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Driving from Gatwick to Brighton on a Wednesday Afternoon

I'll be picking up my rental car on a Wednesday afternoon at about 2:30 PM and driving to Brighton with stops at Borde Hill Garden and Sussex Prairie Garden. My plan is to arrive at the YHA in Brighton at about 5:30. What road precautions, if any, do I need to take while travelling to these destinations? I also understand that parking is quite expensive in Brighton. Are there any places where I might park at little or no cost near the YHA in Brighton. I am willing to walk some distance to do this. Thanks.

Posted by
392 posts

A drizzly Wednesday in March will be very different to a blazing hot Wednesday in August. Any more specific?

Posted by
6113 posts

You have between 1.5 and 2 + hours driving planned, depending on traffic, so this isn’t really time to see both gardens. You will be hitting Brighton at rush hour and the start of the weekend, so it will be busy. I hope that you aren’t planning this after a long flight.

The road precautions that you need are to understand the Highway Code for the U.K. You need a good satnav to get you to your destinations.

Parking is expensive in Brighton and there is no free parking in the city centre. There are a few 24 hour car parks such as The Lanes or Regency Square. If you want free on road parking, then you need to look a mile or more east beyond Kemp Town near the marina.

Posted by
2403 posts

The YHA in Brighton is in the middle of a built up area with parking restrictions. Not a good idea to bring a car into this area. I suggest that you go on Google Maps and have a look at the places you are thinking of visiting and also drag and drop the yellow man to see the Streetview version. (You might be better off landing at Gatwick and taking the train to Brighton as they are every few minutes and then you can chill out to recover from jet lag). To get you going - here is a map of the part of Brighton with the YHA:> https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/YHA+Brighton+Hostel/@50.820207,-0.14023,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x487585a09d25f043:0x342561bb041e5904!8m2!3d50.820207!4d-0.138036!5m1!1e1

If you’re flying long haul, please do everyone a favour and catch the train to Brighton. Pick up a rental car when you’re rested.

As with all your journey plans you’re being utterly unrealistic about time it takes to get anywhere on Britain’s congested roads plus parking and how long it takes to visit a garden. I haven’t heard of these two but most Gardens I’ve visited, you park some way from the actual garden so you need to allow time for walking.

A word about driving in Brighton: I’ve been driving in the UK for 30 years. If I’m going to Brighton I dump my car in the first car park I find & to hell with the cost. I hate driving there. It’s busy, streets are narrow and there’s nowhere to park.