Wightlink's West Wight Wanderer Day Ranger - Is It Any Good?

Yarmouth gets our vote as the Isle-of-Wight's-prettiest-town-with-a-car-ferry

I reckon that the Lymington to Yarmouth crossing is probably the best crossing for an Isle of Wight day trip as a foot passenger. Portsmouth/Southsea to Ryde and Southampton to Cowes/East Cowes have their advantages but Lymington to Yarmouth is my first choice.

Why's that, I hear you politely ask? Well, you arrive in an historic town next door to a castle and can then hop straight onto an open top bus, which tours round some lovely parts of the Isle of Wight coastline.

Wightlink has now come up with a bundle deal called the 'West Wight Wanderer Day Ranger' so I thought we would crunch the numbers and see if it's any good.

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How much of a saving is the West Wight Wanderer?

For £30, you get:

• a foot passenger day return from Lymington to Yarmouth (currently worth £21)
• a day ticket on the open top bus which tours round the West Wight (currently worth £14)
• an off peak rail return from Brockenhurst to Lymington pier (currently worth £7.80)

So, the best case scenario is a saving of £12.80.

It's a good deal but I would caution that it might not always be the best offer around. 

Let's compare the cost of a day trip to the Isle of Wight for a family of four as an example:

Option 1: West Wight Wanderer Day Ranger. 

Children aged 5-15 years are charged £18, so the total for two adults and two children would be £96.

Option 2: 'Kids Go Free'

Wightlink currently do a 'kids go free' offer during school holidays for 5-15 years. A family of four would pay for two adult fares (2 x £21 = £42) and can then get a group ticket on the open top bus (£35). If they also needed to pay for a Brockenhurst to Lymington Pier train then it would add on £16.60. That gives a total of £93.60 or £77 if you don't use the rail section of the bundle deal.

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What should I do on a day trip from Lymington?

The sommelier would recommend pairing this blog post with this full guide to a days trip from Lymington to the Isle of Wight.

The gist of it is that:

• You get a train to Lymington Pier and then a 40 minute ferry to Yarmouth. The crossing is probably my favourite Isle of Wight ferry crossing in terms of scenery.
• From Yarmouth, you can then hop on an open top bus to see the West Wight, which I reckon is the prettiest part of the Isle of Wight (although I will accept that many prefer the South Wight). Read more about the open top bus in our guide to days out with children.
• You can visit beaches like Compton Bay, Freshwater Bay or Colwell Bay or ride the chairlift at Alum Bay and The Needles. You can also bring a bicycle on the ferry for free if you want to wiggle your bottom round the Island. However, you won't be able to take it on the open top bus so I would just get a foot passenger return and forget about the bundle deal.
• For eating out, Yarmouth is probably your best bet although there are other options including the Red Lion in Freshwater, The Piano café in Freshwater Bay, The Hut in Colwell, The Waterfront in Totland and others. See our guide to restaurants with a sea view.
• The last ferry back from Yarmouth to Lymington is currently at 2100 so you will be back home in time for Newsnight.

Standard scenery in the West Wight