Getting to Isle Of Wight By Car.
Yes you can bring your car to the Isle Of Wight! We drive on the left like the rest of UK. Our petrol and diesel is the same as everywhere else and you don't need a special licence or permission. Scoff but I have seen people asking these things before.
Now to be honest bringing your car to the Isle Of Wight is a bit iffy. Firstly it will cost you a lot on the car ferry. Second Isle Of Wight roads tend to be single lane, bumpy and randomly go round a very sharp bend for no reason every 100m. During the peak season especially during school holidays roads are very busy and if you go anywhere you will most likely have to queue. In the main towns there is limited on street parking so you will have to pay to park in a council car park. However buses are also expensive and the ferry costs a lot even as a foot passenger. So its worth researching both. We have a dog and a long journey from the North so travel by car.
So firstly how do you get your car across? Well there are three routes run by two ferry companies. I have listed them below. Personally I prefer Red Funnel as while its longer its nicer. I have listed my reasons below. If you are coming from pretty much anywhere North and the Midlands then also it will be quicker and use less petrol to drive to Southampton and spend an hour on the ferry than to drive all the way to Portsmouth to save 25mins on the ferry. I must admit my knowledge of Wightlink car ferries is limited so please check on their website to make sure I am right. For both companies you normally need to arrive at least 30mins before your crossing time. During July and August and other busy times you normally will be turned away if you turn up for a ferry other than the one you are booked on so if you are going to arrive early try and ring them before hand to see if you can change your booking. During the Isle Of Wight festival (June), Bestival (September) and Christmas they normally run special timetables.
Lymington- Yarmouth- This is operated by Wightlink It is the quickest way to get across to the Island by car taking 35mins. These operate pretty much 24hours a day, 7 days a week with a few hours break after midnight. Its also one of the quietest due to its location so a good way to go during busy times. Lymington is sort of on the edge of the New Forest. I believe it is not far from public transport. The ferry brings you into the heart of Yarmouth with buses to Newport and other places on the Island so good for foot passengers as well especially if you are visiting the west side of the Island. I have never used this route so can't tell you too much.
Portsmouth Harbour- Fishbourne. Again operated by Wightlink The ferry goes from Portsmouth Harbour and not far from the motorways. It takes 40mins and ferries run 24 hours a day 7 days a week. They run about every half hour but during the winter may run less. This ferry is not so good for foot passengers as it arrives in Fishbourne which is idea for car drivers as you can reach both Ryde or Newport from here but there is no public transport. You have to walk to the main road. Wightlink use to be part of Sealink which was part of British Rail. It is now a private company owned I believe by an Australian pension fund eager to recoup the money it borrowed buying it and buying new ships.
Southampton to East Cowes- Operated by Red Funnel which is the oldest Isle of Wight ferry operator. It is over 150 years old! Its alright though as they have had new ferries since then. The ferry terminal is in the West Quay area of Southampton which is where all the big cruise ships go from. Its just off the M271. Follow signs on the M3 to West Quay. You do not need to go to the city centre itself. It takes approx an hour and ferries run pretty much from 4am-12am. 7 Days a week about every hour. During the winter its every two hours most of the day. On-board they have a great restaurant. I love getting breakfast as you can choose what you have. Its service station priced but worth the price. They also have a coffee shop and a bar and a BBQ during the summer. The main lounge is split into restaurant style seating and more casual. Seats go quickly so try and get up the stairs from the car deck quick. On the top you can sit in a shelter or if the weather is nice then go outside into the open. You can only smoke up here. If you are travelling when its dark there is something magical about being outside and watching everything silently glide by. They also have a BBQ here during nice weather in the summer. If you are disabled you need to tell the person who checks the ticket as they will direct you into a special lane. When you go on the ferry you will be told to put your hazard lights on so you can be directed to near the lifts. The steps up to the main lounge are many (especially if you are on the lower car deck) and steep. The ferry arrives in East Cowes where you can either use the excellent floating bridge to Cowes or drive through Whippingham to "The Race Course" (it use to be a racecourse many years ago its not a road everyone drives superfast on) where you can then go pretty much anywhere on the Island. Just be careful coming off as there is a roundabout just as you come off and a lot of non-Islanders do not notice it or look right and I have seen a few near misses and angry horn honking. If you are a foot passenger then just as you come off the ferry is a bus stop for both Ryde and Newport. On your way home if you have a bit of spare time then leave the car and take a walk down to the car ferry. Its only 2min walk and well worth watching. If you go to My Favourite Places on the Island page you can get more info.
So you had a look at the websites and gone "HOW MUCH????" The solent (the bit of water that keeps the mainland and Island apart) use to be the most expensive stretch of water (per cost per mile) to cross and probably still is. If you are booking a hotel on the Island then see if they can book your ferry travel too. Often they can get it cheaper than the cheapest price you can get. Wightlink also accept Tesco Clubcard vouchers so something else worth looking into. If all else fails then remember that ferry tickets are normally priced on demand. So if you try and avoid times when everyone travels then you can get cheaper deals. My dad use to get us up at 2am when we went on holiday so we could be on the super cheap 3am ferry crossing. You don't need to travel during the middle of the night to get cheaper fares. Just look at the website. Also remember most people come Saturday to Saturday so if you can avoid that then you will also save money. Its worth signing up to their website as often they will send you special deals. If you know anyone on the Isle Of Wight then stay friends with them as often the ferry companies will send residents vouchers which they can share with people on the mainland. Remember as well that the charge is per vehicle not per person. It probably works out cheaper for a family of four than buying each passenger a train and ferry ticket.
