Travelling to, and around, Brighton

Travelling by train is often the fastest way to get to Brighton. It’s also a greener option than driving. We recommend booking your train tickets in advance online. Not only will it save you time at the station but you can also enjoy savings on your rail fares. Whether you're travelling from London, Gatwick or St. Pancras, book your train travel in advance so you can sit back, relax and enjoy the journey. 

To find out more visit the Southern Railway or Thameslink websites. 

If you are travelling from Europe, the Eurostar train arrives from Europe at St Pancras, London, where there are direct trains to Brighton. If you are travelling to Brighton by train and need to leave your luggage then contact CityStasher to be connected with secure local businesses who will store your luggage for you.

Trains to Brighton from London and the South East

London is the hub of the UK’s rail network and it is easy to connect to trains to Brighton & the South Coast from the major London stations. The fastest direct travelling times from London to Brighton are: London Victoria – 52 minutes (direct), London Bridge – 58 minute (direct) and London St Pancras – 1 hour 16 minutes (direct). 

Rail services in the UK are operated by a number of private train operators. The key operators to Brighton are Southern and Thameslink. Trains to Brighton arrive at the mainline station on Queens Road.

Travelling to Brighton from the London Airports

Trains to Brighton from Gatwick take approximately 30 minutes direct and run regularly. For trains from Heathrow to Brighton, your best bet is to take the London Underground to London Victoria and connect with a mainline train to Brighton. Trains to Brighton from Stansted take approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. The journey involves two changes, usually at Tottenham Hale for an Underground train to Victoria, where you connect with a mainline train to Brighton. Thameslink offers a regular and direct service to Brighton from Luton Airport, which takes approximately 2 hours.

Coaches are a cost effective way of travelling to Brighton from almost anywhere in the UK or Europe. They tend to take longer than train journeys of the equivalent route, but are generally clean and comfortable, with onboard toilet facilities. 

National Express is the major coach operator serving Brighton. Regular National Express coaches serve Brighton from the main London Airports of Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted. Coaches arrive at Pool Valley Coach Station, which is very central and just moments from the beach and Brighton Palace Pier.

The nearest port to Brighton is Newhaven. Ferries travel from Dieppe and take around 4 hours. The ferries are run by LD Lines.

The quickest way to travel by ferry from Europe is from Calais to Dover. Crossings take between 75 and 105 minutes. Ferries are operated by P&O and run regularly throughout the day and night. DFDS Seaways also operates out of Dover, running ferries to and from Dunkirk (2 hours each way). Longer routes from France and Spain, operated by Brittany Ferries, arrive at Portsmouth.

Getting to Brighton from the Ferry Ports

Brighton & Hove is easily accessible by car from Newhaven. Journey time is approximately 30 minutes, depending on traffic. Brighton is around 1.5 – 2 hours by motorway from the major ports of Dover, Portsmouth and Southampton. For foot passengers there are also regular connections to Brighton from the ports via rail.

When you arrive in Brighton, then head to the seafront to find the conference venue: The Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2GR

Conference venues are changing their rules on delegates being able to bring their luggage with them to the venue. This is to help ensure delegate safety and security during events, and is being introduced throughout the United Kingdom.

The best solution is to check in to your accommodation before coming to the venue on your arrival, and seeing if it possible to leave your luggage there on your last day, for you to pick up after the conference has finished. Most hotels will offer this service.

If this is not possible, then there are a number of companies offering a luggage storage service, usually at a compartitive price, and usually including insurance for your luggage (which is important). Here are some of the companies offering this service in Brighton:

• Stasher

• Radical Storage

• City Spare Space

• LuggageHero

• Bounce

Explore Brighton by bike with convenient hire options near the Brighton Centre. Prices typically start from approximately £3–£5 per hour or £15–£25 per day, depending on the provider and bike type. Below are two of the companies offering bike hire in Brighton, but there are others too, so it's worth doing a bit of research to find the right one for you. Take a look at https://you-well.co.uk/hiring-bikes/#Brighton for more information.

Beryl Bikes

A public bike-share scheme with multiple docking stations across the city. The nearest locations to the Brighton Centre include a station outside the Odeon (approximately 13 bikes) and another near the Brighton i360. Bikes can be unlocked via a mobile app, offering flexible short-term use.

Brighton Beach Bikes

Located around a 10-minute walk east along the seafront from the Brighton Centre. Offers a range of standard and electric bikes. Its beachfront location makes it particularly suitable for delegates travelling along the seafront to and from the venue.