I visit a seaside town just an hour from London all the time — it's better than Brighton

London certainly isn’t a boring city; in fact, it can be pretty intense and getting away from its constant hustle and bustle is often much needed. Whenever I leave London, I always return loving it more than I did when I left, even if it’s only a short weekend break, and one of the best things about London is how easy it is to leave. Travel hubs like Euston, Kings Cross and Victoria have trains that can take you all over the country, and as the weather warms up, many of us city dwellers will no doubt be headed to the coast for a sunny retreat.

From the golden shores of Camber Sands, Whistable’s pebbly seaside or the charming Walton-on-the-Naze, there’s certainly no shortage of seaside towns to choose from, but one always seems to beat the rest. Brighton Beach is often touted as the best seaside near London, conveniently located less than an hour from the capital, but if you go another 30 minutes on the train along the coast, you’ll arrive at another seaside town that’s so much better.

One of the many perks of getting out of London, even for a day, is finding some peace and quiet away from the crowds you often find here, especially if you spend the week commuting on crammed tube carriages.

I often find that a trip to Brighton doesn’t feel that dissimilar to being in London — it’s always crowded and not that much cheaper. In fact, it often just feels like London with a beach attached.

Eastbourne, however, is the underdog of British seaside towns and worth the extra 30 minutes on the train. My friends tease me for my love of Eastbourne, but as a Londoner, it’s got everything I could want when it comes to getting some respite from the chaos of the city.

A pebble beach that rivals Brighton’s, glorious walks along the Seven Sisters and evenings spent watching the sunset at Beachy Head, Eastbourne feels like a real holiday. There’s not that much to the actual town, and that’s what makes it even more pleasant, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to do.

Plenty of independent coffee shops and restaurants line the streets leading to the beach, but there are no hordes of crowds you have to push through, as is the case with many other popular seaside towns.

A holiday for me requires a few things — quality time spent with friends, eating good food, perhaps a few drinks and spending time outdoors taking in the views, and Eastbourne manages to tick all of these boxes.

One of my favourite places to stop by is Soup n Tap, a Latin-style bistro that serves freshly made food and incredible cocktails, making it the perfect pit stop on the way back from the beach.

Located just outside the South Downs National Park, if you go by car, a trip to Eastbourne isn’t complete without a drive through the rolling green hills, and there are plenty of charming villages and walking trails to stop off at.

A change of pace and scenery is often the best part of getting away, and Eastbourne might be a surprising choice for this, but it always manages to do precisely that.