Cheap And Free Parking On The Isle Of Wight

Does the sight one of these make you feel ill? Fear not...help is at hand

Here's my guide to some cheap and free places to park on the Isle of Wight including free parking in Ryde, Newport, Sandown, The Needles, Ventnor and Shanklin. It is ideal for anyone - like my mother - who is willing to walk some distance to avoid paying to park. I really don't like paying to park, but I usually cough up now that we have children and 14 bags on every beach outing.

It is also worth trying Your Parking Space and Just Park for events such as Cowes Week or for parking near a ferry port. You can rent out someone's driveway for a few hours or days via the website.

Quite a lot of Isle of Wight seafront parking is free in the depths of winter but I won't bother listing all of those, as most people visit the Island in spring, summer and autumn. I've focused on the places where you might have a day out.

There's also the controversial topic of whether it's acceptable to park in a permit-free residential area as long as you aren't blocking someone's drive. Personally, I have no problem with this (and don't mind people parking near my house) but I do whoosh off pretty quickly when I return to the car in case an angry resident has been waiting for me with a rolling pin... 

This guide will probably go out of date before I hit publish, so please comment at the bottom if a) somewhere is no longer free or b) you've found somewhere else free or cheap to park on the Isle of Wight. Also, please check signs for yourself when you park somewhere as I may have got things wrong. And for any grandmas reading, the best way to suck an egg is at the pointy end.

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Free and cheap parking for Alum Bay and The Needles

Let's start with one of the trickiest places to visit without paying for parking.

The road which leads to Alum Bay and The Needles has double yellow lines which seem to go on for miles. Last time we visited, the only car park was £6. That's not exorbitant for all day parking but it's a bit pricey if you only stay for 10 minutes before one of the children has a meltdown.

• Islanders may be aware that if you pay to park at The Needles once then you can use the car park again for free for the rest of the year. You need to show proof of address.
• National Trust members get £2 off at the official car park. This is not advertised very widely but it mentions a discount on the National Trust website and I phoned The Needles to confirm it. I've not tried it yet myself but I assume you just show the attendant in the booth your National Trust card. Give them a wink and a thumbs up just to make sure.
• Some people park in the layby on a right turn as you approach The Needles. It's then about five minutes' walk to the foot of the steps near to Alum Bay. I am not 100% sure that this is a) still an option and b) a legitimate place to park. Please leave a comment below if you try this option or give us a call from the police station if it doesn't work out. 
• Alternatively, you could combine a trip to The Needles with one of the best walks on the Isle of Wight. There's a free National Trust car park near to the Tennyson Monument. Climb up to the monument and then walk for about 1.5 miles along the footpaths to the Needles. It's a great walk, but it would be a hard sell to my children even with the promise of the Hook a Duck at the Needles.

The footpath mentioned above comes out quite near to this much-photographed spot

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Free and cheap parking in Bembridge and St Helens

• There's free parking at the council car park at Steyne Park (PO35 5SL). The playground is good too! It's 15 minute walk to the beach from here.
• There's sometimes a little bit of parking on Lane End Road as you approach the beach, but it's pot luck. It has a 'stick or twist' feeling to it as you have to decide whether to drive past a space in the hope of getting one nearer to the beach. If you reach the pay and display car park at the end of the road then there's a high risk that your less-frugal spouse will say "oh, let's just pay to park now that we're here". 
• You can test out your suspension at a free car park near to the Pilot Boat Inn and the Harbour View Cafe at Bembridge Harbour. There are half a dozen spaces visible from the road and then you can drive down a gravel track to reach a much bigger car park which overlooks a beach. I believe it is provided for free by the RNLI, as there's a place for donations. You can find it here.
• If you visit St Helens beach, use the National Trust car park by driving past the road which leads to the Council Car Park. It is free for members. Last time I visited it was better value than the council car park for non-members as well. There's a cut-through to the beach.
• The Isle of Wight Council car park on St Helens Green is free. It's about 15 minutes walk to the beach.

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Free parking in Brighstone

• Brighstone has a free car park on Warnes Lane. It's not exactly a heaving metropolis so free parking isn't difficult in Brighstone. It's a good base for a West Wight walk.

