Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Two days in Brighton runs £75-£140 a day per person, and the bed costs more than the sights: the Pier, Lanes, North Laine and Pavilion Garden are free, so the real spending call is the Pavilion interior or the i360.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Three days is the 2-day plan plus Lewes, a 17-20 minute train ride that’s the cheapest, easiest day trip on this coast. Days 1 and 2 stick to Brighton’s free core: the Pier, Lanes, North Laine, Undercliff Walk.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Four days is the 3-day plan plus Devil’s Dyke, a free South Downs walk that costs only a citySAVER bus ticket to reach. Days 1 and 2 stay in Brighton’s free core, Day 3 is Lewes by train.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Five days is the 4-day plan plus Seven Sisters, the biggest transport and time commitment of any day trip here, but the coaster bus keeps it cheap. Days 1-2 stay in Brighton’s free core, Day 3 is Lewes, Day 4 is Devil’s Dyke.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Six days is the 5-day plan plus one slow, mostly-free day back in Brighton itself, useful after three straight days of day-trip transport. Days 1-2 cover the free city core, Days 3-5 are Lewes, Devil’s Dyke and Seven Sisters.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Seven days in Brighton only works honestly as Brighton plus Sussex, not seven days of city content stretched thin: the core sights fill about 1.5-2 days, so this plan is the 6-day plan plus a fourth day trip, Eastbourne, a 37-minute direct train.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. A budget guesthouse room in Brighton runs roughly £60-90 a night off-peak. A mid-range hotel runs £100-160. Seafront luxury starts around £250 and climbs fast at weekends. Which of those you pay depends far more on neighbourhood than on the hotel itself, so start with the area, not the room.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Get These Six Things Right and You Will Not Stand Out None of Brighton’s local quirks are hard to follow, but skipping them costs you either money or a slightly odd look from a local.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. You can eat well in Brighton for under £10 a meal without trying hard. The city’s cheap-eats scene runs on Japanese noodle bars, Malaysian and Mexican street food, an indoor market, and one 100-year-old chippy that beats anything the pier sells.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Most of Brighton’s Big Events Do Not Cost a Ticket to Enjoy Brighton Festival alone runs 25 free events in 2026, on top of two full “Weekends Without Walls” where the city’s public spaces turn into free performance venues.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Most of the best things to do in Brighton cost nothing at all. Ten of the fifteen below are free, no ticket, no booking. The other five top out at the price of a cinema ticket.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. The Cheapest Day Trips Cost Less Than a London Round Trip A same-day trip up to London realistically runs £20-40 unless you book an Advance fare weeks out, and it is easy to spend that without leaving Brighton’s own station.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. The South Downs Are Free the Moment You Step Off the Bus Brighton sits directly against the South Downs National Park, and you do not need a car or a tour to reach it. Two bus routes and one long paved path get you to open downland, ancient hillforts and a quiet coastal walk, all for the price of a normal bus fare or nothing at all.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Walking onto Brighton Palace Pier costs £2 per person from March through September 2026. Outside that window it’s free, and it’s free year-round if you live in a BN1, BN2, BN3 or BN41 postcode. Under-2s never pay.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Every Shot on This List Costs Nothing to Take Brighton’s best photos do not come from the paid attractions. The i360 pod (£20.50) gets you a view, but the eight spots below get you the shots people actually save: the West Pier skeleton at sunset, tens of thousands of starlings swirling over it in winter, the beach huts at golden hour.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Free Beats Paid in Brighton, Every Time Royal Pavilion tickets run £21.50. The i360 is £20.50. Brighton Museum, which most visitors assume is free, charges £10.50. Add those up over a weekend and you have spent over £50 before lunch.