What was Red Funnel's Biggest Discount Code Of The Year in 2024?

Red Funnel's car ferry discount codes peaked at 50% off in 2024

Over the last 10 years, discount codes have become a much more essential part of saving money on the Isle of Wight ferry.

Back in the day, discount codes with Wightlink and Red Funnel peaked at 10% or perhaps 15% for something really extraordinary. There were other ways to save money, such as flexibility but it wasn't unusual to pay the standard price without a discount.

The more modern strategy - particularly from Red Funnel - seems to be to offer discounts throughout the year, ranging from 10% to 50% off. You can usually get 15% to 20% off via one of the discount codes on our guide to discount Isle of Wight ferry travel.

The challenge now is to try and predict when the best discount of the year will come along.

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Black Friday and the 12 Days of Christmas

Over the last couple of years, the best discount of the year had been the Black Friday offer, which was 1/3 off Red Funnel for travel throughout 2025. Wightlink also did a Black Friday offer but it was a bit more restricted and meant you had to travel over the winter or early spring.

You can imagine my scepticism then when my Mum told me that she had just been sent a 50% off voucher by Red Funnel as part of their 12 Days of Christmas promotion.

I am often wary of the tales that my Mum tells me, as some of the details do sometimes require a little investigation - such as the time she told me that she had seen a dolphin in Cowes when it was actually a seal.

Anyway, I digress. It turned out that the 50% off deal was legit and was valid throughout 2025. Apologies to my Mum for doubting her.

It was only sent to customers on the Red Funnel mailing list (sign up here) and was a one time code that had to be used by New Year's Eve 2024. I did my best to publicise it, including a New Year's Eve interview on BBC Radio Solent that must have sounded like a desperate man trying to evacuate a building ("You've got to book today! Today!! It's the best deal of the year!!!").

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What other offers were in the 12 days promotion?

In my relentless attempt to find cheap ferry travel, I thought it would be worth noting down the offers that were available from Red Funnel in the 12 Days of Christmas promotion. This may give us some clues next year when people are asking 'when is the best time to book the Isle of Wight ferry?'. I have previously said Black Friday, but might need to re-think things if they are going to surprise us all with mega-deals via email.

It's worth saying that these offers had very short booking windows and are no longer available. I'm writing them down to help predict what they might do next year. Visit this page if you are looking for a ferry discount for 2025.

Here are the (now expired) offers in Red Funnel's 12 Days of Christmas 2024:

1. £10 Foot Passenger Day Return on the car ferry until the end of March 2025. 
2. A competition to win a two night stay at The Buddle Inn in Niton, with car ferry travel included
3. Two large Captain Ted and Ruby Funnel Soft Toys for £19.95
4. £45 Vehicle Ferry Day return for travel until the end of March 2025
5. A competition to win a framed Isle of Wight photograph
6. 25% off Costa Coffee festival drinks
7. £12.50 Red Jet Day Return until the end of March 2025
8. A competition to win a Garlic Farm Hamper
9. Entry to the Signature Lounge for £9.95
10. A competition to win a Mermaid Gin gift set
11. £5 off Red Funnel's Cobi Models
12. 50% off vehicle ferry travel for travel until November 2025

So, offers #1, #4, #7 and #12 all gave you money off the ferry whilst the others were competitions or money off stuff you can buy onboard. Offer #12 was the best by far but the day return deal for £45 is very good as well. Red Funnel regularly do a day return for about £50 - £60 via its Big Book of Savings but it never drops as low as £45.

Anyway, I shall be intently checking my inbox in December 2025 to see if the 50% offer deal is repeated.