighton** (Hotel): The house
The big white hotel on Brighton's seafront, opened in 1864 and known at the time as the "palace of the coast". It sits between the Palace Pier and the i360, facing the beach. It has a restaurant, Cyan, the Victoria Bar, afternoon tea on the terrace and a spa with a thermal suite.
The rooms
The ones facing the sea are the reason to sleep here; there are junior suites with a balcony over the seafront. It has its own pages for families and for those travelling with a dog: check the conditions and supplements when booking.
Getting there
From Brighton station it is about 15 minutes' walk downhill along West Street, or a short taxi ride. The Lanes start five minutes away and the Royal Pavilion is ten. For the Seven Sisters, the 12 bus leaves from central Brighton.
- **Hotel du Vin Brighton** (Small hotel): The house
A boutique hotel in a restored 19th-century building on Ship Street, the street that links The Lanes to the seafront. Rooms and suites with classic furniture, some with sea views, free wifi and, downstairs, a French-cuisine bistro with a wine list chosen by its sommelier.
Who it suits
For a night in Brighton with everything on foot: The Lanes at the door, the sea a minute away and the Royal Pavilion five. It is quieter than the seafront hotels and sits in the middle of the restaurant district.
Getting there
From the station, about 12 minutes' walk downhill. If you are driving, ask about parking when booking: you cannot park on the street in The Lanes.
- **Premier Inn Brighton City Centre (North Street)** (Hotel): The house
A Premier Inn on North Street, the street that separates The Lanes from North Laine, halfway between the station and the sea. What it offers is what the chain offers: predictable rooms, a restaurant with breakfast and free wifi, at a lower price than the seafront hotels.
The rooms
Large beds, a shower and a desk; there are accessible rooms and, if you are travelling with children, ask about family rooms when booking. Do not expect views: the good thing is the location, ten minutes from the beach and the pier and five from The Lanes.
Getting there and parking
From the station, about ten minutes' walk downhill. The hotel has no car park; the nearest is the paid North Road Car Park, at 44 North Road (BN1 1YR), with a reduced price for guests if you register your number plate at reception.
### Servicios
- **Brighton station (trains from Victoria and London Bridge)**: Southern and Thameslink trains from London Victoria and London Bridge in about an hour; from Gatwick, about 30 minutes. 10–15 minutes from the sea.
- **Bus 12 Coaster to the Seven Sisters**: Buses 12, 12A and 12X between Brighton, Seaford and Eastbourne, stopping at the Seven Sisters visitor centre in Exceat.

## As a family: A pier with rides, a fairy-tale palace and white cliffs

Brighton is London's beach and works with children of all ages: the pier with its rides, the Royal Pavilion, which looks like something out of a fairy tale, and the ride up in the i360 pod. For those who like walking, the Seven Sisters are the most spectacular day in the countryside in the south of England.

### What works best
Brighton Palace Pier, with rides and amusement arcades

Royal Pavilion, one child free per family with two

Brighton i360, half an hour at 138 metres

Birling Gap, beach and rock pools at low tide

### Where to sleep
The Grand Brighton, facing the sea, with a page for families

Premier Inn Brighton City Centre, between the station and the sea

### Where to eat
Palm Court, on the pier

Birling Gap Café, after the walk

### Good to know
On the cliffs, never go near the edge: they crumble

The steps at Birling Gap number 50

Brighton beach is shingle: bring footwear for the water

### Qué hacer as a family
- Royal Pavilion, George IV's oriental palace
- Brighton Palace Pier
- Seven Sisters from Cuckmere Haven
- Brighton i360, the pod at 138 metres
- The Lanes and North Laine, on foot
- Birling Gap, the beach below the cliffs

## Consejos

### Buy the Royal Pavilion online
You save 5% and skip the queue.

### Take the number 12 bus in the morning if you are only going to the cliffs
That way you have light to reach Birling Gap.

### Check the tides for Birling Gap
At low tide the rock pools appear at the foot of the cliffs.

### Return by train from Gatwick
If your flight leaves from there, it is half an hour from Brighton.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Can you see Brighton and the Seven Sisters in a day from London?
Yes, with a long day: Brighton in the morning and the number 12 bus to the Seven Sisters in the afternoon. With a night, much more relaxed.

### How do I get to the Seven Sisters without a car?
On the 12, 12A or 12X Coaster buses from Brighton, which stop at the Exceat visitor centre.

### How much does the Royal Pavilion cost?
£21.50 for adults and £13 for children aged 5 to 18; for families with two or more children, one goes free.

### Is there a sandy beach?
Brighton's is pebbly. So is Birling Gap, but with tidal rock pools at the foot of the cliffs.

### Can you go with a dog?
To the Seven Sisters and Birling Gap, yes, on a lead near livestock; the café and beach at Birling Gap admit dogs on a lead.