Brighton — Attraction in Great Britain

I feel I must share my very disappointing and frightening experience at Brighton Railway Station. I visited Brighton as an international student taking part in a summer camp at the University of Brighton. After a full day trip to London, my classmates and I returned late in the evening, excited to share our experiences and head back to our residence. We were standing outside the station, waiting for taxis, chatting and trying to stay warm in the chilly night air.

Suddenly, a group of drunk and aggressive men approached us. They immediately began shouting insults, mocking us for being foreigners, and using very offensive language. Before we could react, they started throwing bottles from their drinks at us. The situation quickly escalated as some of them attempted to intimidate us further and even steal from us. One of my classmates had his bag pulled at, another almost lost his phone. I felt completely vulnerable and scared, and it was shocking that this could happen right outside a major railway station.

What made the experience worse was the lack of visible police or security staff. We had no immediate support and had to protect ourselves while trying to get taxis. The fear, confusion, and shock we felt that night ruined what should have been a joyful return from a day trip. I was stunned that a city like Brighton, popular with tourists and international students, could allow such behavior to happen openly.

I want to warn other students and travelers: be extremely careful around Brighton Railway Station at night. Groups of drunk or drug-using people can be aggressive, and vulnerable visitors are at risk of harassment or theft. It is completely unacceptable that anyone, especially students from abroad, should feel unsafe simply standing outside a public transportation hub. No one should have to experience harassment, verbal abuse, and the threat of theft in a city that promotes itself as welcoming to international visitors.

I also urge local authorities and the Brighton Police to take stronger measures. More frequent patrols, visible security, and strict consequences for those who harass, threaten, or steal from tourists are necessary. It is vital that proper lighting, CCTV, and rapid response units be put in place to ensure the safety of visitors. Students, tourists, and residents should be able to use public transport without fear of being targeted. The experience we went through was not just unpleasant—it was a serious safety concern.

Furthermore, I believe that Brighton city officials should work on long-term prevention strategies. Outreach programs, rehabilitation efforts, and stricter enforcement against public intoxication and drug use near busy transport hubs would help create a safer environment. Public awareness campaigns could also warn travelers and residents about high-risk areas and encourage them to report suspicious or threatening behavior immediately. Safety cannot be an afterthought, especially in areas frequented by international students and tourists.

Until significant improvements are made, I cannot recommend Brighton Railway Station for tourists or students. Please exercise extreme caution if you plan to be there late in the evening. My classmates and I were genuinely frightened, and the incident could have easily escalated into physical harm. Brighton has the potential to be a vibrant, welcoming city, but incidents like this severely damage its reputation and make visitors feel unsafe. Adequate policing, security, and preventative measures are essential to prevent such occurrences in the future.

This experience was frightening, unnecessary, and completely avoidable with proper security and city management. Tourists, especially students from other countries, deserve to enjoy their visit without fear. I hope Brighton authorities take this warning seriously and implement the necessary changes to ensure the safety of everyone using...

Really terrible experience at Brighton Station. I was participating in the Brighton Marathon (cycling) this weekend for charity - I booked my train tickets weeks in advance and expressly checked in advance that bikes were allowed on the train (the train has bicycle areas). I turned up for the train I had booked and was treated really rudely and dismissively by the female member of staff on the gates.

At first she just tried to turn me away and said ‘no bikes’ and moved onto the next person. I started to worry and politely asked what she meant because I had booked a service for bikes. She then patronisingly said that I ‘should understand that it’s very busy’ and they’re ‘actually very understanding allowing bikes at all because they don’t normally’ (not true unless they are lying on the booking system!). She said that the train was too full for any more luggage and I would have to get another one. She then let on two people with massive suitcases. I asked when the next service would be I was allowed on. She got exasperated and told me to ‘look’ and then very pleadingly (given I had been there about 20 seconds) asked me to ‘PLEASE stand to the side’ as I looked around to try and move (I was swarmed on all sides by people) she then exclaimed ‘PLEASE, look at the queue behind you’, as though I am being difficult by trying to get onto a train I booked!!

None of the other staff seemed to know when I would be able to get on a train with my bike, which would seem like pretty poor planning if they are stopping people getting onto their booked service… It didn’t help that my whole body was aching from the ride either!

I can completely understand if there is a genuine problem with the service and I am never rude to service staff who communicate this. Unfortunately this staff member did not reciprocate any politeness and couldn’t care less about whether I could get home or not (as a single female traveller as it’s getting dark nonetheless).

I can’t boycott trains, but I do avoid them at all costs - I feel like staff are just...

Sometimes lovely, sometimes awful. I went to the train station today with my girlfriend and we were greeted warmly however upon us going on tickets and entering the train section we were told that we could not board the train and instead had to turn round, exit the area we were in which invalidated our tickets as they had already been scanned. Then make way round to this channel with a herd of drunken football fans as supposedly our train was the same as where the football was sat. We just wanted to get home! We had to wait 30 minutes in this massive crowd where my girlfriend struggled because she has chronic illness and anxiety and was entirely panicked about the situation and if they had checked we would have been fined for having used tickets as we had already scanned our tickets.

There was no signs or signalling that we should have gone in this queue in the first place and we had to scramble to get on the train after making it all the way in because everyone was shoving and pushing their way through.

I don’t see how this system was any more efficient than just letting people scan their tickets and get on the train. In fact it was so much worse. This was a very stressful experience and I think it could’ve been much better managed with some actual care...