Travelling To Brighton & Hove By Train

Travelling by train is often the fastest way to get to Brighton from other UK destinations. It’s also a greener option than driving or flying.

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.
  Prices start at just £5 for the first day and £4 thereafter.

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 and 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)
• 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. Regular rail connections also serve Hove and take just a few minutes from Brighton. 

Central Brighton is easily walkable (about 10 minutes) from Brighton station, but if you require a bus or taxi - these are both available at the front of the station.

Brighton is also very accessible by train from major towns along the South Coast and Kent.

PLUSBUS Discount Ticket

PLUSBUS is a discount price bus ticket for unlimited travel around the origin and/or destination of your rail journey on participating operators’ services. When you buy PLUSBUS with your train ticket you pay for your whole journey by public transport in one transaction. The Brighton & Hove area is covered by the PLUSBUS scheme - simply ask for the Brighton, Hove & Shoreham-by-Sea PLUSBUS when buying your train tickets. PLUSBUS tickets can also be purchased online from some retailers.

Eurostar

Eurostar is a quick and easy way to travel between the UK and continental Europe via the Channel Tunnel. 

Comfortable and affordable, it avoids the airports and the frequent daily services from Paris (2 hours 15 minutes) and Brussels (1 hour and 51) arrive into St Pancras International, where you can connect with direct trains to Brighton (1 hour 16 minutes direct). 

Travelling to Brighton from the London Airports

Gatwick

Trains to Brighton from Gatwick take approximately 30 minutes direct and run regularly. 

Heathrow

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. Alternatively, take the Heathrow Express to Paddington and then the Underground to Victoria. The Heathrow Express is probably quickest but the Underground is the cheaper option. Journey time takes approximately 2 hours 15 minutes, depending on your chosen route and connection times. 

Stansted

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.

Luton

Thameslink offers a regular and direct service to Brighton, which takes approximately 2 hours.