Southsea to Isle of Wight hovercraft named among world’s 10 best public transport rides by The Guardian

The route between Southsea Hoverport in Clarence Esplanade and Ryde, operated by Hovertravel, has been named in a list published by The Guardian today. 

It appears alongside a host of exotic journeys from the Medellín cable car in Colombia, to the Alilaguna water bus through Venice and the sleeper train from Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam. 

Bosses at Hovertravel said they are ‘so pleased’ to appear at number two on the list, which was topped by the ferry to Mull and Iona, in Scotland. 

Loretta Lale, head of commercial at Hovertravel, said: ‘We know from our customers that the love and affection for Hovertravel reaches around the world and we are very proud to be featured in a list of such iconic public transport rides.

‘With a journey time of under ten minutes we are certainly not a lengthy experience, but we do work hard to make every minute with us enjoyable.’ 

Compiled by readers of the Guardian, the list is geared at highlighting impressive journeys that travellers can enjoy on a budget. 

Transport links also included are the free tram in Melbourne, the historic railway near Patras in Greece, the train from Derry to Coleraine, the Alaskan State Ferry and a wine-tasting bus in Argentina. 

An extract from the article described Hovertravel’s service as ‘one of the most exciting rides you can take’.

Do you use the hovercraft linking Southsea and Ryde? Is it an exciting journey? Give us your thoughts by emailing [email protected]