free things to see and do in London
Getting to Brighton by Train
Trains depart from London Victoria to Brighton
every fifteen minutes
Journey time is one hour (longer on weekends)
Related things to see in London
Old Compton Street
Old Compton Street runs through the heart of central London's gay area.
Camden Market
Camden market has a number of gay-owned and operated stalls, shops and bars.
You may be visiting London to see its many tourist attractions but if you have a spare day while here, why not do some sightseeing in England.
From the seaside to the countryside, lots of England is easy to visit on a day tour from London.
This section includes some free self-guided sightseeing tours of England that can be easily done in a day from London. All you need is your train fare.
Things to See in Brighton
Ever since George IV, the Prince of Wales, brought fun, fashion and frolics to Brighton at the end of the eighteenth century, the destination has flourished as a pleasure retreat and now offers traditional seaside fun, an exotic royal palace, entertainment, shopping, and year-round events.
Similar to London, but with a beach front and promenade, with plenty of hotels and night life, Brighton is well worth an overnight stay.
Brighton has long been known as Britain's number
one gay resort.
Its annual gay pride event, Gay Pride, has become the
largest and most successful gay and lesbian festival in Europe.
Kemptown is known as the 'gay village' of Brighton, and has a thriving and diverse scene ranging from leather workshops, pink parlours, and techno clubs, to specialist boutiques, hotels, estate agents and kickboxing classes.
A wooden deck stretching a few hundred feet seaward, with a building at
the end of it, may not seem particularly interesting but to the Victorians
it provided a way of enjoying the healthy sea air without getting seasick.
There are two piers in Brighton, though one - the West
Pier - was closed in 1975 and suffered both fire damage and building
collapse in 2003.
The other pier, Brighton
Pier, is basically full of arcade games, tacky shops and fried food
places (though you can still walk along the pier to enjoy the sea air and
views of the building itself, just like the Victorians did.)
The tangled network of narrow cobbled alleyways between East, North and
Prince Albert streets marks the extent of the early town of Brighton (known
then as Brighthelmstone.) In those days, the
lanes (as they are known) were filled with fishmongers, bakers, bootmakers
and taverns.
As the town expanded, the alleys fell into disrepair and for many years,
were slums. Now renovated, here you will again find lots of charming shops,
bars and restaurants.