Where to Find Beaches Near London: 8 Beaches Worth the Trip
London doesn't have a beach.
At least, not the kind most people imagine when they hear the word.
There is the Thames, of course, and you can find little stretches of riverside foreshore around the city. But if what you're looking for is sand, sea, beach huts, fish and chips and that feeling of escaping London for the day, you need to leave the capital.
Fortunately, you don't need to travel halfway across the country.
Some of England's seaside towns and beaches are surprisingly easy to reach from London, with several destinations taking around one to two hours by train. You can leave the city in the morning, spend the day by the sea and be back in London by evening.
And the beaches are very different from one another.
Some are sandy.
Some are pebbly.
Some are busy seaside resorts with piers, arcades and restaurants.
Others are quieter stretches of coastline where the main attraction is simply the sea in front of you.
So if you're wondering where to find beaches near London, these are 8 places worth knowing.
1. Brighton Beach The Easiest Classic Beach Day
If you've never taken a beach day from London before, Brighton is probably the easiest place to start.
It has the advantage of being more than just a beach.
You get the seafront, Brighton Palace Pier, restaurants, cafés, shops, the Royal Pavilion, the Lanes and plenty of things to do if you eventually get bored of sitting beside the water.
The beach itself is pebbly rather than sandy, which is worth knowing before you go. But that doesn't stop Brighton from being one of the most popular seaside escapes from London.
The official Visit Brighton guide describes the city as having eight miles of beach on its doorstep, alongside its restaurants, independent shops, culture and famous landmarks.
And getting there is straightforward.
Direct trains connect London with Brighton, with services from stations including London Victoria and London Bridge. Visit London currently puts the journey at around one hour.
What makes Brighton different?
You're not just going to the beach.
You're going to a seaside city.
You can spend the morning on the beach, grab fish and chips, walk along the pier, explore the Lanes, visit the Royal Pavilion and finish the day watching the sunset by the sea.
Best for:
First-time beach day trips
Couples
Groups of friends
A beach + city combination
People who don't want to plan every minute
Approximate journey from London: 1 hour by train.
2. Camber Sands For Proper Golden Sand
If your idea of a beach is soft golden sand rather than pebbles, Camber Sands is one of the first places you should look at.
Located near Rye in East Sussex, Camber Sands is known for its long sandy beach and dunes.
Visit London describes it as a roughly five-mile (8km) stretch of golden sand, backed by dunes and marram grass.
That makes it feel quite different from Brighton.
There is no big city immediately behind the beach.
Instead, you get a much more open coastal landscape.
It is also a popular destination for activities such as kitesurfing and windsurfing, although you don't need to do either to enjoy the beach.
Getting there
This is one of the beaches where the journey requires a little more planning.
You can take a train from London St Pancras to Rye, generally changing at Ashford International, and then continue towards Camber Sands.
Visit London currently estimates the journey at around one hour to Rye, before the onward journey to the beach.
So don't interpret “one hour from London” as “one hour from London station to the sand.”
The final part of the journey matters.
One important safety point
Camber Sands has strong coastal safety considerations.
Rother District Council specifically warns visitors about fast incoming tides, sandbars, soft sand and mud, and advises people to swim only within marked areas. Lifeguards are scheduled at Camber Central and Camber West during specified periods in 2026.
So check the tide and beach safety information before heading out.
Best for:
Golden sand
Dunes
Families
Long beach walks
A proper escape from the city
Approximate journey: Around 1 hour by train to Rye, plus the onward journey to Camber.
3. Whitstable For a Beach Day With Food
Not every beach day has to be about swimming.
If you'd rather combine the coast with seafood, independent shops and a relaxed seaside town, Whitstable is a great choice.
Whitstable is particularly famous for its oysters, harbour and seaside atmosphere.
One of the best-known nearby beaches is Tankerton Beach, which has colourful beach huts, grassy areas and a gently sloping shingle beach.
At low tide, the coastline changes dramatically, with a natural shingle path — often called the Street — extending out towards the sea.
It is the kind of place where you can spend some time beside the water and then wander back into town for food.
And that's really the appeal.
You're not going only for the beach.
You could have:
Train → beach → harbour → seafood → shops → seaside walk → train back to London.
Visit London currently lists Whitstable at around 1.5 hours from London, with direct trains from London St Pancras or London Victoria.
