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Flying out of Gatwick---stay in Eastbourne?

Posted by (Seattle, WA) on

Our next trip to Europe will have us flying from Gatwick to Venice, with a 2:00 pm departure. I would like to spend a couple of nights outside of London after our flight from Seattle to Heathrow and before the Gatwick flight. ( we will spend a full week in London after Italy).

When I asked about this previously, it was suggested we consider Brighton or Lewes. We would love to get out for a nice walk on our arrival as well as the following day. I know the South Downs Way is close to both towns, so I was looking at trail maps and bus transport. Then it occurred to me we could just stay in Eastbourne and walk the best of the coastal path from there.

Is there anything wrong with this plan? It appears there are trains from Eastbourne to Gatwick almost every half hour, with a journey time of 53-55 minutes. And nice lodging appears much less expensive in Eastbourne than Brighton.

Thanks for your advice.

Posted by
33991 posts

I like the 7 Sisters and Beachy Head area for cliff top walks - just don't go too close to the edge - which is closer to Eastbourne than Brighton.

A lot of people like Brighton, I find it too busy.

Posted by
17560 posts

"God's Waiting Room" --- hmmmmm. I believe that term has been applied to our whole state of Florida! (Where I have never been). The Eastbourne town website doesn't mention the retirement homes, focusing instead on the festivals, sights, etc. There is actually a walking festival the last weekend of September, and we would be there right before that.

I'll have a look at Brighton but it seems much more urban. I remember it from 1967 as kind of run down, but I was looking with young eyes and a California perspective on beach towns. It must be nicer now. Are there recommended heritage/historical sites we could see there?

Posted by
26 posts

We flew via Gatwick two years ago, staying in Eastbourne after visiting Battle (nice walk, small museum). As I recall, there were two different live performance venues in Eastbourne; we had been looking forward to Beachy Head and the coastal walk, but the fog and mist obscured the scenery so the gray of the sky and sea were identical. If you have better weather, you will enjoy your stay!

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