Travel Information

Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is known for its sandy beaches and its ports and is now a famous international yachting centre. The island has attracted such literary figures as Alfred Lord Tennyson and Charles Dickens and it is still a popular vacation spot for visitors to relax and enjoy the natural beauty, and to enjoy its temperate climate. It is possible to make day visits from the mainland, but Isle of Wight has enough to offer for longer stays as well.

Book Isle of Wight Ferry Tickets

Red Funnel Isle of Wight Ferries operate a vehicle ferry service from Terminal 1 in Southampton to East Cowes. This service operates 17 departures daily (one less on Sundays) and takes 55 minutes. Red Funnel also operate hi-tech Red Jets, which can only carry passengers and services the Southamption-West Cowes, Southampton-Gosport and East Cowes-West Cowes routes. It is important to note that crossings on the Red Jets are non-bookable - passengers simply show up and go on the next available sailing. In Southampton, these high-speed vessels operate up to 34 crossing a day (fewer on Saturday and Sunday) from the Town Quay Terminal 2, with a journey time of 22 minutes to West Cowes. The East Cowes-West Cowes crossing is serviced four times daily, Monday through Friday. The journey time is just five minutes.

The White Link ferry operates between Portsmouth and Ryde, with a journey time of 20 minutes. Daytime departures are every 30 minutes in the summer and every 60 minutes in the winter. A final option involves a Hovercraft that travels from Southsea (Portsmouth's neighbor) to Ryde.

The Isle of Wight is compact, measuring 23 miles from east to west and 13 miles from north to south. Cowes is the premier port for yachting in Britain. Henry VIII ordered the castle built here, which is now the headquarters of the Royal Yacht Squadron. The seafront, the Prince's Green, and the high cliff road are all worth exploring by car or on foot.