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Hmm, what comes to mind when you think of Brighton? Seaside resort? Fish and chips? Brighton Pier? All of those things are true. Besides that, it also has the oldest aquarium in England, boasts the vacation palace of King George IV, and has hills. Lots and lots of them. Luckily, the day I was there, the sun was shining and it was about 18° (that’s 65° for us Americans), which made it even nicer. While Brighton hadn’t originally been on my list of places to go in the UK, I was offered a ticket for a day trip hosted by my university for £8, so I couldn’t pass that up. I went with some of my awesome friends from Spain, who quickly became my favorite day trip buddies!
Starting off at the pier, my friends and I made a plan that would take us in a circle around the city. The first stop was the Royal Pavilion, a vacation home of the royal family. We didn’t pay to go into the building, but it is surrounded by a beautiful yard, which made for some great photos, as well as just being able to enjoy the sun. Outside the area of the Royal Pavilion are several cute shopping areas – some with vintage or personally owned shops, others with big name-brand chains. Definitely a good place for an afternoon of shopping!
Our main goal for the day was a picnic in Victoria Park, which happened to be all the way across the city, and up a huge hill. This hike was reminiscent of walking up the hill to Parc Guell in Barcelona – not the most fun. The park was well worth it though, with a pond, and a nice playground. Sometimes I get so busy trying to take in all the sites in a city that I forget to take some time to just relax and take in the city – something that I find parks quite good for, whether you are traveling alone or with friends.Â
The last stop of our day trip was the Brighton Pier. A traditional amusement pier complete with food, rides, and games. You’ll pay a pretty penny for them, but if it’s worth it to you, go for it! Some of the rides did look like a lot of fun, however, £4 for a 2-minute ride on the carousel is less appealing when you are a student on a budget. After walking around the noisy pier, spending the last 20 minutes on the beach skipping rocks sounded like a great idea.
Overall, Brighton has something for everyone, on every budget. Especially if you go on a day when the weather is nice, it’s worth a trip just for the seaside resort town atmosphere! I'd love to go back to check out some of the shops and cafes in the city.
Brighton is 2 hours from London by train or drive, so definitely somewhere to consider for a day trip, especially in the nicer months!
Check out some other England day trip ideas here: