When Haydy and I visited Brighton last week, we had a big list of places that we wanted to visit. Luckily for us, Visit Brighton gifted us two trade passes so that we were able to get into a lot of the local attractions for free. This made our trip a lot easier and also meant that we were able to do everything that was on our list. The guest house that we stayed in, Colson House was so close to everything. We were lucky enough that we were able to walk everywhere with ease.
British Airways i360
This is something that I wanted to do the last time I was in Brighton, however I just completely forgot! This time around, we made sure that it was one of the first places that we visited. This 162 metre tall observation tower which opened in August 2016 is situated on Brighton’s seafront. Flights last twenty five minutes and depart every half an hour. You must arrive at least twenty minutes before your flight time as you have to go through airport style security. Adult tickets cost £16.50.
Once you have gone through security, there is a waiting area which you can relax in before the pod is ready. A ride in the pod allows you to see breathtaking 360 views of Brighton from the air. Inside the pod is a bar which sells wine, beer, cocktails, champagne and soft drinks. You can also purchase mini tubs of ice cream. Whilst you are at the very top of the i360, one of the members of staff tells you all about the sights that you can see.
I would love to do this journey again after dark, so I could see Brighton in a different light. I think it is a great thing to do if you are on your first trip to Brighton, as you can see everything so clearly. One thing I love is going to new places and seeing them from above. One of my favourite things to look at was the artwork on top of some of the buildings. Fun fact: The British Airways i360 was designed and engineered by the same team that were responsible for the London Eye.
Brighton Toy and Model Museum
Based underneath the railway station, the Brighton Toy and Model Museum is a nostalgic haven. If you want to while away half an hour and reminisce over what it was like to be young, then this is the place for you. With displays going back to the mid 18th century, from trains to teddy bears, there is something for everyone to enjoy. My favourite part of the museum was the model train which goes around a track and the funicular. I also loved the old puppets of Andy Pandy and Noddy. If you are a train/model train fan, you will really love this museum. Adult tickets for the museum cost just £6.50. The Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday.
The Royal Pavilion
One of the most iconic buildings in Brighton is the Royal Pavilion. I saw this on my last trip to Brighton, however I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t realise that you could actually go inside. The Royal Pavilion is an exotic palace which was built in the centre of Brighton. It was originally built as the seaside retreat for King George IV but since his death it has had many other uses. One of which is as a hospital during the First World War.
You can now enter the Royal Pavilion and wander around the rooms either with or without an audio guide. You are not allowed to take any photographs inside, however I can tell you that every room is absolutely stunning. After we had looked around the Pavilion, we went upstairs to the tea room. The tea room is very reasonably priced and I had the biggest scone I have ever seen. If you’re into history or architecture, then it is definitely worth a visit. Tickets cost £13.50 per adult.
SEA LIFE Brighton
Our trade pass also got us into SEA LIFE Brighton. I love visiting the Sea Life centre in Birmingham so I was really excited to visit Brighton’s offering. Unfortunately, the aquarium is currently undergoing renovations. There were signs saying so at the entrance, however we didn’t realise how much of the exhibits are closed. We managed to see everything that was open within fifteen minutes. If we had paid for our tickets, we would have been very disappointed. For people who were paying for a ticket, they were offering a free ticket to visit once the work had been completed. I’d like to go back and visit once everything has reopened. Tickets cost from £19 per adult.
How we got to Brighton
Brighton is located in the south east of England in the county of East Sussex. There’s a train station in the centre of the town and a direct train from London takes around an hour. On the week that we were travelling down, there were problems with the trains. This meant that we would have had to get a train half way and then swap over to a rail replacement bus. Luckily for us, National Express have a coach that runs from London Victoria straight to Brighton. We were gifted our travel for our outward and return journeys.
We caught the 10am bus from London Victoria which got us into Brighton coach station at 12:15pm. This ended up being a lot quicker than the train would have been and also meant that we had guaranteed seats. A single journey on the National Express from London to Brighton can cost from as little as £6.10.
We found that the coach was comfortable each way and we made use of the plug sockets and onboard wifi. On the way back, we both used the wifi to listen to one of our favourite podcasts and catch up with our emails. I definitely recommend that you consider taking the coach down to Brighton. You get dropped off right next to the famous pier, outside the YHA Brighton.
