Visiting Prague

Posted on 29/05/2025 by ainarsbl

Visiting Prague will provide you with huge positive experiences. Prague is the most visited touristic site of the Czech Republic. We have been there several times and never were bored.

Visiting Prague and Czech Republic

Czech Republic, also called Czechia, is a country in the Central Europe, although, due to its 20th century history it is classified here rather as belonging to Eastern Europe.
Czechia has borders with Slovakia, Austria, Germany and Poland and its land territory is 77 thousand square kilometres (almost 30 thousand square miles).

This is a very similar size to their neighbouring country Austria (slightly smaller) and central American country Panama (Czechia is slightly bigger). In Czechia live more than 1ten million people; majority of them are Czechs.

Prague is the largest city in the Czech Republic and the 13th biggest city in the European Union. Total number of the people living there is around 1.3 million (over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area).

Getting there

By car

If you are in Czechia’s neighbouring country, it may be a good idea visiting Prague by car. Motorways in Czechia are excellent and driving on those is a joy. However, there are a couple things to keep in mind.

Firstly, buy highway vignette; if they catch you without it, fines may be huge. Also, follow speed limits; according to my personal experience, police officers use to hide to stop you with a surprise if you are speeding.

By airplane

If you go by plane, you’ll most probably arrive at Vaclav Havel Prague Airport. Options to get from the airport to the city centre cheap are not huge; there are no metro connection between Prague airport and the city centre, and it is not planned for a foreseeable future as far as I know. The best option, in my opinion (we used it a few times), is departing from airport by bus 119.

After 8 stops (this might be the destination of 119, although I am not quite sure about it; sign next to 119 says ‘Dejvicka’), leave bus and look for Prague Metro Green Line station Nadrazi Veleslavin and board a train going in direction of Depo Hostivar – after six stops you’ll arrive in the city centre (Mustek).

It’s not hard to find metro station because it’s close and just follow the crowd as majority of people will go the same route usually. All journey from boarding the bus to arrival at Mustek will take around 30 minutes. Using private pick-up, shuttle or taxi would not save that much money, however, would cost much more – 10 to 25 euros or even more in some cases.

People say there is also Airport Express bus service (costs about a double of bus/metro transfer, which is still cheap), however I have not been using it and cannot comment for that reason.

There are more options, and you can explore those visiting Prague airport webpage dedicated to transportation to Prague city centre – information is really detailed and useful there.

Getting around

I already mentioned Prague metro – apart of busses and trams, this is convenient way to travel across the city. There are three metro lines – Green (A), Yellow (B) and Red (C). They have plans to open the fourth underground line (Blue line) in 2027 to connect southern parts of the city to the city centre.

Once we lived quite far away from the city centre, however, were able quickly to reach central parts of the city, where vast majority of the best touristic sites are located, by using metro.

After you arrive at one of metro stations in the city centre, we usually prefer to walk, occasionally popping into tram. Metro may be useful to commute between sites located in opposite sides of the river.

More information, including prices, you may find on different websites. You can also explore where to go, where to stay, where to eat and drink in Prague.

Capital of Croatia Zagreb

Posted on 14/02/2025 by ainarsbl

This is one of blogs concluding our experiences of traveling to Croatia in the summer of 2022. There is also something else to write about. I have written this year about such wonderful places in Dalmatia as Split, Omis, Grebastica, Sevid, Rogiznica and Primosten. Some time ago I also wrote about Dubrovnik and Dalmatia.

Before that, we were in Zagreb quite a long time ago, but it is the place where our great interest in Croatia began, when we drove there with our car from Riga. So this is very good reason to end where it all began. In addition, the city has many places for tourists to see and exciting entertainment opportunities can also be found.

About Zagreb

Zagreb is the capital of Croatia with a population of less than 800 thousand people. Zagreb is the largest city in Croatia. City’s surroundings have been inhabited since the time of the Romans, but the city was founded in 1242, when the Tatars arrived in the region. The king took refuge in the city from the invaders and in gratitude allowed it to maintain its judicial system and granted other benefits.

Some numbers about Croatia purely for information, so that it is clear what we are talking about. Croatia has a total of around four million inhabitants, of which around 90% are Croats. The population has decreased significantly over the last 10 years, mostly due to emigration (many are looking for a better life in European Union countries or Switzerland).

