Southend is an hour from central London by train, on two competing lines that go straight to the seafront. c2c services from London Fenchurch Street reach Southend Central in about 55 minutes via Tilbury. Greater Anglia services from London Liverpool Street reach Southend Victoria in about an hour via Shenfield. Both stations are within a five-minute walk of the seafront.
By car, the A127 from the M25 (junction 29) is the main route; allow 90 minutes to two hours from central London, more in summer. London Southend Airport, 3 miles north of the centre, has flights to a small but growing list of European cities and is connected to the town by a 4-minute train ride.