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Day trips from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight – ferry advice and what to do (2021 guide)
Obviously, I would recommend visiting the Isle of Wight for several days or weeks (Ed: or months?) but you can still get a good feel for the Island if you're a day tripper. If so, a ticket to Ryde from Portsmouth may be the answer. You might like it so much that you decide to rent a cottage on the Isle of Wight.
Here’s our guide to getting the ferry, getting around on the Isle of Wight and which activities you should prioritise on a day trip.
We’ve split it into different waffle-filled sections with advice depending on whether you’re bringing a car or arriving as a foot passenger.
Here’s our guide to getting the ferry, getting around on the Isle of Wight and which activities you should prioritise on a day trip.
We’ve split it into different waffle-filled sections with advice depending on whether you’re bringing a car or arriving as a foot passenger.
Should I bring my car to the Isle of Wight for a day trip from Portsmouth?
The Isle of Wight ferries require an A-level in maths to figure out the best deal but here's what I think:
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Travelling as a foot passenger for a day trip from Portsmouth is usually cheaper. I would either get Wightlink’s FastCat from Portsmouth Harbour (20 minutes) or the Hovercraft from Southsea (10 minutes). The third option is to travel as a foot passenger on Wightlink's car ferry but that burps you out in Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight which isn’t exactly a tourist hotspot and isn't well connected with public transport.
Hovertravel's hovercraft is a nice novelty (apparently 'the last remaining commercial hovercraft service in the world') whilst Wightlink's Fastcat arrives at the end of a long pier so you can have a nice stroll along when you arrive. They both cost about £20-£25 for a day trip but there are various deals which come and go. For example, Wightlink sometimes offer a ‘kids go free’ deal during school holidays so a single parent with three kids is laughing all the way to the terminal. Hovertravel sometimes offer a 20% discount or a bundled deal for a family travelling together. All the discounts that we know of are on our discount ferries page. Travelling as a foot passenger means you waste less time on the ferry and can enjoy the warm glow of not choking the planet but it will limit you to seeing one side of the Island unless you want to spend a big chunk of the day on the bus. If you're planning to bring across bicycles for a bottom-wiggling day out then read our guide to Isle of Wight cycling holidays. |
Hovertravel's hovercraft only takes 10 minutes from Southsea
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Bringing a car to the Isle of Wight will occasionally be cheaper than travelling as a foot passenger. Car ferry prices fluctuate depending on the time of year and which way the wind is blowing whilst passenger prices are more-or-less fixed. If you're travelling off-season then it's more likely that taking a car will be cheaper.
Car ferry prices cost the same regardless of the number of passengers. Very roughly, a day return with a car costs about £50 - £100 with Wightlink (check Wightlink fares here) So, if you’re travelling alone or as a couple it will be cheaper to travel as foot passengers unless Wightlink are offering some super-dooper day return special deal on the car ferry. If you’re travelling with six other members of your water polo team crammed into the back of a VW Touran then the car ferry will almost certainly be cheaper regardless of the time of year. |
The car ferry from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight takes about 40 minutes
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Of course, another factor is what is most convenient for you. Parking near the ferry terminal in Portsmouth is expensive. You’ll certainly see more of the Island by car but you might feel more relaxed if you aren’t getting lost on the Isle of Wight’s roads.
What should I do on a day trip to the Isle of Wight from Portsmouth without a car?
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For foot passengers, the simplest option is to use the Isle of Wight’s only modern(ish) trainline which connects with the two foot passenger ferries from Portsmouth. It travels from Ryde Pierhead down towards Sandown and Shanklin which are both busy seaside resorts with sandy beaches.
If you fancy a pleasant walk of a couple of miles, I would get the train from Ryde to Sandown and then walk along the seawall to Shanklin for lunch as there’s a good choice of places to eat on the seafront. It’s a walk of about 3 miles each way but you can get the train from Shanklin back to Ryde. It's probably not one with young children unless you don't mind carrying them for the last 2.5 miles. |
At the time of writing, the Isle of Wight's 'modern trainline' is a 1930s Northern Line train
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There are several attractions on the seafront in Sandown and Shanklin to break up the journey including:
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The walk from Sandown and Shanklin follows a long sandy beach
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Alternatively, you could avoid the train altogether and explore Ryde. It's a nice enough town with a big sandy beach and plenty to do, but it doesn't have stunning cliffs or an undeveloped coastline which you get in other parts of the Isle of Wight.
Personally, I would walk east along the coastal path from Ryde to Seaview. It’s about two miles each way and there are a few places to stop for food enroute. If a four mile walk sounds about as much fun as a punch in the face then I would consider:
Of course, you can also have a paddle at Ryde although I personally prefer swimming in Sandown or Shanklin. |
This odd building sits next to Appley Beach at Ryde
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A third option if you’re travelling as a foot passenger from Portsmouth is to hop on an open top bus. These only operate in the warmer months but they’re a whole heap more fun than a usual bus ride and allow you to see a bit more of the Island. You get a recorded commentary onboard and they stop off at various attractions. A word of warning though – the top deck of a moving bus feels about 10 degrees cooler than the bottom deck, so bring a jumper or choose a really warm day.
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Bring a jumper on the Isle of Wight's open top buses
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What should I do on a day trip to the Isle of Wight from Portsmouth if I bring my car?
If you’re bringing the car, you can drive to anywhere on the Island from Portsmouth so you can take your pick from our days out guides for toddlers, children, teenagers, adults or even romantic couples.
I’m a bit reluctant to say there is a perfect day out for everyone as it depends on what you’re interested in but we have written a guide to 10 things that the Isle of Wight is famous for.
The three most famous attractions on the Isle of Wight are probably The Needles/Alum Bay (multicoloured sands, chairlift and lighthouse), Osborne House (Queen Victoria’s deathbed and a more cheerful beach) and Carisbrooke Castle (King Charle I’s former prison with good views).
I’m a bit reluctant to say there is a perfect day out for everyone as it depends on what you’re interested in but we have written a guide to 10 things that the Isle of Wight is famous for.
The three most famous attractions on the Isle of Wight are probably The Needles/Alum Bay (multicoloured sands, chairlift and lighthouse), Osborne House (Queen Victoria’s deathbed and a more cheerful beach) and Carisbrooke Castle (King Charle I’s former prison with good views).
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However, they are all busy places and you might be more interested in seeing the quieter side of the Island.
Some of my favourite days out on the Isle of Wight include:
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A couple of old romantics at Compton Bay...
...and the Tennyson Monument which is a short walk from Freshwater Bay
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