Getting Here
FLIGHTS & RAIL/COACH LINKS
From London Gatwick or London Heathrow (or other London airports) we imagine that you will most probably be taking a hired vehicle, most likely either to Portsmouth or to Southampton ferry terminals.
However, you do have the option of taking a rail connection (direct from Gatwick to Portsmouth for example) or a National Express bus – either to Portsmouth Harbour or Southampton Central.
In both cases you will be in Southampton or Portsmouth within 2 – 3 hours. It is about an hour quicker to reach Portsmouth from Gatwick than from Heathrow.
Even closer would be to fly into Southampton itself (although these flights are usually more expensive).
The advantage of this is that it is a mere 20-minute taxi ride from the airport to the ferry at Southampton.
NB: Should you be taking a train and booking tickets with National Rail, these can include the ferry journeys and any railcard discounts you may have will also be applied to the ferry price if booked in combination.
THERE ARE 6 ROUTES ACROSS TO THE ISLAND FROM THE MAINLAND
Southampton to Cowes (West) – Red Jet foot-passenger catamaran service taking around 25 minutes. Cowes is situated in the north of the Island.
Southampton to East Cowes – Red Funnel car/coach/passenger service – around 60 minutes.
Portsmouth to Ryde Pier Head - Wightlink foot-passenger catamaran service - east of the Island – takes about 25 minutes.
Portsmouth to Fishbourne (near Ryde) - Wightlink car/coach/passenger ferry – takes about 45 minutes. East of the Island.
Southsea (5 minutes from Portsmouth) to Ryde Esplanade – Hovercraft (operated by Hovertravel) takes 10 minutes. Foot-passengers only.
Lymington to Yarmouth (Wightlink service) – Yarmouth is located on the west side of the Island. The ferry is a car/coach/passenger one and crossing time is approximately 40 minutes.
You are unlikely to use the Lymington to Yarmouth route if you are travelling from the London area, even if your destination is the west of the Island. Remember, nowhere on the Island is far! A car journey from Ryde (east) to Yarmouth (west) for example takes around 40 minutes.
We will of course meet you from whichever Isle of Wight terminal you arrive at.
Indeed, we may well be escorting you from the mainland ourselves.
Hovercraft
Ryde is famously the home of what is now the world’s only remaining commercial hovercraft route (this form of transport was both designed and built here on the Island). These vehicles are supported on a cushion of air supplied by a powered fan on a craft invented by (Sir) Christopher Cockerell in 1956. His initial experiment involved him using a cat food tin inside a coffee tin and blowing through the gap between the two tins to create the air cushion.
The hovercraft take regular ‘flights ’across The Solent to Southsea (adjacent to Portsmouth) in just under10 minutes. If you are arriving as a foot passenger into Ryde, we really suggest you consider this mode of transport – it’s a really exhilarating and ‘fun’ experience!
But even If you aren’t, you can at least watch from Ryde’s Victorian Esplanade how they thunder onto and off the lovely beach.
Photos below and right courtesy of the Museum of Ryde.
Let Us Help You Plan a Smooth Arrival
If you’re unsure which route or ferry option will work best for your visit, Jane will be happy to guide you.
Simply get in touch with any travel questions — she knows the Island inside out and is always delighted to help visitors arrive with ease.