Of course, the British love a trip to the seaside, often even in the face of some less than perfect weather. So, here in the latest instalment of our Accessible Getaways series, Quingo Scooters looks at the many things that you can get up to in the beautiful seaside town of Brighton.
Visiting Brighton
As seaside resorts go, Brighton is one of the nation’s favourites. It’s a short hop down from the capital and makes for a great day out for all. With a couple of historic piers, its stunning Pavilion and of course the gorgeous front itself, there really is something for everyone. Best of all, Brighton is a truly open and accessible city. A great place to start your trip to the South Coast is to look at their website Visit Brighton here. We also recommend considering hiring an All-terrain Wheelchair if you’re planning to head out onto the pebbles.
Here are our top three things to do in Brighton.
- Brighton Museum
Of course, the Pavilion itself is a must-see: it is a fantastic fairy-tale concoction that is well worth a visit. But within the Royal Pavilion gardens we also highly recommend you head along to the Brighton Museum. It has a collection of exhibits as diverse and eccentric as the city itself and is a fantastic starting point for anyone wanting to get a taste of this bohemian city. There are level paths leading to the entrance through the gardens and the whole museum is accessible. There are 30 Blue Badge parking spaces at the nearby Lanes Car Park, and 6 at the NCP on Church Street. Find out more here.
- Pride 2018
Brighton is rightly proud of its rich and diverse culture, and the annual Pride celebrations are a truly inspiring celebration of LGBTQ equality in particular. This year’s event takes place in August, and as always there will be a real focus yet again on making it as accessible as possible for all those attending. If you’re thinking of going along, then a great place to start is their accessibility page online, here. It’s the place to reserve an early parking space in the event’s Blue Badge car parks, get a Freedom Pass for the town’s accessible toilets or even book a changing area if you’re getting into costume for the parade itself!
- Sea Life Brighton
Who doesn’t love an aquarium? Sea Life has been around for a long time, and their experience and expertise really shows. It has a fantastic display of animals, and the great news is that the whole of Sea Life is accessible, with the exception of the Ocean Display in the auditorium. This can still be viewed from elsewhere, however. You’ll find an accessible entrance to Sea Life by heading through the underpass that leads from the beach (there’s a ramp down to the beach too). There is on-street parking along the seafront, but there are also the 30 Blue Badge spaces at the NCP car park at the Lanes nearby. There’s also a great report on the facilities at Sea Life here.
Where to stay
From sea front hotels to little B&Bs or self-catering apartments, there’s a huge range of accommodation options in Brighton. The Hilton Brighton Metropole is huge, and is fully accessible, but we’re big fans of the fabulously funky B&B Snooze too. It has steps up to the main entrance but there is access via the restaurant.
Eating out
As you’d probably expect in a place as diverse and cosmopolitan as Brighton, there is plenty of choice when it comes to eating out. For a quick, budget friendly bite to eat we recommend Eatalio for a great twist on Italian street food.
If you fancy treating yourself to something a bit different, then try out the highly acclaimed Terre à Terre. It’s vegan, but even if you’re not then it’s still well worth exploring. It’s one of the few purely veggie restaurants to regularly turn up on lists of the UK’s best eateries. The great news is that both these places are also accessible throughout.
Getting there
Brighton is only 50 minutes on the train from London Victoria, and it’s only half an hour from London Gatwick airport if you’re flying in. Driving is also straightforward, just follow the A23/M23 south from London.
About Quingo
The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.
Keep up-to-date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC). AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.
