Brighton or Bruges?

Brighton has the beach on its doorstep. A shingle strand runs the whole seafront from the Marina to Hove, with lifeguards on the central stretches in summer, and it is where the town spends its sunny afternoons, even if the pebbles are steep and the Channel is cold.

Bruges has no beach of its own. You take a fifteen-minute train to Blankenberge, where the coast tram connects a long line of wide, flat sand. That suits children better than Brighton's shingle, but the North Sea is just as chilly and it is always a half-day outing rather than part of daily life.

The two are evenly matched at the table, but they are good at different things. Brighton's strength is lots of small independent kitchens, with a long vegetarian and vegan tradition, serious coffee in the North Laine, seafood from the stalls under the arches and Sussex sparkling wine from the Downs.

Bruges is built around Belgian beer, with Trappist and abbey brews poured in wood-panelled cafés, plus mussels and frites, beer-braised beef, waterzooi and chocolate everywhere. In both, the most touristy spots disappoint, the seafront on summer weekends in Brighton and the Markt's set menus in Bruges, so walk a street or two further.

Brighton has one sight that would stand out anywhere: the Royal Pavilion, with Indian domes outside and chinoiserie rooms inside. Around it are the Lanes, the Palace Pier, the bare frame of the West Pier, the Booth Museum and the white Regency crescents of Kemptown and Hove. These fill a day or two of wandering and looking at buildings, but there is no long list of landmarks to work through.

Bruges is far richer for sightseeing. Its whole canal-ringed centre is a World Heritage site, from the guildhalls and stepped gables around the Belfry and the Burg to the Begijnhof, and its churches and museums hold Flemish art of real international weight. The old town is compact, though, and two full days cover the main sights. Start early, because the narrow streets fill with day-trippers by late morning.

Going out is one of the main reasons to visit Brighton, and it barely registers in Bruges. Brighton fills its pubs every night thanks to two universities and its long role as London's weekend escape. Kemptown has one of Britain's oldest LGBTQ+ scenes, and the clubs on West Street and in the seafront arches stay open into the small hours.

In Bruges an evening means a long session over strong ales in a brown café or cellar bar around the Eiermarkt or 't Zand, then a walk along the canals. Most of the town is asleep by midnight on weeknights. That is lovely for a couple, but a let-down for anyone who wants to dance.

Brighton has much better countryside close at hand. A short bus ride takes you onto the chalk grassland of the South Downs National Park at Devil's Dyke or on the South Downs Way, and the white cliffs of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head are under an hour east. Windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing off the seafront add a watery side.

Around Bruges the land is flat polder with poplar-lined canals. It is ideal for an easy bike ride to Damme or a birdwatching visit to the Zwin salt marsh, but there are no hills and nothing to build an outdoor trip around.

Both make excellent bases, and the difference is in the kind of outings. From Brighton the big draw is London, about an hour by fast train, along with Sussex towns like Lewes, Arundel, Chichester and Rye. The country houses of the Weald and the vineyards of the Downs are easier with a car.

From Bruges almost everything is a quick train ride to another historic city. Ghent is under half an hour away and Brussels and Antwerp are not much further, with the First World War memorials of Ypres and the Westhoek about an hour away by car or bus.

Brighton is the easier choice with children. It offers the full English seaside package: rides and arcades on the Palace Pier, the Victorian aquarium, Volk's Electric Railway and paddling at Hove Lagoon, all within a compact centre. Do keep away from the centre late on weekend nights.

Bruges works best for short outings like canal boats, horse-drawn carriages, climbing the Belfry and feeding the swans at the Minnewater, with Boudewijn Seapark for a fuller day. The sandy coast is good for sandcastles, but cobbles and crowded summer streets are hard going with a pushchair.

Both are easy to see on foot, but the ground differs. Brighton's centre is compact but hilly, with a steady climb back up to the station and steep streets in Kemptown, and a dense bus network covers Hove and the edge of the Downs.

Bruges is flat and largely car-free inside its canal ring, so bikes are the natural way to get around. Its station sits outside the ring, though, and the cobbles are hard on ankles and suitcase wheels. In both cities a car only gets in the way.

Brighton is the more rewarding place to browse. The North Laine's vintage clothes, records, retro furniture and comics, plus the jewellers and antique dealers of the Lanes, make for an afternoon of finding odd things, even without any luxury streets.

In Bruges, shopping mostly means things to eat and drink: pralines, specialist beer shops selling bottles and glasses, and lace, much of it imported. Beyond that there are mostly chains on Steenstraat and weekend markets on 't Zand and along the Dijver.

Both are expensive for their size, and in both the room is the main cost. Brighton is dearest on summer weekends, when Londoners and party groups fill the seafront hotels. Once you are there, the beach, piers and Downs cost nothing, but train fares add up if you plan several day trips.

Bruges charges a lot for hotels inside the canal ring and for ordinary food on the main squares. Its trains to Ghent and Brussels are reasonably priced, though, and its beer is fair value. In both cities, staying midweek makes the biggest difference.

Brighton has far more on stage. Every May the Brighton Festival and England's largest fringe take over theatres, churches and pubs for weeks. The rest of the year there is the Dome, the Theatre Royal, plenty of small live-music rooms and strong comedy, with Glyndebourne's summer opera about twenty minutes away.

Bruges is more specialised. The Concertgebouw is known for early music, chamber music and contemporary dance, the city holds a respected early-music festival each summer, and the Belfry carillon plays over the rooftops. Bars offer little live music, so many people head to Ghent or Brussels for an evening out.

Neither city has a spa culture, but Bruges is the more restful place to slow down. Early in the morning and after the tour groups leave, the canals, the Begijnhof and Minnewater park are very peaceful, and the Sint-Anna and Langestraat area stays calm even at midday.

Brighton's version of relaxation is bracing rather than soothing: dawn sea swims with a seafront sauna afterwards, or quiet midweek walks past the beach huts on Hove's lawns. On summer weekends you will need to escape to the Downs for real calm.