Situated close to the shoreline of southern England, The Isle of Wight covers quite a large area and even has its very own railway. None the less, this is a great place to relax, with noteworthy sandy beaches all around the island. Some English residents hop down to the Isle of Wight just for a day trip which is quite feasible if you use the ferry services. However, there is plenty to do here if you are planning to stay for a longer period.

One of the most popular ferry services to The Isle of Wight is the Southampton route. The crossing time in this case takes just 55 minutes. Red Funnel operates a single ferry on this route and given the short crossing time, this vessel departs quite frequently at up to 17 times daily. Note that their is a reduced service on Sundays. The ferry can be boarded at Terminal 1 of the Southampton port.

An alternative, also offered by Red Funnel, are the ultra-modern Red Jets. These can not carry vehicles, and there is no opportunity to pre book your journey on the Red Jets; you simply show up at the time of departure. These leave Southampton at the Town Quay Terminal 2 and being super fast, they will make the crossing in about 20 minutes. There are very frequent departures both from Southampton and The Isle of Wight.

If you wish to travel from Portsmouth, The White Link passenger ferry will take you from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight in only 20 minutes. This service departs very frequently with one departure every 30 minutes during the peak months. Alternatively, there is a hovercraft which departs from Southsea, very close to Portsmouth, and arrives at Ryde in the Isle of Wight.

Many people who enjoy yachting sail to the Isle of Wight and most often use the Cowes port. In fact the HMS Royal Yacht Squadron is based in this area.

Tags: England, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton port