Jessica’s Guide to Brighton

The cottage is just a 2 minute walk from Brighton Mainland Railway station. Brighton isn’t very car friendly so traveling about the city is best done on foot, or rent a bike, hop on the bus or calling an Uber.

There are the North Lanes and the South Lanes. The cottage is located on the fringe of the North Lanes. It’s here where you will find an wide array of colourful, independent shops, cafes, restaurants and entertainment. The South Lanes is known for its independent jewellery shops, cafes and maze-like layout (I promise you’ll find your way out of it eventually!!)

Brighton has a really cool bike renting scheme across the city, making getting around healthy and fun all at the same time. You can rent a bike by the hour just by registering and then literally riding off around the city on it. When you’ve had enough just lock it into one of the bike bays for the next person to use. It’s really great way of getting about.

The cottage has essential cooking equipment for you to make your own meals. So why not head to the local supermarket and buy in what you need. The address is: 27 New England Street Brighton BN1 4GQ England

Even if funfairs aren’t your thing, having a stroll out to sea down Brighton Pier is a must. On a clear day the sea is glistening beneath you and the shoreline makes a beautiful backdrop to some lovely holiday pics.

Head to the Pavilion to check out the local gardens. There’s often street entertainment to enjoy whilst you’re there!

Brighton has so many plant based cafes and restaurants sprouting up over the years (excuse the pun!). Try out the amazing, global award winning pizza at Purezza in Kemp Town or Hove, the incredible selection of vegan ice cream at Gelato Gusto on Gardener Street, some fine dining at Terra Terre, some delicious food at Food For Friends, stock up on health stores favourites at Infinity Foods also in the South Lanes and go shoe shopping at Vegetarian Shoe on Gardener Street. Saving the animals never tasted so good!

We have many local produce stores in Brighton such as Taj, Infinity Foods, HISBE and Bills. Here you’ll find a selection of locally grown or sourced foods.

Known for having miles of pebbles and beautiful sparkly water, Brighton beach is an absolute must. During high season it can get very crowded. If you fancy more space and different scenery then head to some of the other local beaches such as Hove beach, Saltdean beach, Rottingdean beach or a little bit further away is Seaford Beach. Saltdean and Seaford beach have free parking. If you want actual fine sand instead of large pebbles then there is a little secret bay in Saltdean that has real sand!! In the same area when the tide is out you can walk and climb on the rock pools during sun set.

If there is something on at The Dome Theatre / Music Venue that you’d like to see during your stay then be sure to book in advance as popular dates sell out fast.

If you’re staying at the cottage during peak holiday time and fancy a trip into the sky to view Brighton’s stunning coastline from above, then make sure to book your session in advance. This can be done online or in person.

To be honest, if you forget anything there’s nothing much you can’t find in Brighton or online for next day delivery to the cottage. Here are some things you might want to pack that will make your trip just flow better.... Swimming clothes, beach towels (please don’t take our cottage towels to the beach) flip flops/beach shoes, body board/paddle board, sunglasses (even in the winter the glare from the sea can be bright!), warm clothes in cooler months (the wind on the seafront is real), comfy trainers / footwear as you’ll likely do a lot of walking, phone / devise chargers, lap top.

Peter Pans Playground on Madeira Drive, Hove Beach Park in central Brighton and Hove Lagoon (further up the coast) are all great play areas for little ones. Also Yellow Wave Vollyball Court on Madeira Drive also has a sandpit and cafe suitable for children.

Brighton library is known for having a good kids area with kid sized sofa, computers, and lots of books. Sometimes they put on reading and story telling events too.

There’s a good painting pottery cafe that my kids always enjoyed (about 5 mins walk from the cottage) on North Road. Particularly handy when the weather isn’t so sunny. 31 North Road Brighton BN1 1YB

Brighton Marina is a lovely place to visit to see some of the amazing boats mored in their shallow waters. Enjoy some lunch out on the terrace as there are many large restaurants overlooking the boats. It’s also possible to book a selection of different types boat trips that leave from the Marina. There is also a diving school and water sports centre where you can book jet skiing for example.

Usually the first weekend in August marks Brighton Pride, a celebration from our LGBT community. Expect the most amazing carnival parade, headline acts (must have tickets for this for the the Pride party night), colour, excitement, lots and lots of people and even more noise! If you love a fun and wild weekend away then you’ll absolutely love Pride.