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Free parking at Colwell Bay

• There are some free on-street parking spaces on Colwell Chine Road which leads to Colwell Bay. You're a lucky fella if you manage to find a spot on a sunny day.
• A better bet is the parking around Colwell Common. It's about 5 minutes walk down to the beach

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Free and cheap parking at Compton Bay

• There's a free car park at the very top of Compton Down (i.e. the road which connects Freshwater Bay to Compton Bay). You can then walk along a footpath and down some steep steps to get to the far end of Compton Bay. I wouldn't attempt this with young children as the steps are precarious.
• Compton Bay, Hanover Point and Brook Chine car parks are all free for National Trust members.
• Visitors to Hanover Point regularly park on the verge just outside the car park. I'm not sure what the rules are on this but you may want to roll the dice.

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Free parking in Cowes and Gurnard

Cowes gets pretty ruthless when it comes to summertime parking, particularly in Cowes Week.​

• You can park for a couple of hours for free on Park Road, alongside the big pay and display car park for Northwood House. Nearby, Ward Avenue has some free on-street parking but I've never had much luck finding a space in summer.
• There is also free parking on the esplanade at the Gurnard end, at the time of typing. You may end up walking for a mile, but it's a beautiful walk so stop complaining. There has been talk of this free parking ending, so don't take my word for it! Head for the Woodvale Pub and start driving towards Cowes and there might be an on-street space.
• The car park next to the M&S Food Hall is free for the first hour or £1 for two hours. You can access it via Denmark Road, rather than round the front of the store.
• Northwood House has a fairly hidden car park called the Rotunda Short Stay car park which is a little cheaper than council car parks in Cowes. It was £2 for 3 hours or £3 for 4 hours when I checked in 2023. Don't confuse it with the massive car park next to Northwood House. The Rotunda Short Stay car park one is accessed by driving down the road which leads to the main entrance.
  

The road from Gurnard to Cowes has some free on-street parking (at the time of typing)

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Free and cheap parking at Freshwater Bay

• There's a little bit of free on street parking as you approach Freshwater Bay on Afton Road.
• The National Trust has a free cliff top car park which is part way up the hill towards Compton Bay. It is free regardless of whether you are a National Trust member but it has colossal bumps in it. The walk down to the beach has terrific views. Just don't tell the children that they'll need to walk back up the hill afterwards.
• The Albion's pay and display car park on Gate Lane is usually cheaper than the council car park. It was £1.50 an hour when I checked in 2023. One day I'll draw up a graph showing which one is cheaper for different lengths of visit.

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Free parking in Godshill

• If you've paid to park in Godshill then something has gone wrong. ​There's a colossal free car park in Godshill near to the Griffin pub. It provides proof that offering a free car park and coach park leads to people turning up and happily spending money. Who knew?!

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Free and cheap parking in Newport and Carisbrooke (including Isle of Wight Festival parking)

There are some residential roads on the edges of the town centre which are free, but a lot are now resident permit areas.

• The lower car park at Cineworld cinema offered three hours free parking last time I visited (PO30 2TA). Heidi got in touch to say that it is only for people using the shops, restaurants and cinema and that you'll get a ticket if you leave the site.
• Morrisons supermarket in Newport gives two hours free parking.
• Asda supermarket on the outskirts of Newport gives four hours free parking
• The Royal Exchange car park on the edge of Pan Estate is free. It's not huge but it's only 8 minutes walk to Newport's Guildhall and it's also close to County Hall.
• There's a free car park opposite Carisbrooke Priory on Whitcombe Road. It's a good place to park if you want to walk round the outside of Carisbrooke Castle without using the English Heritage pay and display car park.
• During the Isle of Wight Festival, the local housing estate is blocked off so there's not a lot of free parking for those who are doing day trips to the site. We tend to park at the Coppins Bridge Long Stay Car Park. It's a pay and display car park but last time I visited it was free after 6pm, so it might work if you are just turning up for the evening acts. It's about 15 minutes walk to the festival entrance from here.
• The council car park in Seaclose Park is rather pricey. The prices suggest it's a bustling seaside resort rather than somewhere to walk the dog. The car park for Beefeater in Seaclose Park is better value. It's free for customers or £2 for 3 hours if you faff around with an app. 
• There is quite a bit of parking around Field Place and Caesars Road that is free for two hours. These are residential areas, so there's an elevated risk of a ranting resident as you drive off.

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Free and cheap parking in Sandown

• Parking at Sandown Railway Station is £2 and I think it's valid all day. The seafront is about 12 minutes walk, so it may be a case of a parent dropping off everyone else and then parking (I secretly enjoy doing this as it gives me 15 minutes of peace).