About Croatia

The territory of Croatia is 56.5 thousand square kilometres, comparable to Latvia or Lithuania. Interestingly, in terms of GDP per capita, Croatia ranks around no. 70 in the world, but around no. 50 in purchasing power, which means that prices there are still not insanely high (thanks to the tourism industry, Croatia has never been at cheapest end).
Zagreb has an interesting climate in some ways. Something between sea climate (it rains a lot, foggy in autumn) and continental (there are four real seasons). For a couple of weeks in summer, the temperature can be above +30 degrees, but in winter, it will snow for a month and low temperatures in minus degrees will not surprise anyone.

Getting there

Zagreb is one of the European cities worth flying to just to spend a weekend. Zagreb airport is only about 15 kilometres from the city and there are different options for getting from the airport to the city and back – a special airport transfer bus (a ticket costs less than 5 euros), a regular shuttle bus (it’s slower, but cheaper – it takes about 40 minutes to get to the city) and taxi (prices are relatively not high). The airport is also not overcrowded, as it handles well under 5 million passengers a year.

As in a big city, Zagreb is the centre of the country’s economy and finances, and it is also a significant transport hub. From Zagreb you can easily get to other places both in Croatia and beyond. It should be noted that Zagreb is relatively far from the sea (it is at least 150 kilometres by road), so many Croatians have summer houses near the Adriatic Sea, where they go to spend their summer vacation.

I just realized that I intended to write a story about something completely different – Zagreb as a gateway to the rest of Croatia and especially to the Adriatic coast.

If you arrive in Zagreb by car or fly in, the city has a wide range of accommodation options. Of course, if you drive your own car, it is possible to find something located on the outskirts of the city, but at a lower price. On the Internet, you can choose from nearly 500 different types of accommodation during the winter season, the prices of which vary between 30 and 600 euros per night for two persons. If you’re lucky, you can even find a simple two-bed apartment in the city centre for as little as 40 euros.

One thing must be noted – as I have already written about Croatia, hotels must be booked well in advance for a stay during the summer season. Otherwise, you may simply not get an accommodation.

Split in Croatia

Posted on 08/12/2024 by ainarsbl

Dalmatian city Split

Split is the second largest city in Croatia and you can see it from far away as you approach the city. It is also the largest city in Dalmatia and the largest Croatian city on the Adriatic coast.

The city has become popular with tourists, especially in recent years after episodes of the well-known TV series ‘Game of Thrones’ were filmed in the city.
Split was founded by the Greeks several centuries before Christ, but a Roman imperial palace was built in the city already a few centuries AD. Around the middle of the first millennium AD, Split became the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia.

In the following period, the city passed from the Byzantines to Venetians, but also existed as an independent city-state, so its cultural heritage is impressive.

Today, more than 160 thousand inhabitants live in Split, but together with the suburbs, the number of inhabitants reaches almost 350 thousand.

Places to see

Most of the sights are located in the old town near the seashore. The most important objects are Diocletian’s Palace, Cathedral of Saint Domnius, Fruit square, Temple of Jupiter, Golden gate (Porta Aurea) and of course the harbour promenade with a view to many passengers ferries and cruise ships.

It should be taken into account that there are strange smells near the sea – something like hydrogen sulphide. I don’t know if they occur naturally or as a result of human activity. However, these smells can only be felt near the water at the beginning of the promenade.

If you are traveling by car, there are parking lots in the old town, although finding free spaces during the tourist season may not be easy.

We were in Split in the middle of June, which is the very beginning of the tourist season in Croatia. We were lucky because we could drive up to the promenade and leave the car in the small parking lot of the promenade (Parkiralište Sveti Frane, Riva Solurat ul. 5, 21000). After a couple of hours of walking around the old town, there were no more free spaces in the parking lot and cars were queuing up to enter (it was around nine in the evening). A parking space costs a few euros per hour and payment can be made without problems with a bank card right there at the exit.

What else to see around?

As it is common in various tourist destinations, people are able to figure out surprising things. For example, while walking around the old town, we saw a Christmas shop that offers Christmas tree decorations and other related things even in the middle of summer.

I already mentioned the Games of Thrones; a whole museum is dedicated to them – the Game of Thrones Split Museum.

It should be noted that the city is active both day and night. This is due to both tourists and the fact that Croatians have this way of lifestyle. As in the hot southern countries, people become more active around sunset, when the air temperature is much more pleasant – around and slightly above +20 degrees Celsius.

