Serviced Apartments in Broadstairs

Discover the best activities and attractions Broadstairs has to offer, and find out what makes this city a vibrant and exciting place to live or visit.

Viking Bay (seafront and promenade)
Viking Bay is Broadstairs’ main sandy crescent and picturesque promenade, prized for its safe bathing, family-friendly facilities, and classic seaside atmosphere. Its Victorian promenade, beach huts, and cliff-top walks draw sunbathers, families and photographers, while nearby cafés and ice-cream shops keep the high street lively. As the town’s iconic public space it drives day‑trip and holiday stays, supporting local hospitality, seasonal jobs and small businesses that rely on steady visitor footfall.

Joss Bay (surfing and rock-pooling)
Joss Bay is a standout surf beach on the eastern headland, popular with surfers, bodyboarders and beach walkers thanks to consistent waves and a more open, natural setting than the main bay. It also offers good rock-pooling and coastal walking opportunities that attract outdoor enthusiasts year-round. The surf scene supports surf schools, equipment rental and independent cafés, diversifying Broadstairs’ tourism beyond traditional sun-and-sand visitors and extending the tourist season into spring and autumn.

The Dickens House Museum (literary heritage)
The Dickens House Museum celebrates Charles Dickens’ long association with Broadstairs — he holidayed here and based parts of his writing on the town — through exhibits, period rooms and archival displays. It’s a magnet for literary tourists and school visits, offering guided insights into Victorian life and Dickens’ inspirations. By preserving local heritage the museum strengthens community identity, brings cultural tourism income, and helps local businesses through visitor spend on cafés, shops and accommodation.

Broadstairs Harbour, High Street and independent shopping
Broadstairs’ compact harbour area and High Street are lined with independent boutiques, galleries, antique shops, artisan food stores and cafés that give the town a distinctive, local character. This cluster of small traders creates a year‑round draw for shoppers and visitors seeking unique products, local art and seaside souvenirs. The concentration of independents fosters entrepreneurship, keeps spending in the local economy, and provides livelihoods beyond the peak summer months.

Broadstairs cultural events (Folk Week, Dickens celebrations and regattas)
Broadstairs hosts several signature events — notably its long-established Folk Week, Dickens-themed activities and traditional harbour regattas — which bring a lively program of music, street performance, literary walks and maritime celebration. These festivals attract repeat visitors, create a strong sense of community participation, and generate significant short-term economic boosts for accommodation, catering and retail. Beyond direct income, the events raise Broadstairs’ profile as a cultural destination and help sustain year-round visitor interest.

Explore the diverse transport options available in Broadstairs, from efficient public transportation systems to convenient road networks. Whether you're commuting to work or exploring the city, this section will give you an overall look at the available transportation systems.

Public Transit System
- Rail (Southeastern) - Broadstairs railway station is served by Southeastern trains with regular services linking the town to nearby Thanet towns (Ramsgate, Margate) and onward connections to Canterbury, Ashford International and central London (classic services toward London Victoria and connections onto HS1 services to St Pancras via nearby hubs). Services are used for both commuting and regional travel; weekend engineering works sometimes require rail-replacement buses.
- Bus (Stagecoach & local operators) - A network of local and regional bus routes connects Broadstairs with Ramsgate, Margate, Canterbury and other Kent towns; services vary by route and season and provide day-to-day access for shopping, schools and commuter flows.
- Thanet Loop - A frequent circular bus route serving Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate that provides frequent, high‑visibility local connections useful for short trips and linking to ferry/rail hubs.
- Coach & longer-distance services - National and regional coach services can be accessed from nearby transport interchanges (and via Ramsgate/Margate) for longer-distance travel; some services call at larger Thanet towns rather than Broadstairs town centre.
- Taxis & private hire - Local taxi firms and private-hire vehicles operate in Broadstairs; app-based coverage is more limited than in larger cities, so pre-booking local firms is common.
- Community transport & accessible services - Volunteer car schemes, dial‑a‑ride and specially adapted vehicles are available for people with limited mobility or without regular access to public transport; Kent County Council and local charities support these services.

Major Highways
- A299 (Thanet Way) - Main dual carriageway serving the Isle of Thanet; provides the most direct road link west toward the A2/M2 and onward to Canterbury and the rest of Kent.
- A256 - Important regional route linking parts of Thanet south-east toward Sandwich and Dover and providing alternative access into the Kent road network.
- A254 / local A roads - Local arterial routes (including the A254 corridor) provide direct connections between Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate for town‑to‑town travel.
- A2 / M2 (via A299/A256) - Principal trunk route toward Canterbury and London (M2 motorway connections); accessed from Broadstairs via the A299/A256 corridors for longer-distance motorway travel.
- M20 / M25 (accessible via the M2/A2 network) - Motorway connections to the Channel Tunnel/M20 corridor and the wider London orbital network are reachable via the M2/A2 links for national and international journeys.

Cycling Infrastructure
- Bike lanes, shared paths and the Viking Coastal Trail - Broadstairs has a mix of on‑road cycle lanes, signed on‑street cycle routes and off‑road coastal/shared-use paths; the popular Viking Coastal Trail (a waymarked circular route around Thanet and part of the National Cycle Network) links Broadstairs with Margate, Ramsgate and coastal attractions, and there is cycle parking at key spots and town centre routes aimed at both leisure and commuter cyclists.

Recent and Upcoming Improvements
- Thanet Parkway station (opened 2023) - A new rail station for the area providing improved access to the national rail network and relieving pressure on local stations; benefits people travelling to/from the Isle of Thanet, including Broadstairs residents.
- Active travel & cycle/pedestrian upgrades - Kent County Council and local partners have been implementing and planning active-travel improvements (better signage, upgraded shared-use paths and targeted on‑road cycle facilities) to boost walking and cycling and to link towns around Thanet.
- Bus stop, information and accessibility works - Ongoing local investment has focused on improved bus stop infrastructure, real-time passenger information at major stops and step-free access/upgrade works at railway stations to improve accessibility for all users.
- Road safety and junction works on A299/A256 corridors - Phased maintenance, safety improvements and targeted junction upgrades have been carried out or planned on the A299/A256 approaches to improve traffic flow and reduce bottlenecks for commuters and freight.
- Local council and operator fleet modernisation plans - Funding bids and programs at county and operator level have targeted lower-emission buses and newer vehicles, along with digital ticketing and timetable improvements intended to enhance the public‑transport experience (implementation timing varies by route and operator).