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Free and cheap parking in Shanklin

Parking on Shanklin Seafront is a competitive and expensive experience. We once stayed in a flat on the seafront which didn't have parking and I spent the whole week moving the car or driving round looking for a space whilst crying (and I spent £50 on parking). Some options:

• There are some spaces on the clifftop above the seafront esplanade which are free for a couple of hours. Aim for somewhere around Osborne Road and then walk down the path. It's a good workout on the way back up the hill.
• Shanklin Railway Station is only £2 for all day parking, at the time of writing. It's a 12 minute walk to the seafront or a similar distance to the old village.

Seafront Pay and Display parking spaces in Shanklin are quickly gobbled up during the summer

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Free Parking in Ryde

• Last time I went shopping in Ryde (which wasn't very recently), you could park for free for an hour in Union Street, which is the main shopping street. However, nearby George Street had some on street parking which was either two hours or four hours for free (depending on which part of the street you parked in). From George Street, it's about a 20 minute walk to the nicer part of Appley Beach.
• For a beach day out...there are 5 or 6 spaces on Puckpool Hill at the entrance to Puckpool Battery. From there, it's a very pleasant six minute walk through Puckpool Park and through to Appley Beach by the Dell Cafe. Or walk down Puckpool Hill and turn left along the coastal path. It takes a couple of minutes longer but has nicer views.
• There's also some free parking on Springvale Road which is about six minutes walk through to Appley Beach along the coastal path.

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Free Parking at Totland Bay

There are a couple of good options for those who don't want to pay for seafront parking at Totland Bay. It was free a few years ago, which makes paying for it all the more painful.

• Cliff Road has free on-street parking. Take the steps down which lead to The Waterfront. 
• Alternatively, park on Granville Road and take the footpath which comes out by Totland Pier.

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Free parking in Ventnor

• There's a free car park called Eastcliff Car Park which is up on the cliffs. It's a real hidden gem but it's very small and only has space for about 12 cars so it's often full in summer. It's a five minute walk to Ventnor seafront.
• The Leeson Road car park in Ventnor is also free but it's about 25 minutes walk to the seafront and it's very hilly.
• If we are visiting Steephill Cove then we tend to park on Steephill Road as you approach the turning for the beach from Ventnor. It's a bit of walk along a road without a pavement. 

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Free parking in Yarmouth

• One of my mother's favourite tricks is to park at the Bouldner Viewpoint Car Park and then walk along the sea wall past Yarmouth Green and into the town. It's a fairly long walk of about a mile but it's very pretty. Last time I checked, the car park had a five hour limit. Let's be honest though, Yarmouth is not a huge place so five hours should be sufficient!
• The Fort Victoria car park is also free, but it's further outside of Yarmouth and not as easy to walk into town.

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Free parking in Yaverland

• There is some free parking on the residential roads opposite Yaverland's main car park (Yaverland Close, Meadow Way). Any miserable residents who complain can be politely reminded that they live within five minutes walk of a sandy beach, so they really should lighten up and learn to enjoy life. All the same, please don't block their driveway.

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Free parking near Isle of Wight ferry ports

If you're looking for free or cheap parking in Southampton, Portsmouth, Lymington or Southsea for a trip to the Isle of Wight then that is covered in our ferries guide. (Spoiler alert: there isn't much).

If you're hoping to find somewhere free or cheap to park near to the ferries from Fishbourne, Cowes, East Cowes, Yarmouth or Ryde then you face a bit of a challenge. Some suggestions:

• Your Parking Space and Just Park sometimes undercut official car parks by some margin. You park on someone's drive and pay in advance via the website.
• Cowes - there's a park and ride from Somerton which connects with the Southern Vectis Number 1 bus.
• Ryde - as mentioned, there's not much that I know of near to Ryde Pier. There are some free spaces around Puckpool and Springvale (see above) but the free parking within Ryde town centre is on a time limit. I have managed to park on a residential road fairly near to the Pier before but a) I can't remember the name of it and b) I'm not sure if it's still free and c) I don't want angry emails from residents.
• Fishbourne - there are a handful of on street spaces by Fishbourne Beach if you drive past the entrance to the Wightlink terminal and past the Fishbourne pub. However, I'm not sure what the restrictions are on these.
• Yarmouth - this is a tricky one. As mentioned above, there's the Bouldner Car Park which is about a mile from the ferry. However, it's got a five hour limit. There's also the Fort Victoria Car Park, but I'd say that's too far to walk. Any ideas? Please comment below.
• East Cowes - the esplanade near the playground has some free parking. It's about 12 minutes walk from the ferry. The Isle of Wight Council website says there is a 24 hour limit on these spaces.