The old town has a large number of cafes and the food on offer, especially seafood, is tasty and of good quality. Also, the ice cream is similar to real Italian ice cream.

Another interesting thing – if you are staying in the city and have to wait until the plane departure in the evening, or you have just arrived there with your suitcases, there are many luggage storage facilities in the city where you can leave your belongings for a small fee. It makes life much easier as you do not have to carry your luggage through the narrow streets of the old town. A little thing, but make life more enjoyable.

My favourite place was probably Fruit Square, because there is enough space, even though there are many people. Musicians often perform there, you can buy delicious ice cream and you can find a place to sit down. It is also located practically on the promenade – you don’t have to wander anywhere far to find it.

The second most interesting object for me was the Temple of Jupiter. Relatively, a very small but very old building and a restaurant is hidden on its side down the stairs serving food in a special atmosphere.

Glasgow

Posted on 20/10/2024 by ainarsbl

Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city, the fourth largest in the UK and the 27th largest in Europe. More than 600,000 people live in Glasgow today, even though the population was over 1.1 million before the middle of the 20th century. Since then, many people have moved to nearby towns and now in Grater Glasgow region live almost 1.8 million people, about a third of Scotland’s total population.

What to see

The city is well known for its university, founded in 1451. The university has 35,000 students from 140 countries, employs around 9,000 people and is one of the world’s top 100 universities.

There are also a number of other highly ranked universities in Glasgow where young people from many parts of the world come to study.

Although Glasgow has always been an industrial city, especially known for shipbuilding, it also has a very large cultural heritage. There are many museums, art galleries and exhibitions in the city, but the history can be felt simply by walking through its streets.
Popular attractions include the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (free admission), the Riverside Museum, Glasgow Science Centre and George Square in the heart of the city. And of course, the central building of the University of Glasgow is worth a visit; both the exterior of the complex and the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery inside are impressive (it can be visited free of charge).

Traffic

There is an underground transport in Glasgow – subway. It has only one round line and trains run in both directions. Interestingly, subway cars are much smaller than, for example, in London. It feels like miniature railway arrives to the platform.

It is best to get around the city by underground or train if you need to go somewhere more far away from the centre. Of course, buses also run across the city, however I have only used buses a few times in three years when I lived there. I did not like that busses are often be late, slow and also relatively expensive.

The city centre is walkable and has pedestrian-only streets.

Those who want to go to other destinations must remember that Glasgow has two main railway stations and you cannot get to where you want to go from both stations. The stations are about a 10-minute walk away, so trying to find a bus or taxi to get from one to another doesn’t make much sense. Of course, if you have a lot of luggage to handle, you just have to take a taxi.

There is also a bus station in the city centre, with buses to major cities and other destinations in Scotland and England. In general, intercity bus services in Scotland are good.

If you arrive at Glasgow Airport, almost the only cheap choice to get to the city is the bus that stops at the terminal. However, if you arrive after midnight, you may have to take a taxi, which is not cheap at all.

Where to go

There are many shops and cafes in the city centre, during the day you can walk through the pedestrian streets, see the central station from the inside and go to the eastern part of the city centre, which is not far away and has its own charm because there used to be city warehouses.

But the city centre is turning very busy in the evening, as many nightclubs are opening up and life is getting different. The most popular, in some ways even legendary, entertainment street is Sauchiehall Street. Life in the area is bustling until three o’clock in the morning, especially on weekends.

Glasgow is a very active city in general, where people relax after a day of work, and especially after a week of work, and it’s so different from many other Scottish cities that are much quieter. So if you are in Scotland, it is worth visiting Glasgow and enjoying its special charm.

Easter in Poland

Posted on 20/04/2024 by ainarsbl

Poland is a big country, one of the largest in the European Union. Usually, we have been crossing it as a transit country, however, there are many places in Poland worth visiting. One day, we decided to see how people celebrate Easter in Poland.

Here are notes of our trip made during the Easter Holidays in 2010. This time for the trip was chosen because the majority of Polish people as very active Catholics and visit churches and celebrate Easter according to their traditions every year. Some sites we visited for that reason were of religious character.

