Hove Worthing End Of Pier Day Trip By Rail

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On the speedy Southern train from London down to the coast, I’m feeling in the know. Everyone else is heading to Brighton for a day trip, but I’m escaping the crowds by going slightly west of the popular seaside town to its understated and far more charming neighbour: Hove.

I can smell the sea air the second I get off the train at Hove, but I don’t rush to leave the station like I normally would, because it’s just so quaint with its Italianate Victorian railway lamps and cast-iron canopies.

The quiet suburban streets heading towards Church Road (Hove’s centre, filled with brunch, lunch and dinner spots interspersed with local boutiques) are just as appealing, and I could spend hours admiring the Regency buildings – but I’m hungry.

I head for brunch to Oeuf, a local cafe with impressively Instagrammable decor: pale green walls, chequered black and white tiles, high ceilings, flower-clad pillars and pastel-coloured plates. I’m here to try its “frumpets”, a stack of crumpets that have been cooked like french toast and loaded with savoury or sweet toppings. My choice – the return of the shack – with ragu, spinach, egg and feta, does not disappoint. I hide out in Oeuf’s “secret garden”, journaling while I eat, enjoying the slow pace of a solo day trip where I get to do whatever I want.

Brunch at Oeuf included frumpets and a green juice in the secret garden

My favourite form of sightseeing revolves around eating, so that’s exactly what I continue to do – there’s no shortage of options. On a quiet side street towards the beach, I discovered Maka Kitchen and Cafe, a tiny coffee shop that serves masala chai ice-cream and chunky cookies, while Real Patisserie is the perfect place to buy a savoury pastry to eat on the beach.

But Hove isn’t just famous for its independent food spots – it’s also known for its holistic offerings, whether that’s reiki or crystal healing. While everyone is off to enjoy the sunshine on the beach, I’m drawn to an alternative that’s just as good for the soul: flotation therapy. The Float Spa is home to several pods of Epsom salt water, where you can switch off from the world and float in total silence (and, if you’re brave enough, darkness). I opt to float for an entire hour, and it’s so soothing that I forget my previous claustrophobic fears and close the lid, drifting into a meditative trance.

Float Spa provides an hour of tranquility before heading on to Worthing

When I leave, I’m not quite ready to re-enter the normal world, so I take that as my cue to get back on the train. Not to go home, but to keep heading west along the coast, because why visit one seaside town when you can visit two? It’s a 20-minute journey to my next destination – the perfect amount of time to watch the world go by, and jot down more musings in my journal.

By the time the train pulls into Worthing station, I’m ready to start exploring again. Worthing has a different feel to Hove – it’s busier, with larger shops and an eclectic energy that’s more akin to Brighton, but with far fewer people. It’s known for its flourishing creative scene, which becomes obvious when I wander down Warwick Street, a pedestrianised thoroughfare full of character, colour and vibrant art galleries. It’s easy to while away an afternoon here, browsing in Colonnade House, Room with a View Fine Art and, my favourite, pop-art style Sabotage, which calls itself a “rebellious celebration of urban contemporary art”.

But the most impressive sight is the stunning Victorian pier, with its curved art deco pavilion. Unlike Brighton pier, which looks much better at a distance, Worthing pier is somewhere you could sit for hours in undisturbed peace. Its pavilion houses not one but two restaurants: Perch on the Pier with high ceiling and glass walls that create the sensation of dining on a boat, and its upstairs neighbour Ebb, a fine-dining restaurant offering small plates with a side of panoramic sea views.

Warwick Street (bottom) is pedestrianised and full of galleries

I opt for fish and chips at Perch on the Pier – a busy spot that’s perfect for people-watching or simply gazing out to the sea while I eat. For dessert, I head back into the town centre and treat myself to a strawberry millefeuille and iced matcha at Milfey, a local patisserie that feels less Sussex and more like a tucked-away Parisian cafe.

This is my favourite part of travel – accidentally discovering hidden gems while exploring aimlessly. Solo travel makes it even better; I don’t have to feel guilty about wandering in circles or spending 10 minutes deciding on what millefeuille to order.

I’m tempted to catch a movie at the Dome Cinema – built in 1911, it’s one of the UK’s oldest working cinemas – purely because I’m so captivated by its Edwardian and art deco glamour. Then I could watch the sunset from Crabshack, a spot recommended to me by locals, to finish off the day with funky prawn tacos.

But a day by the sea has left me pleasantly tired, and I’m ready to curl up on the Southern train with the book I’ve been carrying around all day but hardly touched. As we pass by several other coastal towns I’ve never visited, I resolve to come back. There’s clearly much more to the Sussex coast beyond Brighton and now that I’ve had a taste of the contrast between Hove’s quiet, creative energy and Worthing’s cultural buzz, I’m keen to keep exploring the seaside – two towns at a time.