Hovercrafts To Isle Of Wight

Hovertravel run a hovercraft crossing from Southsea to Ryde giving you the fastest of all crossings across the Solent at only 10 minutes.
Services run every 15 minutes during peak times and connect to main rail and bus services in Portsmouth, and local bus and rail on the Isle Of Wight.

Hovertravel can be contacted on 023 9281 1000 for further information.

Wightlink Catamaran Service

For foot passengers wishing to visit the Isle Of Wight there is a catamaran service run by Wightlink.

The “Fast Cats” run from Portsmouth to Ryde; connecting to local bus services on the Island and National Express, rail to London and bus services in Portsmouth.

With a crossing time of only 18 minutes this route provides easy day access to the Island and is popular with commuters and Island visitors alike. Wightlink can be contacted on 0871 376 4342 for bookings and enquiries.

Wightlink Car Ferry Travel

Travel to the Isle Of Wight with various car ferry crossings available from Wightlink.

• Lymington - Yarmouth car ferry. Crossing takes approximately 30 minutes and ferries travel every half an hour during peak periods.

• Portsmouth - Fishbourne car ferry. Crossing takes approximately 40 minutes and ferries crossings can be scheduled shorter than half an hour during extremely busy periods.

Car parking is available at all Wightlink ferry ports and it is advisable to book during peak season. For bookings Wightlink can be contacted on 0871 376 4342

Osborne House

Osborne House was once the secluded family home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and is the Island’s most popular tourist attraction year round.

The grounds and house are open to the public all year round and are managed by English Heritage.

At Osborne House there are gracious and splendidly maintained terraced gardens which have been restored to how they were during the 19th century. The gardens are often popular for picnicking and provide great photo opportunities.

The main house itself has guided tours during peak season; showing you through the Durbar Wing, state rooms and the nursery.

More charms of Osborne House can be found in the grounds.

• The Swiss Cottage - built as a play house for the Princes and Princesses.
• The Bathing Machine - see how Queen Victoria kept her modesty when going for a swim.
• The Walled Garden - see how the fruits and flowers were at the time of Queen Victoria.

When visiting it is advisable to allow a whole day as there is plenty to see and it can get busy during the summer.

Red Funnel Isle Of Wight Ferries

Red Funnel, the Island’s original ferry operator, run a car and passenger ferry and a high speed catamaran service.

• Southampton - East Cowes. Crossing time is about 55 minutes and this ferry service is for cars and foot passengers.
• Southampton - (West) Cowes. The high speed catamaran crossing takes 23 minutes and connects local Island bus services with mainline rail services in Southampton (via short bus ride in Southampton).

For bookings and information Red Funnel can be contacted on 0844 844 9988.