How to get to The Island

Posted on 09 January 2010 • 

The Isle of Wight is situated off the south coast of the UK mainland, close to the ports of Southampton & Portsmouth.

The Island is only accessable by ferry, of which there are six servicing the island, all running regular crossings. There are two small runways on the Island, but these are for private light aircraft only.

There are six ports to cross to the Island, which are run by three differant companies:  Wightlink, Red Funnel & HoverTravel
Links to these companies websites can be found on our links page under the heading Isle of Wight Links -> Travel
  • Portsmouth to Ryde - Passenger only, Crossing time 22 minutes, Wightlink
  • Southsea to Ryde - Passenger only, Crossing time 10 minutes, HoverTravel
  • Portsmouth to Fishbourne - Car/Passenger, Crossing time 40 minutes, Wightlink.
  • Southampton to East Cowes - Car/Passenger, Crossing time 55 minutes, Red Funnel
  • Southampton to West Cowes - Passenger only, Crossing time 23 minutes, Red Funnel
  • Lymington to Yarmouth - Car/Passenger, Crossing time 40 minutes, Wightlink

It is essential to book all journeys on the car ferries, especially during the summer holidays and peak travel times.

The cost of traveling to the Island is not cheap, so talk to your contact on the Island before booking as there are sometimes deals in the local paper (The Isle of Wight County Press).

Wightlink give discounts for scout groups travelling to & from any scouting event, please Contact Us for details.

Travel Whilst On the Isle of Wight

Posted on 09 January 2010 • 

The island is only 23 miles east to west and 14 miles north to south approximately.

 

When travelling around you must take into account that the Island is made up of what people from the mainland would see as B roads and country lanes. For calculating travel times 30 miles per hour is a good approximation for most journeys. For example Ryde to Shalfleet (Corf Campsite) is about 40 minutes.
 
There is a bus company and a small train service on the Island, links to these companies websites can be found on our links page under the heading Isle of Wight Links -> Travel.
 
If you need to transport a number of people regularly, it’s best to bring with you or hire on the Island a mini bus/coach.