Eastbourne

Eastbourne is a large town with around 100,000 people around midway between Brighton and Hastings.

Apart from the Redoubt Fortress, built in the early 19th century to protect Britain during the Napoleonic Wars, there is not a lot to see in Eastbourne. Some other points of interest in Eastbourne include Eastbourne Pier, the Eastbourne Lifeboat Museum and the Towner Art Gallery. For many visitors, however, Eastbourne’s main attractions are the nearby outstanding areas of natural beauty that include Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters.

Eastbourne developed as a popular seaside resort during the Victorian era and as a result, much of the seafront is lined with old hotels from this area. Because of this, Eastbourne has a large selection of affordable hotels and it is a relatively affordable base for making excursions to Pevensey and Herstmonceux and even for visiting nearby towns such as Brighton or Hastings as long as you don’t mind commuting to these neighbouring towns by bus or train.

Coming and going

Eastbourne has excellent transport connections to London and other destinations in East Sussex including Brighton and Hastings.

It is served by both bus and rail with direct train services connecting Eastbourne railway station to Ashford International (where you can transfer for Eurostar trains to Belgium and France), Brighton, Hastings and to London Victoria.

Eastbourne is also served by local bus services, with the Coaster bus (routes 12, 12A, 12X and 13X) run by Brighton&Hove providing a frequent and affordable connection to Brighton and Stagecoach bus routes 98 and 99 run to Hastings (with bus 98 running via Herstmonceux and bus 99 going via Pevensey). Although the train is often the quicker option, the bus is a good way to get to other places in East Sussex particularly as it is usually cheaper and more frequent than the train with more central departure points.

There are also National Express coach services that offer a cheap way to get to London. National Express coaches stop en route in Brighton and at Gatwick Airport and depart from Ashford Road outside the railway station.

Sights and activities in Eastbourne

Places to stay in Eastbourne