Visiting London for the first time for my honeymoon March 21-25, 2017 with my bride. Looking for suggestions for day trips, etc. Staying in the Kensington area. Very interested in making a trip to the coast (South Coast) for day. Any help, pointers or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
E
South coast city - Brighton, etc.?
or
South coast scenery - Seven Sisters, etc?
or
South coast historic - Dover Castle, Bodiam Castle, Hastings, Battle, etc?
Cities, scenery, and historically places would all be ideal. We will be taking trains and public transport, so things that are easily accessible by those methods of transportation are preferred.
This is a nice day, and not too difficult by public transport.
Train from London Victoria to Eastbourne
Bus from Eastbourne to Beachy Head to view white cliffs of Seven Sisters. http://www.beachyhead.org.uk/
Walk to East Dean for lunch at the Tiger Inn
Bus to Brighton
Visit the Royal Pavillion. http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/
Train from Brighton to London
Brighton is a fun place to visit. I recommend having ideas for each day of your honeymoon, but stay as flexible as you can. Plan your itinerary for days that might be rainy or sunny. In London, there's so much to do that if it's rainy, you can visit the rainy day/indoor sights. Once you are there, watch for the best weather day before setting out for Brighton or the coast. I've been to Brighton in sun (in January!) and on dreary days, and I probably would only set out for Brighton on a sunny day. It's a fast rain ride, once you go, though.
Brighton also houses one of British royalty's most flamboyant indulgences, the Brighton Royal Pavilion. It was built by the then-Prince of Wales as a vacation palace to eat, drink and carouse with inappropriate company, especially female. He waited to be king a long time while his sick father George III refused to die, and then only wore the crown as George IV for 10 years before his own vastly overweight death. The pavilion expresses Imperial England's romance with India. Its sweeping design owes much to domes and palm trees and its kitchens suggest the gargantuan appetites of the time (among the aristocracy, that is.) Well worth a stop on a day trip to the seaside. http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/history/who-was-george-iv/#!
Cultural note: Brighton has traditionally been notorious as a place for Londoners to have "dirty weekends" - ie going down to a pleasure resort primarily to have sex with someone who you might or might not be legally married to. You might possibly get some humorous comments on those lines from people in the UK.