Best for:
Food lovers
Couples
A relaxed seaside day
Seafood
People who want more than just sitting on the sand
Approximate journey: 1.5 hours by direct train.
4. Broadstairs For Sandy Bays and Smaller-Seaside-Town Charm
If you're looking for proper sandy beaches without the scale of Brighton, Broadstairs is worth the longer journey.
Broadstairs and St Peter's have seven bays and beaches, including Viking Bay, Louisa Bay, Stone Bay, Dumpton Gap, Joss Bay, Kingsgate Bay and Botany Bay.
That gives you something Brighton doesn't:
choice.
Viking Bay is the central option, right beside the town.
If you want something quieter and more dramatic, you can look towards Botany Bay, with its chalk cliffs and distinctive coastal landscape.
Joss Bay is another option for a more activity-focused beach day.
Broadstairs is also very walkable, meaning you can combine a beach visit with the town itself rather than treating the beach as a completely separate destination.
Getting there
Broadstairs is served by the high-speed rail network, with the town council currently giving journey times from London starting at around 1 hour 22 minutes.
Visit London currently describes the journey as approximately 1.5 hours, with direct trains from London St Pancras or Victoria.
Best for:
Sandy beaches
Families
Couples
Smaller seaside towns
Exploring multiple bays
Approximate journey: Around 1.5 hours by train.
5. Margate For Beach + Culture
Margate is what you get when a traditional British seaside town mixes with a creative, contemporary city.
The beach is sandy, but you don't have to spend the entire day lying on it.
You can walk along the seafront, explore the Old Town, visit galleries, browse independent shops or go to Dreamland.
The town's cultural side is one of the things that makes Margate particularly good for a day trip from London.
If the weather turns cloudy and you don't fancy spending six hours on the beach, you still have plenty to do.
VisitBritain currently describes Margate as a seaside destination with a sandy beach, Old Town cafés and shops, art, food and Dreamland.
Getting there
Direct trains from London can take around 1.5 hours, with services from stations including St Pancras and Victoria.
Best for:
Beach + culture
Young travellers
Couples
Art lovers
Seaside attractions
Approximate journey: 1.5 hours by train.
6. Southend-on-Sea One of the Easiest Beach Escapes
If your priority is getting to the coast quickly, don't overlook Southend-on-Sea.
Southend sits on the Thames Estuary in Essex and has around seven miles of coastline, with several different beaches and seafront areas to choose from.
You have options ranging from lively central beaches near the attractions to quieter areas such as Thorpe Bay.
The central part of Southend is also home to its famous pier, Adventure Island and other traditional seaside attractions.
For a more relaxed beach experience, Thorpe Bay has wide estuary views, beach huts and nearby cafés and restaurants.
Getting there
Greater Anglia currently puts the train journey from London Liverpool Street to Southend at around 52 minutes.
That makes Southend one of the more convenient options when you don't want to spend half your day travelling to the coast.
Best for:
A quick beach escape
Families
Traditional seaside attractions
Short day trips
People travelling from East London
Approximate journey: Around 50 minutes by train, depending on service.
7. West Wittering For a More Scenic Sandy Beach
If you want something that feels more like a classic scenic beach escape, look towards West Wittering in West Sussex.
The beach is sandy, backed by dunes and grassland, with views towards Chichester Harbour and the South Downs.
Visit London describes West Wittering as a family-friendly Blue Flag beach with clear, calm waters, dunes and views across Chichester Harbour.
This is less about a busy seaside town and more about the beach itself.
That can be exactly what you're looking for.
But there's a catch
West Wittering is not quite as straightforward by public transport as Brighton or Southend.
You can take a train from London Victoria to Chichester, then continue the journey to West Wittering by local transport.
If you're driving, parking is another thing to plan.
The official West Wittering Estate currently recommends booking parking in advance, with same-day online reservations unavailable.
So this is a beach where planning ahead really does make the day easier.
Best for:
Sandy beaches
Families
Couples
Scenic coastal days
A quieter alternative to major seaside resorts
Approximate journey: Around 1.5 hours to Chichester by train, plus onward travel.
8. Eastbourne For Beach + Dramatic Coastline
If you want your beach trip to include dramatic coastal scenery, Eastbourne is a strong choice.
