This is a top choice for the London commuter because it has fast trains and roads, glamorous seaside, pretty Downland villages, and yacht marinas pop up with increasing frequency as you head west.
Brighton is the belle of the ball, with its Royal Pavilion, smart shops, rakish air, universities and arts festivals. There are slow stopping trains or fast ones into Victoria and London Bridge or Victoria and Waterloo depending on your route. Estate agents often talk of Brighton as being on a level with London in terms of house prices and clientele. It has its own list of resident celebs including Fatboy Slim and Zoe Ball, Heather Mills and Nick Berry.
Towns in West Sussex where prices are more affordable include Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Crawley, parts of Worthing. Towns which offer good shops and a sense of style include Horsham, Billingshurst, Petworth, Pulborough, Midhurst and Arundel. Chichester in the west (but not on a main line) appeals to boat-loving families who tend to drive down from London or Guildford at weekends to take to the water.
It is served by the A23, A 24, A27, A272, A3, M23, and is very convenient for Gatwick Airport.
Neighbouring counties include East Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Hampshire.
Stations in West Sussex:
