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Day trips from Southampton to the Isle of Wight – ferry advice and things to do (2021 guide)

A day trip from Southampton to the Isle of Wight is a good way to test the water before deciding if you want to visit for a week or two. 

You won't be able to see everything in a day, but you can still see one or two of the best attractions or beaches. 

Here's our guide to ferry travel for a day trip from Southampton as well as some pointers of what you might like to visit.

Should I bring my car to the Isle of Wight for a day trip from Southampton?

You can do a day trip to the Isle of Wight from Southampton with or without a car. 

However, I'd say it's quite a lot easier with a car and will probably be better value unless there's only one or two of you travelling.

I know that's controversial given than we're all trying to use our cars less but let me explain before you complain...

  • Red Funnel operates two ferry crossings from Southampton. The car ferry takes 55 minutes and arrives in East Cowes whilst the foot passenger ferry takes 20 minutes and arrives in (West) Cowes. Locals just call it 'Cowes' but I've always added the 'West' bit in brackets for visitors since my friend went to the wrong one and missed his ferry...

  • It'll cost you about £25 for a day return as a passenger or about half price for children. Alternatively, it'll cost you about £45-£100 for a car and as many passengers as you can squeeze in the back. If you're travelling off peak, the car ferry will be at the cheaper end of that scale whilst the passenger fare will stay the same, unless there's a special offer or discount.

  • So, if there are 3 or more of you then you'll probably find that it's cheaper to bring a car. Obviously that might change if there's an offer or if it's a very busy day when car ferry prices shoot through the roof, but that's a rough rule of thumb.

  • The main issue with travelling as a foot passenger on the 20 minute passenger ferry is that once you arrive on the Island, your options are either to explore Cowes or to undertake a long bus journey. 

    ​For example, Cowes to The Needles takes about 1 hour 45 minutes on the bus (compared to 40 minutes in the car). Cowes to Sandown takes 1 hour 30 minutes on the bus (40 minutes in the car). Cowes to Carisbrooke Castle takes 50 minutes on the bus (20 minutes in the car). Once you include your return journey, you'll end up spending a long time sat on the bus.

  • You might be thinking that you'll bring a bicycle instead...but there's a snag. You can take bikes across for free on the car ferry from Southampton to East Cowes, but not on the passenger ferry from Southampton to (West) Cowes, unless it's one of those funny fold up bikes in a bag.

    Rather irritatingly, the pleasant cycle track in that part of the Island goes from (West) Cowes to Newport and then continues on towards the coast. So, if you bring your bike across from Southampton then you'll end up on the wrong side of the river. The solution is to get the short 'floating bridge' which joins East Cowes with (West) Cowes but it does add a bit of time to your journey. Check that it's running before you travel, as it's had problems in the last few years. Bike hire options are covered in our cycling guide.

  • Although the car ferry takes 35 minutes longer, it is actually a pleasant experience if the sun is shining as you can sit out on deck and admire the Isle of Wight from the Solent. You're unlikely to get seasick unless it's a very stormy day (in which case I would cancel your day trip).

  • It's much easier to travel across as a foot passenger if you're travelling from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight as there's a railway station on both sides of the water. You'll arrive at a sandy beach in Ryde and you can travel down to Sandown or Shanklin by train in about 20 minutes.
Red Funnel ferry
Red Funnel's car ferry takes about an hour from Southampton to the Isle of Wight
Cowes floating bridge
There's also a 'floating bridge' which links (West) Cowes and East Cowes

What should I do on a day trip to the Isle of Wight from Southampton?

I'll split this into two sections, as it really depends whether or not you're bringing a car.

Day trips from Southampton without a car

If you get the 20 minute Red Funnel passenger ferry then you'll arrive in (West) Cowes. Assuming you want to spend less than an hour each way on the bus then some good options include:

  • Cowes and Gurnard. The seafront walk to Gurnard takes about half an hour and once you're in Gurnard there's a seafront playground, somewhere to buy an ice cream and a mostly shingly beach with attractive beach huts. If you wander round the back of the sailing club, there's another beach hidden away. The beach at Cowes is stony so it's fine for sitting and watching yachts sailing past but it's not a sandcastle beach, unless you bring your own cement. Cowes itself has quite a few yachty shops, a small museum and a good choice of places to eat. We enjoyed the Cowes Treasure Trail as a way of exploring the town in a couple of hours.
  • Carisbrooke Castle is about 50 minutes away by bus. It's an English Heritage property with great views from the top, a small museum, a chapel and donkeys which pull up water from the well.
  • head across to East Cowes via the floating bridge and get a bus or walk to Osborne House. It's about half an hour on foot. Osborne was home to Queen Victoria. There's a large house to look around as well as massive grounds and a private beach which is very pretty.
  • Robin Hill Country Park is 50 minutes by bus from Cowes. It's an adventure park and gardens with some small/medium sized rides, treetop nets, a toboggan run and summertime shows. 
  • Ryde is about an hour on the bus from Cowes. It's got a large sandy beach, a couple of playgrounds, shops and the UK's oldest pier. However, it's much easier to reach from Portsmouth so that might be a better option for you.
Osborne House front view
Queen Victoria's Osborne House is near to East Cowes

Day trips to the ISle of Wight from Southampton with a car

If you decide to bring your car to the Isle of Wight then you'll arrive in East Cowes. The town itself doesn't have a great deal of attractions but you can drive anywhere on the Isle of Wight in about 45 minutes or less.

If you want to visit 'classic' Isle of Wight attractions and resorts then head for:


Resorts like Sandown, Shanklin and Ryde are great if you want a traditional seaside day out in a popular resort with lots of things for children. There are toilets nearby, chips are sold by the bucket-load and the sound of minigolf balls plopping into holes can be heard from the beach. 
Alum Bay from the cliffs
Alum Bay and The Needles...home of plastic teddy bears filled with multicoloured sand
However...if you want unspoilt beauty or a quieter day out then you can use the flexibility of a car to reach a few of our favourite spots:
  • Compton Bay, Freshwater Bay and the South West coastline. Compton Bay is the Island's best beach for surfing and bodyboarding and it is gorgeous at low tide. Freshwater Bay is good on a stormy day when the waves crash against the seawall. If it's a clear day, walk up to the Tennyson Monument from Freshwater Bay for one of the best views on the Island.
  • Ventnor, Steephill Cove, St Catherine's Lighthouse and the Pepperpot. Ventnor is a traditional seaside resort on a steep hill, but it's got more of an old-fashioned feel to it than Sandown or Shanklin. The coastal path from Bonchurch to Steephill Cove via Ventnor is a favourite of ours and there are plenty of places in Ventnor to stop for lunch. The Pepperpot is an ancient lighthouse on the southern point of the Island with fantastic views. St Catherine's Lighthouse is the more modern replacement which is worth a visit.
  • Yarmouth, Totland and Colwell. Yarmouth is a pretty and sleepy little town with a small castle and a pier to wander along. Nearby, Totland and Colwell are beaches which are joined together with a short stretch of seawall.
  • Priory Bay, Bembridge and St. Helens. Priory Bay is a bit hard to reach but it's one of the Isle of Wight's loveliest beaches with golden sands (on a sunny day) and a tree lined backdrop. St. Helens beach is just round the corner and is much easier to access. It's got a watersports place and nice views of the Solent, whilst Bembridge is good for rockpooling and dogwalking.
Tennyson Down
Looking towards the Tennyson Monument from near Freshwater Bay
St Catherine's Lighthouse
St Catherine's Lighthouse is on the Isle of Wight's southern point
The-Isle-of-Wight-Guru-Don't-Blame-Us-Disclaimer™ All the information on this website is correct, as far as we know, but please do check details directly - and please contact us if you find anything inaccurate. Here's our full disclaimer.

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