TRAVEL FROM THE UK

The Island is easily accessible by train, coach or if you must, by car. We recommend that you travel down via train and then use the passenger services at Lymington, Southampton or Portsmouth, as this will save you the ridiculously high car tariffs charged by the ferry companies. Please see the map below for details of train, bus and motorway connections in your area.

The Island can be accessed by all major UK networks, if you are travelling to the western side of the Island it is recommended that you travel to Lymington Pier via Brockenhurst as it will be much quicker to get to your destination than to transverse the Island by bus. If you are arriving at Southampton Central you will need to get the FREE bus service from the southern platform exit down to Town Quay where you can either catch the Red-Jet or traditional car ferry to Cowes. If arriving at Portsmouth Harbour Station the Fast-Cat is located at the seaward end of the station and arrives at Ryde Pier. If you want to get the Hovercraft you will need to walk or take a taxis down to Southsea from Portsmouth Harbour.

Checkout www.q-jump.co.uk for full timetables and price details.

National Express runs a full range of coach services to the Isle of Wight and does drop-offs at Lymington, Portsmouth Harbour and Southampton Town Quay. For you nearest pick-up point checkout: www.nationalexpress.com

As a sustainable tourism initiative Green Island is not really in the business of supporting car travel, although we do realise that if you are bringing surfboards, sails or a whole young family it can be a bit of a mission to do so without you car. What we do ask though is that you leave you car at your destination and try and explore the Island by foot, bus or train as much as possible, and you will probably find that you will stumble across places you never even knew existed! Lymington, Southampton and Portsmouth all offer car ferry crossings. Plan your route through the AA route planner: www.theaa.com

An alternative option would be to travel by coach or train and then hire a car for a few days while you're here to explore those more remote areas that are a bit of a mission to reach by foot, bus or bike. This is probably cheaper than the return ferry ticket for a car anyway!!! Checkout www.southwightrentals.co.uk, www.premier-ford.co.uk or why not hire a scooter? Checkout www.funation.co.uk for details.

There are over 350 crossings per day from Lymington, Southampton and Portsmouth via passenger cats, passenger hovercraft and traditional car ferries. Lymington to Yarmouth takes about half an hour and drops you right into the heart of the rural West Wight. Red Funnel operates a high speed Cat (Red Jet) from Southampton to Cowes that takes about 20 minutes and a Southampton to East Cowes Car Ferry (50mins). Wightlink run a high-speed cat from Portsmouth to Ryde Pier head (15mins), a particularly nostalgic trip for many who came to the Island as a part of their childhood and a passenger ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne (35 mins). The Hovercraft operates between Southsea and Ryde and takes approximately 10 mins. Please click on appropriate ferry links for timetables and fares.