Motoring Discussion > Isle of Wight crossing ? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: bottomlesspit Replies: 22
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New Thu 6 Jan 11 16:01 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - bottomlesspit
Hi All

Off to the IOW for one week in April so just checking out the cost of a Ferry crossing and can't believe the cost for 4 in a car !

Does anyone know of a cost efficient way of getting a crossing, all sarcastic answers accepted !
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New Thu 6 Jan 11 16:02 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - PR
I think you can use Tesco vouchers @ 3 for 1 if you collect those?
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New Thu 6 Jan 11 16:08 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - RichardW
More cost efficient crossing? There isn't one. One of the reasons my parents don't live there anymore!
Last edited by: RichardW on Thu 6 Jan 11 at 16:08
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New Thu 6 Jan 11 16:10 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Crankcase
Isle of Wight website:

It's easy to take a car to the Island ... As a matter of fact, mile for mile, it is the most expensive car ferry crossing in the world.
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New Thu 6 Jan 11 16:10 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Iffy
...Does anyone know of a cost efficient way of getting a crossing...

The cost of getting across has long been a source of irritation for the locals.

They claim it's the most expensive public transport journey per mile in the world.

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New Thu 6 Jan 11 17:11 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Oldgit
Yes but you ask them if, like the Isle of Skye, they'd like a bridge (if of course it was an engineering possibility)
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New Thu 6 Jan 11 17:16 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Zero
I have driven to, or through every county in the UK.

I have never been to the Isle of Wight, despite only living 40 miles away from Portsmouth.
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New Thu 6 Jan 11 17:30 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Stuu
Costs even more for a van. I once took my Carry van there on holiday along with my parents in their car. It was so expensive for two people in a van, that my passenger got out before the port and got in my parents car such was the saving.

The cost effective way to get to IOW is swim or steal a pedalo.
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New Thu 6 Jan 11 18:00 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Perky Penguin
One can get a reasonable deal as part of a hotel stay where the crossing is subsidised to some degree and the package looks like good value overall. If you just want a crossing you are needing a wodge of dosh, as you have discovered.
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New Thu 6 Jan 11 18:02 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Iffy
...or steal a pedalo...

When I lived in Portsmouth there were a few people who went to and from on jetskis.

The old salts in Pompey didn't approve - they thought it wasn't safe.
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New Thu 6 Jan 11 18:08 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Mapmaker
>>steal a pedalo

TWOC
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New Thu 6 Jan 11 19:27 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Skoda
Had to look up prices to see just how bad. Jeezo it's over £6 / mile!

But, Largs -> Millport = 1.2 miles, Car + 2 = £23.85 return...

£9.94 / mile.

Ahh quit whining ;-) (jesting! it's a total rip off).
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New Thu 6 Jan 11 19:35 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - mikeyb
>> I have driven to, or through every county in the UK.
>>
>> I have never been to the Isle of Wight, despite only living 40 miles away
>> from Portsmouth.
>>

Not missing much IMO
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New Thu 6 Jan 11 19:52 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Fenlander
So what price did you work out it would be bp? I tried 4 in a car for July and it was £140 return. Tis a bit pricey to visit a place you'll want to leave after day 3!

We went by private boat a good few times in the 60s & 70s, it was quite exciting to visit from the harbour perspective but the retired parents have gone back since by ferry and I get the impression once they discount memories of the old days it's all a bit small scale.

If I was going these days it would be without car using £4 for fuel in a small boat with a skilled helmsperson such as this...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hswu3kCR-Uc&feature=related
Last edited by: Fenlander on Thu 6 Jan 11 at 19:53
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New Fri 7 Jan 11 09:57 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - DP
Last time I went to the IoW was in September, when we flew into Bembridge in a mate's microlight. Not a practical solution to the op's problem, but a huge amount of fun, not least due to the 600ft cloud base across the Solent, and the 18kt crosswind on approach to the airfield. When the guy flying the plane goes quiet, save for the odd muttered swear word, and the control inputs become rapid and hefty enough to be visible in your peripheral vision, you know it's close. :-)
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New Fri 7 Jan 11 11:00 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - spamcan61
Even the flying option is getting trickier as Bembridge can't be used for commercial flights any more:-

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-12125870
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New Fri 7 Jan 11 19:43 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Perky Penguin
When/if any of you do decide to go to IOW I can recommend the IOW Glass Factory on the South coast, Osborne House, and the lavender and garlic farms.. The latter has something there called Elelphant garlic which is about the size of a turnip but not too strong, oak smoked garlic and may other variants.
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New Fri 7 Jan 11 19:51 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Iffy
I was fascinated by the coloured sands during a visit as a child.

tinyurl.com/2vmoa42
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New Fri 7 Jan 11 20:06 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - spamcan61
Spamette Major and her boyfriend have just returned from a few days there, ferry cost them 40 odd quid return for the two of them plus his VW van. Wightlink wanted 105 quid for the journey, I'll try and ask who they used in the end.

I really must go over to have a look at the IoW steam railway as they have some decent old coaching stock. Last time I went 'overseas' was 20 odd years ago, had a go on a C5 round a go-kart track so must've been a while ago. Went well 'til the battery went flat.
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New Fri 7 Jan 11 22:33 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Fenlander
>>>>fascinated by the coloured sands during a visit as a child.

The more our experiences cross iffy the more I think you might be my long lost brother... scary!

I remember you could buy an empty glass tube from the shop and go along the sands to make your own colour combination.
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New Sat 8 Jan 11 09:39 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - bottomlesspit
Well glad to see I was not being too tight here!

Redfunnel from Southampton £69 return 1hr crossing time
Wightlink form Portsmouth £107 return 30mins crossing time

I could get 10% discount with Wightlink, but it is still a no brainer, Redfunnel is the choice.

I think I have ben spolied by the £50 return crossings from Dover - Dunkerque I have taken in the past two years and these were return over a six week period.

Bit of a monopoly by the looks of it, but still a large difference between the two, but then I suppose it down to the crosssing time ?
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New Sat 8 Jan 11 12:58 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - PeteW
I've used Redfunnel for the last 10 years of trips to the Isle of Wight (can tell I rather like it there). Yes the price is probably too much, but last trip in October cost me and the family £46 return when booked with accomodation and some compromise as to sailing times. If you go earlier in the morning and come back later in the afternoon it is surprising the difference it can make in price.
Also they seem VERY well organised for loading and unloading - never had any delays or hassle in that respect.
If you want a list of (IMO) the best pubs/restaurants to visit just ask!!

Oh and re. Wightlink - the crossing is shorter (Portsmouth to Fishbourne) and getting into Portsmouth and out at Fishbourne is far more painfull than Southampton/Cowes!
Last edited by: Everest Pete on Sat 8 Jan 11 at 13:01
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New Sat 8 Jan 11 13:07 
 Isle of Wight crossing ? - Iffy
Feeble Isle of Wight joke:

What's brown and steaming and comes out of Cowes?

The Isle of Wight Ferry.

Second feeble joke:

Why did the Isle of Wight farmer not have any horses?

Because he preferred Cowes to Ryde.

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