Big it up for Brighton, a city that likes to do things a little different. Just a short train ride through the dales of East Sussex from the buzzing heart of London, this one swaps skyscrapers for shingle beaches, and tops it all off with a medley of rollicking LGBTQ bars, student discos, pride marches, refined Anglo rowhouses, vintage arts boutiques – the list goes on.

The result is a heady cocktail that's British through and through. Take the town center, where Victorian-era teahouses can spill onto cobbled squares, all the while mods purring by on Union Jack-scooters and earthy fish-and-chip stalls touting battered cod and potato. The main action of the city is surely along its seafront. A long, rocky beach spills into the English Channel there, with volleyball courts and brave swimmers making an appearance. The area's Palace Pier is famous, laced with gaming arcades and souvenir stalls.

Brighton tour guides with local tips can whisk you away from the salty shoreline to the student sectors of The Lanes – think vegan breakfasts, vinyl shops and cozy pubs. Others might prefer to showcase the elegant outlines of the Royal Pavilion, a John Nash creation that sports spires and domes worthy of a Maharaja.