London Victoria to Brighton Trains From €9.68*

The London Victoria to Brighton line is served by Southern and the Gatwick Express, both part of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). Gatwick Express runs directly, while Southern trains require a connection. Check the table below to decide the best option for your trip.

• Southern is the most affordable option, maintaining high comfort standards on board with a similar travelling time to Gatwick Express. However, you’ll need to change train in East Croydon, taking the Thameslink train heading south past the airport to Brighton. 
• Gatwick Express offers a high-speed and direct connection to Brighton. The train is very efficient and often gets you to Brighton in less than an hour. Tickets are more costly, but it can be a great option for working during your commute or avoiding the stress of catching a connection. 

Reach Brighton in under an hour from London Victoria, travelling south through the suburbs of Croydon and into the Surrey and Sussex countryside before arriving at the coast.

London Victoria: Getting to the Platform

Victoria has its own built-in Underground station, served by three lines: the Victoria line and the District and Circle lines (sub-surface), making it reachable from virtually anywhere in Zone 1 in under 15 minutes. There’s also a large bus station that sits directly outside the main entrance in the station forecourt.

Victoria is effectively two stations joined together, separated by a central building. Southern and Gatwick Express trains for Brighton depart from the western side (platforms 9–19). The area is very central, with plenty of shops, cafés and food outlets available just outside the station and in the main concourse. Luggage facilities are operated by the Excess Baggage Company inside the station.

Onboard trains from London Victoria to Brighton

Both Gatwick Express and Southern's trains on this route are modern and roomy, with free Wi-Fi and outlets at the seats. The route heads south from Victoria through the inner suburbs of Clapham and Balham, picking up speed through Croydon before the landscape opens up into the Surrey and Sussex countryside beyond East Croydon and Gatwick Airport.

The scenic side

Up until Gatwick Airport, the landscape is urban as you travel through London suburbs. Around Haywards Heath, the landscape flattens and brightens, with views opening across open farmland. As you approach Brighton, the chalk hills become visible in the distance.

Key landmarks

Look out for the Ouse Valley Viaduct as the train crosses it between Balcombe and Haywards Heath. This remarkable 37-arch Victorian brick structure carries the railway high above the River Ouse.

Arriving in Brighton

Brighton station is a spectacular Victorian terminus, opened in 1840. As you step off the train, the main concourse and ticket gates are directly ahead, with shops on the concourse.

The correct exit

• Main Exit (Queen's Road): Walk straight through the ticket gates and out onto Queen's Road for the most direct route to the seafront. The sea is visible within moments and is approximately a ten-minute walk straight ahead down the hill.

• Trafalgar Street Exit (North Laine): Head to the left-hand side of the concourse for Trafalgar Street, which leads under the station into the North Laine — Brighton's shopping and café district. 

• Rear Exit (Cycle Hub & Taxi Rank): The rear exit, accessible through the station, leads to the taxi rank (next to platform 8) and the Brighton Cycle Hub, a purpose-built three-storey facility with storage for 500 bikes, a repair shop, café, showers and changing rooms.

Onward Travel

• Buses: Six bus stops are located directly in front of Brighton station on the forecourt, served by numerous Brighton & Hove Bus routes. Routes 7 and 27 from the forecourt take you to North Street for the Royal Pavilion, and route 27 also serves the Sea Life Centre near the pier.

• By foot to the seafront: Brighton Palace Pier and the beach are approximately a 15-minute walk south from the station exit, straight down Queen's Road and West Street. Bournemouth Pier is around 30 minutes on foot, and the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum is 20 minutes away.