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Day Trips From Southampton To The Isle Of Wight – Ferry Advice And Things To Do (2024 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.
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...
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 added the 'West' bit in brackets for visitors ever 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 three 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 28-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.
The Isle of Wight doesn't have Uber, so if you go for taxis then it is the traditional sort.
- Although the car ferry takes 30 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.
- Finally, it's worth mentioning that Red Funnel do a cheap deal if you travel as a couple and catch an off-peak ferry as a foot passenger. You need to travel after 10.55am but it is only about £11 each, rather than the usual £25-£30. It's called the Super Off Peak Day Return and it can only be bought from the Red Funnel ticket office. You can't buy it online.
Red Funnel's car ferry takes about an hour from Southampton to the Isle of Wight
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There's also a 'floating bridge' which links (West) Cowes and East Cowes
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What about bringing a bike to the Isle of Wight from Southampton?
One option to extend your exploring is to bring a bicycle. You can take bikes across for free on the car ferry from Southampton to East Cowes or on the passenger ferry from Southampton to (West) Cowes.
At one stage you could only take fold up bikes on the passenger ferry, but this has now changed (you may want to check the Red Funnel FAQ before travelling in case it changes again). There are a limited number of spaces and you can't book them, so I would turn up early.
From (West) Cowes you can head for a pleasant cycle track called the Red Squirrel Trail which goes to Newport and then continues on towards Sandown and Shanklin. The full route is 32 miles.
If you like the sound of this option then I would go for the foot passenger ferry, unless you are bringing 94 other cyclists with you as part of the East Croydon Bottom Wigglers. The car ferry to East Cowes is usually cheaper but you will then have to catch the 'floating bridge' which joins East Cowes with (West) Cowes to find the cycle track. The floating bridge is only a short crossing and is quite fun but it has had some, er, operational issues in recent years.
Bike hire options are covered in our cycling guide.
At one stage you could only take fold up bikes on the passenger ferry, but this has now changed (you may want to check the Red Funnel FAQ before travelling in case it changes again). There are a limited number of spaces and you can't book them, so I would turn up early.
From (West) Cowes you can head for a pleasant cycle track called the Red Squirrel Trail which goes to Newport and then continues on towards Sandown and Shanklin. The full route is 32 miles.
If you like the sound of this option then I would go for the foot passenger ferry, unless you are bringing 94 other cyclists with you as part of the East Croydon Bottom Wigglers. The car ferry to East Cowes is usually cheaper but you will then have to catch the 'floating bridge' which joins East Cowes with (West) Cowes to find the cycle track. The floating bridge is only a short crossing and is quite fun but it has had some, er, operational issues in recent years.
Bike hire options are covered in our cycling guide.
The Red Squirrel cycle track links Cowes to Newport and then continues towards Sandown and Shanklin
What about hiring a car?
An alternative option is to hire a car on the Isle of Wight.
This won't always work out as a cheaper option, but it's more likely to if a) you're travelling alone and b) if you're visiting during the summer school holidays.
Travelling as a foot passenger will cost you about £25 and you can then hire a car from Enterprise in Newport from about £25 for a day. You'll have to pay about £9 for the return bus to Newport. That will take the total to somewhere around £60 once you've paid to park in Southampton (Your Parking Space and Just Park are cheaper than leaving your car on the seafront).
During peak season that may be cheaper than bringing your car for the day. Of course, you might decide it's not worth the additional faff.
This won't always work out as a cheaper option, but it's more likely to if a) you're travelling alone and b) if you're visiting during the summer school holidays.
Travelling as a foot passenger will cost you about £25 and you can then hire a car from Enterprise in Newport from about £25 for a day. You'll have to pay about £9 for the return bus to Newport. That will take the total to somewhere around £60 once you've paid to park in Southampton (Your Parking Space and Just Park are cheaper than leaving your car on the seafront).
During peak season that may be cheaper than bringing your car for the day. Of course, you might decide it's not worth the additional faff.
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 28 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.
Cowes is known for its history of sailing
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The Cowes to Gurnard walk is flat enough for pushchairs and wheelchairs
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- 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.
- 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.
Queen Victoria's Osborne House is near to East Cowes
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Carisbrooke Castle is on the outskirts of Newport
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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.
One option is the Wighty 90 Driving Route. It's our whistle-stop tour which shows off a large chunk of the Isle of Wight's beauty at 30 miles per hour.
If you want to focus on one or two 'classic' Isle of Wight attractions and resorts, then I would 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.
One option is the Wighty 90 Driving Route. It's our whistle-stop tour which shows off a large chunk of the Isle of Wight's beauty at 30 miles per hour.
If you want to focus on one or two 'classic' Isle of Wight attractions and resorts, then I would head for:
- Sandown and Shanklin (20-30 minutes' drive - busy bucket and spade resorts with sandy beaches and attractions such as Wildheart Animal Sanctuary and Sandown Pier). I prefer Shanklin seafront to Sandown seafront but other people will disagree and send me angry emails.
- Godshill and Ventnor (35 minutes' drive - Ventnor is a pretty seaside resort with coastal walks and seafront places to eat. Godshill is a busy village full of coach parties with ye olde tearooms and a model village). There are a couple of good walks from Ventnor in our walking guide.
- The Needles and Alum Bay (40 minutes' drive - famous landmark with a chairlift, boat rides and a lighthouse. It gets very busy but the views from the National Trust's Old Battery are fantastic)
- Osborne House or Carisbrooke Castle (5 minutes/20 minutes' drive - the two most famous historic attractions on the Isle of Wight. Osborne is near to East Cowes)
- Blackgang Chine, Robin Hill or Tapnell Farm Park (15-30 minutes' drive - popular, family-friendly attractions)
- Ryde (sandy beach, the UK's oldest pier, seafront playgrounds)
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 and The Needles...home of plastic teddy bears filled with multicoloured sand
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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 (although you can't go inside the lighthouse unfortunately).
- 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 that 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.
Coastal walks around Freshwater Bay take some beating
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St Catherine's Lighthouse is on the Isle of Wight's southern point
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Yarmouth's Castle is squeezed next to the Wightlink ferry which goes to Lymington
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Compton Bay is a popular spot for bodyboarding and surfing
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