Travel from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight by ferry, fastcat or hovercraft - routes

With ferries, a fastcat and even a hovercraft on offer an as option there are three options for those people wishing to travel to the island from Portsmouth - with other travel points from further along the mainland also available.

Hovercraft

The fastest route onto the island takes just ten minutes with Hovertravel operating a hovercraft for foot passengers from Southsea near Clarence Pier to the esplanade in Ryde at least once an hour - being more frequent at peak times. From Ryde the railway station is the short walk away while in Portsmouth the railway station is a bus ride away. Paid-for parking is close to the hovercraft terminals on both sides.

For a fun days out, Hovercraft also runs combined offers for travel and attraction tickets and dogs are allowed to travel. The hovercraft and terminals are also also wheelchair accessible.

Ferry

A popular crossing is the regular Wightlink ferries which operate from Portsmouth, next to Gunwharf Quays, to Fishbourne every 30 minutes and see you reach your destination in just 45 minutes. The ferries and terminals are accessible, with cafe facilities and with pet friendly areas for travelling dogs. Foot passengers and cyclists are also welcome.

There is a paid-for carpark near the Portsmouth terminal, a ten minute walk from the transport bus, train and Gosport ferry hub at The Hard, but no parking near the Fishbourne terminal. There are offers available for attractions on both sides of the route and a number of hotels and other accommodations have access to discounted ferry prices for customers.

Fast cat

On top of the ferry, Wightlight also operates a fastcat catamarans for foot passengers connecting Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde in just 22 minutes every hour. These are pet and cyclists friendly. There is paid for parking nearby on both sides of the crossing, and both terminals are close to the railway stations and bus routes.