Luxury holidays in East Sussex

When to go

Britain is an unpredictable blighter for weather, so don’t let that dictate when you go. In summer, the coast can get crowded, so go midweek if you want quiet romance.

Getting there

• Planes

  Gatwick (www.gatwickairport.com) is the best of the region’s airports | 30 miles north of Brighton on the M23; the train takes half an hour from there. Heathrow and Luton are also handy | with fast transport connections.

• Trains

  Brighton has great national rail links, with direct services to London Victoria, Reading, Bath and Bristol, among others. Elsewhere, East Sussex is not as well served: the journey to Rye via Ashford takes two hours.

• Automobiles

  Brighton can be reached via the M23 | although parking can be costly and you don’t need a car if you plan to stay anchored in the city. You’ll want one to explore the more rural parts of East Sussex | though.

• Taxis

  Hail one of Brighton’s fleet of blue-and-white hackney cabs on the street, go to a rank, or ring Streamline Taxis (+44 (0)1273 202020). In smaller towns, it’s minicabs only; in Rye, try Taxi-Time (+44 (0)1797 224016).