City of Krakow

We went to Krakow which is one of the oldest cities in Poland and is located in the Lesser Poland region famous for its architecture, and religious and cultural heritage. Since 1978, the old town of Krakow has been on the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites.

Also, Krakow is the second largest city in Poland with many beautiful sites for visitors. For example, Old Town (Stare Miasto), Wawel Castle, St. Andrew’s Church and the district of Kazimierz. Kraków has also been the royal capital of Poland for many centuries.

Although Easter is a very busy time in Krakow, we managed to get an apartment for short-term rent in the heart of the old town, just two hundred metres from the Main Market Square.

To book our apartment, we used the services of booking.com as usual. I am mentioning this here because shortly before arrival, we found out that our booked apartment was already occupied.

I immediately contacted customer services at booking.com and after a few hours this incident was solved – we got even better rooms and conditions than initially! This was the first incident of such kind with this company and I am really satisfied with how quickly it was handled.

Easter Celebration

Our main goal was to see how they celebrate Easter. On Saturday afternoon we went to a church. There were lots of local people. It was interesting to see that, according to the local traditions, people carried to the church small baskets with eggs and other components of breakfast (they call it a “blessing basket”). The basket was put down on the table in the church and consecrated by a pastor.

After the service, people took their baskets and went home waiting for Easter morning to consume the content of the “blessing basket”; the family breakfast is an important part of the Easter celebration in Poland. To be honest, I never saw this kind of action before and it was really amazing to experience. Just to add that the taste of our breakfast basket eggs was excellent.

During those two amazing days in Krakow, we enjoyed the festive atmosphere on the Main Market Square, booked a horse cart for sightseeing, tasted many different sweets, and local beer (for sure, it was better than fermented grape juice known as wine which is offered in local pubs), visited Wawel Castle and other sites of historical centre of Krakow.

The capital of Catalonia Barcelona

Posted on 02/03/2024 by ainarsbl

The first thought that comes to mind when you hear the word Barcelona – it’s something special! It is one of Europe’s must-see cities. Like Prague, Paris, London and Rome.

I can’t even tell if there are many more similar cities in terms of the added value of the trip. The list can then be continued with Venice, Florence in Italy, Vienna in Austria, Amsterdam in Netherlands, Budapest in Hungary and so on. This is, of course, my list and it may be different for everyone, but one thing is clear: Barcelona is a must-see place and it is located in the very north of Spain.

About the city

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, with a population of just over one and a half million people and, together with the surrounding areas (almost 5 million people), it is the second largest populated area in Spain. And of course – Barcelona is a seaside city on the Mediterranean coast.

Catalonia is an autonomous region of Spain and differs from central Spain in many ways. Catalonia even has two official languages, Catalan and Spanish.

The origins of Barcelona can be traced back to the beginning of our era when the Romans came there, but it is best known for its houses designed by the architect Antonio Gaudi rather than the Romans. Pablo Picasso also lived in Barcelona but later moved to Paris.
Barcelona did not start to develop until the very end of the nineteenth century, so it can be considered a modern city. The city also has many other cultural and historical sites, several of which (about eight in total) are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. And of course, as it should be in Spain, the food there is great – just because of the restaurants and cafes, it is worth going there.

Getting around

The best way to get to Barcelona is to fly there. Barcelona Airport is the largest on the Mediterranean coast and from the city can be reached by train, metro or bus; it is just 17 kilometres away. We used the subway and it was very convenient and simple. By the way, the bus (Aerobus) from the airport to the city return ticket costs just over 10 euros (you have to make your return within 15 days).

The Barcelona metro is very convenient, so being in the city, we used it the most to get to different places where we did not want to walk. We also used bus services a bit. The best deal is to buy a T10 ticket, which is intended for ten trips within the first zone of the city and is suitable for any mode of transport travelling in this zone. Tickets can be purchased at any metro station.

By the way, the subway works from five in the morning until midnight, but on Fridays until two o’clock after midnight. The price of a T10 ticket in 2021 was 11.2 euros.

What to see

On the first day, we went to the cathedral Sagrada Família (holy family), which, of course, was designed by Gaudi. This building is the culmination of his talent. The architect worked on the project for almost the last ten years of his life.

The queue at the entrance was not very long in the morning, however it was not possible to get inside right away – we had to wait for our turn. The interior of the cathedral is fantastic.

