Located around midway between Margate and Ramsgate, Broadstairs Station serves trains to London (to St Pancras and Victoria stations), as well as Canterbury West, Dover Priory and Ashford International. Guests can also visit the inland village of St Peter’s for tasty vignettes in its vintage ice cream parlours.
The Crampton Tower Museum is housed in a flint tower that used to be the town’s water tower. Its collection includes Thomas Russell Crampton’s working drawings, models and graphics.
Car park
The car park at Broadstairs Station is large and easily accessible from the station. It is free to use during the summer season.
It also provides a number of wider spaces for blue badge holders. If you are a disabled person and require assistance, you can contact the station before your visit to arrange this.
If you’re driving to Broadstairs, you can leave your car in the council’s car park on Albion Street or in many of the roads close by. There is metered parking in the High Street, but this can be prohibitively expensive during the summer holidays.
Getting to Broadstairs is easy, with the area served by Kent’s only high speed rail service between London St Pancras and Ramsgate. The HS1 line offers quick and comfortable journeys to the coast, and you can also connect with further destinations such as Canterbury West, Dover, and Ashford International.
With a choice of thousands of car parks near Broadstairs Station, JustPark offers the best way to pre-book your space ahead of your journey. You’ll always know the price upfront, so you can relax knowing that your trip is in good hands. Whether you’re looking for a spot on the driveway or in a multi-storey car park, JustPark lets you find exactly what you need. Then you can focus on your travel – and your trip to Broadstairs will be that much more enjoyable.
Ticket office
If you’re travelling from London to Broadstairs, it’s worth booking your tickets ahead of time. The cheapest advance fares are available at the moment, and you can also save money on your train tickets by travelling outside of peak hours. The route from London to Broadstairs covers a distance of around 109 kilometres, and is serviced by frequent trains. On a typical weekday, there are 35 trains per day that leave London St Pancras International for Broadstairs, with 34 of them travelling direct.
The ticket office at the station is manned from 06:37 to 23:12, and is situated near the platform. There are also a number of Pay-As-You-Go machines. However, if you’d like to use these machines, make sure you know how to operate them before your trip.
Many disabled people rely on staff assistance to travel, and the closure or reduction of ticket offices could threaten this service. Moreover, some people cannot access the internet and would not be able to book their tickets online. Therefore, it is essential that the railway company maintains a network of ticket offices.
The best way to book your tickets is through the staffed ticket office at Broadstairs station, which is located on the side of the main entrance for services towards Ramsgate. The station is a simple affair, with two platforms and a small island platform.
Staff help
Staff help is available to assist passengers navigating through the station and getting on and off trains (via ramp if required) during station staffing hours. If you require assistance on your journey, please book it in advance by calling 0345 737 7800 or at the station ticket office. If you are travelling without booking, please position yourself on the platform so staff on the train can see you and provide assistance.
Local Schoolgirl Effie Reynolds won the chance to have her portrait taken in front of a golden throne and ‘family’ of corgis as part of the Jubilee celebrations. All the children received a digital or printed copy of their portrait as part of this fun event.
Getting to the beach
One of Kent’s best beaches, Viking Bay is a horseshoe-shaped beach with pretty cliffs and colourful beach huts. It’s a popular spot for family days out and is a short walk from Broadstairs station. The sheltered water means it’s safe to swim at medium and high tides (check the RNLI website for guidance on swimming safely).
The sandy beach is backed by restaurants, pubs and cafes, as well as a 1950s ice cream parlour. The area’s nostalgic charm has also drawn in a number of film and television productions, including The Lady in the Van, Derek and more recently, Naked. For thrill-seekers, there are group and individual surf lessons from the beach’s resident surf school, Kent Surf School.
If you want to enjoy a leisurely stroll, head below the cliffs to Stone Bay, which is less crowded than Viking Bay. There’s a cafe, a few benches and some great views over the clifftops to Ramsgate and the Viking Coastal Trail.
The town of Broadstairs is a charming seaside destination with seven beautiful beaches and bays. Its sweeping stretch of golden sand is framed by pretty cliffs and picture postcard beach huts. You can admire the colourful huts, venture out on cliff-top walks and indulge in delicious ice cream. The town is a favourite of Charles Dickens, and has plenty to offer daytrippers.