The town has a traditional seafront, Victorian pier and beach, but one of its biggest advantages is its proximity to the South Downs and the famous Seven Sisters coastline.
That means you can combine a seaside day with a coastal walk or head out towards the chalk cliffs.
VisitBritain currently puts Eastbourne at around 1.5 hours by train from London Victoria, and highlights its seafront, pier, independent shops, art and access to the Seven Sisters landscape.
It's a particularly good choice if you don't want your day to be:
Train → beach → sit down → train home.
Instead, you can make it:
Train → beach → pier → coastal walk → views → dinner → train home.
Best for:
Coastal walks
Dramatic scenery
Couples
Photography
Beach + countryside
Approximate journey: 1.5 hours by train.
What is the closest beach to London?
This depends on what you mean by “beach.”
If you simply want to reach the coast as quickly as possible, Southend-on-Sea is one of the most convenient options, with train journeys from London Liverpool Street taking around 52 minutes on current Greater Anglia services.
If you want the classic London-to-seaside day trip, Brighton is one of the simplest choices, with direct trains taking around an hour.
If you specifically want proper golden sand, however, you should look further out towards places such as Camber Sands, Broadstairs, Margate or West Wittering.
So the closest beach isn't necessarily the best beach for what you want.
Which beaches near London have sand?
This is worth checking before you go because not every famous London beach escape has the soft sand you might be imagining.
Sandy options include:
Camber Sands - famous for its large stretch of golden sand.
Broadstairs - several sandy bays, including Viking Bay and Botany Bay.
Margate - sandy Main Sands.
West Wittering - sandy beach backed by dunes.
Southend-on-Sea - several beaches and sandy stretches along the estuary.
Brighton is different.
Brighton is primarily a pebble beach, despite being one of the most famous seaside destinations near London.
That doesn't make it a bad beach.
It just means you should know what you're getting before you arrive.
Do you need a car to visit beaches near London?
No.
Several of the most popular options can be reached by train, which is one reason they're so popular as London day trips.
Brighton has direct rail connections.
Southend is easily reached from Liverpool Street.
Whitstable, Broadstairs and Margate are served by direct trains from London.
Camber Sands and West Wittering require more planning because you need an additional connection after the train. Visit London's current beach guide specifically notes that you don't need a car for the beaches on its list, although some require train-and-bus journeys.
If you're visiting London without a car, that doesn't mean you have to give up on a beach day.
It simply means check the final part of the journey before you leave.
When is the best time to visit a beach near London?
The obvious answer is summer.
But British beaches aren't only for hot weather.
On a warm summer day, you can swim, sit on the sand and spend hours beside the sea.
In spring or autumn, the same destinations can be better for walking, photography, fish and chips and exploring the seaside town without the crowds.
Visit London notes that English beaches are open year-round, while recommending the warmer summer months if swimming is your main goal.
And remember that the sea doesn't care what your calendar says.
Check the weather, tides and local beach safety information before swimming.
At Camber Sands, for example, the local authority specifically warns about fast incoming tides and sandbars.
On the Thanet coast, current 2026 information also provides seasonal RNLI lifeguard coverage at selected beaches, but coverage varies by beach and date.
What should you take on a London beach day?
You don't need to overpack.
But a few things make a big difference:
Towel
Swimwear
Sunscreen
Water
Comfortable shoes
A light jacket
Portable phone charger
Some cash/card
A small bag for rubbish
A change of clothes if you plan to swim
And check the weather before leaving London.
A beach that feels perfect in sunshine can feel completely different when you're standing there in strong wind and rain.
The best part about London's beaches
The surprising thing about living in or visiting London is how quickly the city can disappear.
You can spend your morning surrounded by buses, buildings and crowds.
Then, a train later, you're standing beside the sea.
You can hear waves instead of traffic.
You can eat fish and chips instead of grabbing lunch between Tube journeys.
You can walk along a pier, sit on the sand, explore a seaside town or simply look out towards the horizon.
And you don't necessarily need an entire weekend.
A beach day from London can be just that a day.
So if you've been in London for a while and feel like you need to escape the city for a few hours, don't automatically book a flight or a hotel.
Check the coast first.
There might be a beach waiting for you only a train ride away.
Planning your next London day out? Discover more neighbourhood guides, hidden gems, food spots and things to do on LondonYaar.com.
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