The overall feeling was a bit spoiled by the fact that we didn’t climb up the tower; in case of bad weather (wind, fog) this attraction is cancelled (money, of course, we got back).
It should be mentioned that without prior reservation it is practically impossible to climb the tower because there are many more people willing to get there than the opportunities to get there.

Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s main street, has certainly been heard by many even if you have not visited Barcelona. You can walk along it for a long time and always see something interesting. Las Ramblas starts at Plaça de Catalunya and goes all the way to the sea.

Undoubtedly, one of the most popular places in the city, apart from architectural masterpieces, is the square Plaça de Catalunya. There are fountains, sculptures and lawns. And there is a special story about city parks. Without even looking specifically for one, we turned into several and the views were amazing! Trees, lawns, canals, buildings, fountains – fantastic!

Accommodation

Hotel prices in Barcelona are quite high, but we chose to rent an apartment again and it paid off, because we ate, came and went when we wanted to. This was especially good when we came home very late in the evenings. The city in the evenings is very attractive and everybody wants to spend time there as much as possible.

Marrakesh

Posted on 26/11/2023 by ainarsbl

The capital city of Morocco is Rabat, which is located 324 kilometres northeast of Marrakesh. It would take three and a half hours to reach Marrakesh by car from Rabat, it is the fourth largest city in Morocco.

Instead of coming from Morocco’s capital by car, we landed at Menara Airport in June. It was a direct flight from Glasgow by EasyJet. The cost of the return flight per person at that time was about £145 and pre-arranged taxi pick-up from the airport to the city was around £15.

We spent about a week in Morocco at that time. In 2015, Marrakesh was named by TripAdvisor as the No.1 travel destination in the world (winners of the 2015 Travellers’ Choice award for Destinations), leaving such popular destinations as Czech capital Prague at 5th position, UK’s London as No.6 and Rome as No.7 – impressive, isn’t it? The major part of this trip we spent in Marrakesh.

Accommodation in Marrakesh

Marhabbah Murrākuš! It is a norm in Morocco that you would rather find a privately owned guest house ‘Riad’ for your stay than a hotel. We decided to try two of them in Marrakesh; the first one was simple and thus cheaper but the second riad had large rooms and an impressive decorated private pool.

Both were located in Medina (old town) near Bab Doukkala Mosque. One of the most useful things we did during preparation for our visit was to ask a representative of the Riad to meet us after arrival near a mosque. You may ask why? Because even a detailed investigation of Google Maps sometimes would not help to find accommodation just after the first arrival to Marrakesh.

The old town is like a spider net and even taxi drivers may not be able to find the address you are looking for.

Getting around Marrakesh

The area around Marrakesh area has been inhabited since Neolithic times; at that time those were Berber tribes. Marrakesh was founded in 1062.

During the 60s and 70s of the last century, such famous people and groups as Yves Saint Laurent, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Jean-Paul Getty spent significant time in the city, attracting many more tourists to the city. Medina of Marrakesh is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (wow – again, we lived at least a few days in a world heritage site!

Places to visit

There are two major options to travel around the city – either on foot or by taxi. Walking is almost the only way you can move around Medina, although walking bigger distances may also be a nice way of spending time there. If you have gone too far away, you can always catch a taxi to get back home – will not need to spend a fortune on your trip back.

For example, we visited Jardin Majorelle. The Jardin Majorelle is one of the most visited sites in Morocco, open every day at least from 9am till 5pm). We enjoyed walking both ways from and back to Medina – around 4 kilometres altogether.

London – first quick look

Posted on 25/11/2023 by ainarsbl

Visiting London

The capital of England and the United Kingdom London has many interesting and even unique sites, but I will start with bridges. There are 24 bridges across the River Thames in London.

The oldest is London Bridge, which was made from wood initially, but afterwards rebuilt in 1209, 1831 and 1973. Probably, the most famous is Tower Bridge, which was built in 1894 and is known around the world.

tower bridge in london — Tower Bridge in London

One of the most interesting bridges, in my opinion, is the Millennium Bridge which is a pedestrian bridge, connecting St. Paul Cathedral and the Tate Modern Art Gallery.

A very beautiful scene appears if you look at the bridge from the art gallery to St. Paul Cathedral. However, you can cross the river using any of the other bridges (except a few railway bridges) and every time panoramic view will be different and equally interesting.

