Brighton is 47 miles from London and one of the better-connected seaside cities in England. Trains from London Victoria and London Bridge run every 30 minutes and take between 50 minutes and an hour, making a day trip entirely feasible. National Express coaches link Brighton with London Victoria and various other cities; the journey takes around 2 hours in normal traffic.
By car from London, the A23/M23 is the direct route. Parking in the centre is expensive and the streets are congested on summer weekends. The city has a low-emission zone covering most of the centre. For day-trippers from London, the train is strongly preferable.