Like many families, our summer holiday plans have changed quite a bit from when they were originally conceived back in the beginning of the year. Rather than sunny Sardinia, we decided our first trip with the new baby would be much more low-key, a weekend in Brighton. With Covid travel rules in effect, Brighton makes for a quick and easy getaway, only an hour on the train from Victoria Station in London.
London to Brighton is an excellent first train excursion when traveling with little ones. Taking a Gatwick Express train, there are limited stops, and the time will fly by. You could probably see quite a bit of Brighton in a day, but with good weather forecasted, we wanted to make the most of the beach, and didn’t want to have to rush to see everything. We took the Joie Stroller for our older daughter as we ended up doing over 10K steps each day, and the Baby Bjorn One for the baby. There are quite a few hills in Brighton, so something to consider if your toddler is one that gets tired easily. Brighton has a local taxi service, and Uber is also readily available.
Upon arrival at the train station, it is an easy walk downhill to the beachfront, and hotels. I really recommend staying on the beachfront if possible. The area between the Brighton Pier with the Arcade, and the West Brighton Pier is where I would recommend staying, as it is the most interesting stretch of beach, with loads of restaurants and a lifeguarded beach. We stayed at the Kings Hotel, which was a prime location right across from a playground on the beach, and about a 15-20 minute walk from the main train station. The hotel itself is nothing fancy, and not one I’d recommend. There are however, lots of other hotels nearby including a Hilton, Mercure and The Grand Hotel which are all beautiful Victorian hotels I’d like to try.
Because we had rare sunny weather, our first port of call was Brighton Beach. The beach is pebbled, and I’d recommend water socks so that you don’t tear up your feet. You can buy them at one of the many beach huts nearby. They also have chairs you can use, which you can rent for £3 an hour, which is really reasonable. Across from the West Pier (the old one which was damaged after a storm in 1987, and then burned by arsonists in 2002, not the one with the arcade) there is a great playground – we actually spent more time there than in the water!
There are loads of different restaurants along the beachfront, and I’d definitely recommend booking in advance, especially post Covid when there is limited seating. Every restaurant we went to used contact-and-trace and took our information, and had Covid safety measures in place. I will say that some of the bars do get VERY crowded after 8:00, and I’d probably want to avoid them, they were teeming with people, and no one was wearing a mask.
Saturday we went to check out the Royal Pavilion, which is currently closed (Due to reopen in late July 2020). It is undergoing renovations, but it is still cool to check out the crazy architecture. Built as a seaside retreat for George the IV in 1787. The Indian inspired exterior is really unique with domes and rooftop turrets. Inside, each room has a different decor and design – I’d like to go back just to check it out! We rounded out the morning by ambling though the Lanes, checking out the shopping (there is some amazing jewellery on offer – Brighton is becoming the new Hatton Garden when it comes to engagement rings)
No trip to the seaside would be complete without checking out the arcade and rides, it was a great place for Kerry to have her first “real” carousel ride. The Brighton Pier Carousel known as the “Golden Gallopers” was originally built in 1888, and restored more recently in 1997.
Restaurants I’d recommend include:
Brighton Beach Club – right on the beach with outdoor seating area and lovely staff
The New Club – We ate here for breakfast, there is a reason it was ranked on of the best restaurants in the UK by Time Out, so yummy (and they had a kids menu)
La Cappannina – Italian food with Sardinian specials, we had pizza and pasta, everyone was very happy!
Fish and Chips – so many places along the seaside offer this, and no trip to Brighton would be complete without it! Side note, there are a lot of stands selling fresh caught seafood – the crab is brown crab, not what us San Franciscans are used to, and I’d skip it.
Places I’d like to go on my next visit:
The Copper Clam – More of a fine dining restaurant, but had a seafood menu that looked delicious. They were all booked when we went, but would love to check it out!
Riddle and Finns – They have two locations, one in the Lanes and one on the Seafront. The Seafront one is probably a little more kid friendly.
Overall, we had a great time, which was largely due to the warm sunny weather. If you have sunshine, I’d prioritize the beach over anything else, the water is a lot warmer than expected, and so refreshing!