Parks and gardens

Despite being a large city, London is very green. There are lots of small gardens and large parks even in the city centre. The largest parks in the central area are The Regent’s Park (166 hectares), Hyde Park (142 hectares) and Kensington Gardens (111 hectares).

Those are also called Royal Parks because initially they were created for the recreation of the royal family. Many people are using parks for running and walking every day.

Birthday of the Queen

If you decide to visit London, every year there is a big public celebration of Queen’s or King’s Birthday. A crowd of people watch the parade. It is called Trooping the Colour – a tradition coming from the 17th century. It is held annually in London on the second Saturday of June.

After a parade of the British Army, the Queen travels down from The Mall to Buckingham Palace in a Royal Procession. It is very interesting to watch Mounted Troops and Horse Guards. At the end of the event, Royal Air Forces fly over the palace.

Pubs and events in London

In my opinion, English pubs are something special. You can enjoy excellent beer having lunch or without it. You can get a very special traditional dish on Sundays – Sunday Roast. But the most amazing picture you may see on Friday evenings. Before coming home from work, lots of people after working week are gathering, making crowds outside centrally located pubs.

This is like a forecast that the weekend is coming and people start celebrating the end of the hard-working week. And this celebration often ends only when pubs are closing around midnight. Every weekend, during summertime, there are events and various celebrations all around the city. One of the most popular and populated events is Notting Hill Carnival. This event is held each August Bank Holiday since 1966 and is the largest festival celebration of its kind in Europe.

There are lots of costumes, lots of noise from sound systems all around and much more public watching these activities. Altogether, around one million people are participating in this carnival. One of the most interesting attractions during this event is the steel band competition.

London sightseeing

Visiting London offers a huge amount of different attractions. For example, the River Thames is a very busy public transport route. If you wish to have a river trip, it’s worth choosing Greenwich as a destination and using the very comfortable services of Thames Clippers (they are now called Uber Boat). These high-speed catamarans are fast and services are frequent, have many stops and you can watch from the river many sites during the trip. Greenwich is one of the last stops of the Thames Clippers.

After visiting the Royal Observatory and surrounding area in Greenwich, you can return to the city centre using DLR – Docklands Light Railway. This is one more thing to be experienced – DLR is one of the first light rail systems in Britain and has one of the world’s most advanced automatic train control systems.

All DLR trains from Greenwich arrive at Bank Underground Station. These are just a few tips on how you can spend your time in London for an extended weekend. In reality, even 10 years of living in London might be not enough to get familiar with everything that offers this city.

Oxford and Brighton

Posted on 21/11/2023 by ainarsbl

English cities

The United Kingdom is a country, which you can visit many times and every time you will discover something new. The same applies if you are in London. Just to mention that London contains 4 (!) UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, a complex consisting of the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, St. Margaret’s Church, and Greenwich.

On this page there are just two very short episodes from many visits outside London, although we have visited many many more – check this blog for other places.

Oxford

Oxford is one of the most beautiful cities in the UK. The city is widely known for its medieval Oxford University. Buildings in Oxford demonstrate an example of every English architectural period since the arrival of Saxons, but especially impressive are the buildings of the University of Oxford.

There are roughly 100 major academic departments, which are overseen by the four academic divisions: Medical Sciences; Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences; Humanities and Social Sciences. There are 38 Oxford colleges, which are financially independent and self-governing but relate to the central University in a kind of federal system.

The best way to get from London to Oxford is by Oxford Tube bus company, it takes less than 2 hours from central London. A bit more expensive option is using a train. If you travel by train to Oxford, you have to leave from Paddington station by Great Western Railway or from Marylebone station to board Chiltern Railways.

Brighton

Brighton is a very popular seaside resort town located about 90 kilometres (50 miles) from London. Brighton is a festival town with many attractive events during the summer season.

Brighton has a 5.4-mile-long shingle beach all owned by the city council. Each year during May, the city hosts the Brighton Festival and Brighton Fringe, which is the second largest arts festival in the UK after Edinburgh (Scotland).

To visit Brighton from London, there are very many frequent train services (Southern and Thameslink) and it would take about one hour to get there.

To the south-west from London there is another, perhaps, even more popular resort town Bournemouth. The best way to travel from London to Brighton and also to Bournemouth, might be by train, however ticket prices during the holiday season may get very high. For example, a return ticket to Bournemouth may cost more than one hundred pounds.