Brighton & Hove is one of the UK’s most popular seaside destinations, especially during the summer months when millions flock to the beach. This hustle and bustle is a key part of what makes the area such a vibrant and diverse place and by extension such a great place to live in and visit. However, the Brighton & Hove area isn’t actually that big, suffering from the ‘180-degree problem’ faced by any seaside town or city, so even when it isn’t the peak of the summer season it gets very busy. If you’re travelling by car, this busyness translates into one major issue – parking.
The combination of the amount of car traffic and council policies aimed at reducing pollution and carbon emissions from this car traffic translates into a challenging parking situation for drivers, to say the least. Much of the on-street parking in the Brighton & Hove council area is in some way restricted, with paid parking spaces often having limited hours and large areas designated as permit-holder only. For visitors, this means that often the only option is to pay for parking in expensive car parks.
Maybe you already know this and that’s why you are looking to park in Hove, but even here if you want to park for free then you will have to venture out from the centre. However, with excellent bus services and beautiful walks along the seafront or through the streets, this doesn’t need to be a problem and it’s just another way to explore and add to your enjoyment of this fabulous part of the city. So without further ado, let’s see what options are out there for the savvy parker in Hove.
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Our top picks for free parking in Hove
Where to find free parking in Hove
Hove Park
- Orchard Rd, Hove, BN3 7BG
One of the simplest ways to avoid paying for parking in Brighton and Hove is to park outside of the parking permit zone areas defined by the council. You can find a map of the parking zones here. It’s fair to say that the parking permit zones spread quite far out from the centre of Hove, so you will have to walk or perhaps jump on a bus to get to the centre or the seafront.
Probably the best place to park outside of the permit zones is the area around Hove Park. Whilst the roads directly adjacent to the park are not free, roads just around the corner such as Orchard Road and Woodland Drive have no parking restrictions at all.
Other roads, such as Hove Park Road, are free on weekends or after two o’clock in the week – be sure to check the signs wherever you park just to make sure!
From Hove Park, it’s around a twenty-minute walk into Hove and another ten minutes to the seafront. Alternatively, you can jump on a 5, 5A, or 5B bus which will take you to Hove Town Hall in seven minutes.
Aldrington Station
- Amherst Crescent, Hove, BN3 7EP
An alternative free parking option is to park in the Aldrington area, just to the west of Hove. You can park for free for as long as you like in some of the residential streets just a few minutes walk from Aldrington train station. For example, Amherst Crescent is just a couple of minute’s walk from the station. From Aldrington you can hop on a train and be at Hove station in a matter of minutes, although be aware that you are still about a ten-minute walk from the centre of Hove once you get there. Buses from near Aldrington station take about ten minutes directly into the centre, you can get on the 5, 5A, or 5B from the nearest stop on Sackville Road. It’s not too far a walk from Aldrington either – about twenty minutes to the western end of Hove.
Tesco Superstore Hove
- Tesco Superstore, Church Rd, Hove, BN3 2DL
If you need to get a little bit of shopping done (or don’t mind grabbing a few bits so that you can park for free) then Tesco in Hove has free customer parking for three hours if you spend five pounds in-store. The free parking at Tesco is probably the best option if you want to park as close to the centre of Hove as possible without parting with your hard-earned cash.
Once you leave the car park you are already on the main road of Hove, Church Road, and a few minutes walk to the east will have you right in the centre. You’re not far from the beach here either, it’s just a ten-minute walk to get some seaside strolling in. Just remember to leave enough time to pop into the store and get some groceries before you leave!
Palmeira Avenue - free on Sundays
- Palmeira Avenue, Hove, BN3 3GF
Parking restrictions in Brighton & Hove most often apply at all times of the day for the whole week, but there are some areas where you can park for free on Sundays. One such area is the northern end of Palmeira Avenue, right next door to the 1st Central County Ground, the home venue of Sussex County Cricket Club. If you’re visiting on Sunday this is a great option for free parking as the walk into the centre of Hove will take you less than ten minutes. Parking here is also probably the closest free parking you can get between Hove and Brighton city centre, so if you fancy a Sunday stroll incorporating both Brighton and Hove then this is a great choice.
As you can see, finding free parking in the Brighton & Hove area is not simple, and although Hove might not present quite as much of a challenge as the centre of Brighton, you’ll still have to compromise slightly if you want to leave your car somewhere for free.
The best options for completely unrestricted parking can be found around Hove Park and Aldrington train station. Some of the roads in these areas have no parking restrictions whatsoever so they’re a great option if you are leaving your car for a whole day or even overnight. If you’re only planning a brief visit to Hove then parking at the Tesco on Church Road might be your best bet as long as you don’t mind spending a fiver in-store. Tesco is easily the most central free parking option on our list.
If you happen to be heading into Hove on a Sunday then you have a little bit more choice, and a great option is Palmeira Avenue, where you’ll be less than ten minutes from central Hove and closer to Brighton than any of the other locations on our list.
