My latest article is a spot of UK travel, namely a stay in the seaside city of Brighton and Hove.
Located on the southern coast of England about an hour away from London by train, it’s unlike a lot of other cities I’ve visited, which considering it’s a place I’ve visited many times, is quite unusual has a completely different feel as a city.
This is thanks, mainly, to the fact the main appealing feature of the city is it’s seafront location, which provides a holiday atmosphere no matter the weather.
It almost makes me feel like I’m abroad when I’m not, which for a travel blogger is a good thing!
If you have never been to Brighton and you are looking for a UK seaside getaway, there are so many reasons to visit this city.
Here is why I love Brighton and why you will too.
1. Brighton Pier
Want to chase your loved one in the dodgems (our British word for bumper cars) or get pushed up to him or her in a spinning tea cup? You can do both at Brighton Pier which is a fairground on stilts sticking out to sea allowing great views back at the city’s coastline. While the amusements and coin machine style arcade games may seem a little tacky, it’s a fun way to spend a few hours as a couple.
2. Romantic Restaurants
As you’ll have probably guessed we’re a couple that like to eat out and even in just a few weeks we’ve found a handful of great spots to eat out. For colourful Mexican street food try La Choza, for a special art deco afternoon tea head to Metro Deco and if leaving the house is too much like hard work, I can highly recommend pizza delivery from PizzaFace.
3. The Pebble Beach
Brightonians are fiercely proud of their pebble beach, though foreigners are normally usually disgusted or confused when they first see it. I happen to think it gives Brighton and Hove great character and personally it’s a bonus to not have to worry about sand getting stuck in every orifice. Because walking along the pebbles proves to be a bit of a workout, instead hire a couple of deck chairs for a few hours and watch the waves lap up. You may even see a few brave souls taking a dip!
4. Smiling Happy People
Brighton and Hove is one of the happiest places to live in Britain. It’s a forward-thinking, liberal city and home to a large creatie and student population. It’s also considered the gay and lesbian capital or the UK and with all this come a lot of smiling, happy people. What’s not romantic about that?
5. Seafront Walks
You can walk along over two miles of coastline from Hove to Brighton and can even choose if you walk down on sea level or up slightly up along Marine Parade. And if your feet get tired you can hop on the Volks Railway, the oldest electric railway in Britain.
6. Fun (and free!) Festivals
Brighton is a naturally creative and artistic city with lots going on all year round, however, May is definitely festival season in Brighton & Hove with both the Brighton Festival and Fringe Festival bringing music, comedy, theatre, art and literature events for all ages and tastes. Many of the events are free too and it’s highly likely that just wandering through the city you’ll find live music or street performers.
7. Awesome Architecture
What do you mean architecture doesn’t get you in a romantic mood? Well, maybe you haven’t been to Brighton, which is a haven for Regency and Georgian architecture. This is thanks to Brighton and Hove being a favourite spot of King George IV to enjoy therapeutic sea air… and a variety of debaucherous activities. He even built an oriental style palace as a sort of pleasure palace, which you can now nosey around. He quickly set a trend and with more people moving there, the city is now flooded with the grand architectural styles that take his name. And they really are romantic, trust me.
8. Nightlife
Brighton has so many bars and clubs, and weekends especially are really lively. During summer its amazing to spend time relaxing on the beachfront and enjoying a drink at one of the many bars located here.
9. Luxury Hotels
Brighton has some stunning seafront hotels and The Grand is probably one of the most famous luxury hotels in the UK. With many hotels occupying grand Victorian or Georgian buildings, complete with seaviews, you can really blow your budget with a stay in Brighton. If that’s not what you want to do then be sure to check out the smaller guest houses on offer as Brighton is considered the unofficial home of the boutique hotel in UK.
10. Independent Shops
Last but certainly not least is the one of Brighton’s best features, its famous local shops. Some are dedicated to chocolate, other antiques, some arts and crafts and much more.
If you enjoyed this article and would like more suggestions for places to go view my England travel guide.
