Isle of Wight Travel Options

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Get two adults with a "Two Together" railcard from Feltham to the Isle of Wight (any port) and back, departing on a Monday and returning on a Thursday. Assume it's booked far enough in advance to use Advance tickets.

Choices, choices

Seems like the options are:

  • Red Funnel ferries (Southampton)
  • Hovertravel hovercraft (Portsmouth and Southsea)
  • Wightlink catamaran (Portsmouth Harbour)

Too Long; Didn't Read

The Red Funnel ferry is the cheapest but slowest.

The hovercraft is the most expensive but the fastest.

The Wightlink catamaran is somewhere between the two.

For a flexible ticket the spread of prices is £89 – £108.

Around £20 can come off these prices by selecting an inflexible advance ticket, but then you have to travel from/to London Victoria and it's a lot slower.

If you're willing to break the terms of the ticket by getting on/off at Clapham Junction instead then you shave off about £5 more and it gets slightly faster.

Red Funnel Ferry, Southampton – East Cowes

Flexible option

Can use any off-peak train, return any time within 30 days.

Out on Monday: 3h35m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
South West Trains 10:35 Feltham 12:22 Southampton Central £53.90
CityLink shuttle bus 12:30 Southampton Central 12:37 Southampton Town Quay £0.00
Ferry 13:00 Southampton Town Quay 14:00 East Cowes £34.80
Return on Thursday (flexible to any off-peak train so this is just an example): 3h35m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
Red Funnel ferry 17:30 East Cowes 18:30 Southampton Town Quay £0.00
CityLink shuttle bus 18:45 Southampton Town Quay 18:52 Southampton Central £0.00
South West Trains 19:15 Southampton Central 21:05 Feltham £0.00
Total: £88.70
7h10m travelling

It seems that this journey can be booked in one go from http://www.buytickets.southwesttrains.co.uk/combinedmatrix.aspx?Command=TimeTable and costs only £76.80. It also thinks you can do it in 6h36m (3h20m there, 3h16m back).

Inflexible advance option, obeying ticket terms

It turns out that inflexible Advance tickets from/to London Victoria are a lot cheaper.

Must use stated trains for the Southern Railways part of the journey.

The Southern Railways tickets are only valid from/to London Victoria.

Out on Monday: 5h25m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
South West Trains 09:35 Feltham 10:11 London Victoria £7.20
Southern Railways 10:32 London Victoria 12:59 Southampton Central £10.60
CityLink shuttle bus 13:30 Southampton Central 13:37 Southampton Town Quay £0.00
Red Funnel ferry 14:00 Southampton Town Quay 15:00 East Cowes £34.80
Return on Thursday: 5h03m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
Red Funnel ferry 14:30 East Cowes 15:30 Southampton Town Quay £0.00
CityLink shuttle bus 15:45 Southampton Town Quay 15:52 Southampton Central £0.00
Southern Railways 16:12 Southampton Central 18:47 London Victoria £6.60
South West Trains 18:53 London Victoria 19:33 Feltham £7.20
Total: £66.40
10h28m travelling

Inflexible advance option, breaking ticket terms

Must use stated trains for the Southern Railways part of the journey.

The Southern Railways tickets are only valid from/to London Victoria, but they probably have no way of stopping us getting on/off at Clapham Junction.

Out on Monday: 5h14m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
South West Trains 09:46 Feltham 10:08 Clapham Junction £5.00
Southern Railways 10:37 Clapham Junction
(service started at London Victoria at 10:32)
12:59 Southampton Central £10.60
CityLink shuttle bus 13:30 Southampton Central 13:37 Southampton Town Quay £0.00
Ferry 14:00 Southampton Town Quay 15:00 East Cowes £34.80
Return on Thursday: 4h46m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
Red Funnel ferry 14:30 East Cowes 15:30 Southampton Town Quay £0.00
CityLink shuttle bus 15:45 Southampton Town Quay 15:52 Southampton Central £0.00
Southern Railways 16:12 Southampton Central 18:42 Clapham Junction
(service arrives London Victoria at 18:47)
£6.60
South West Trains 18:58 Clapham Junction 19:16 Feltham £5.00
Total: £62.00
10h00m travelling

Hovercraft, Portsmouth Southsea – Ryde

Flexible option

Can use any off-peak train, return any time within 30 days.

Out on Monday: 3h05m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
South West Trains 10:35 Feltham 12:58 Portsmouth and Southsea £50.00
Hoverbus 13:15 Portsmouth and Southsea 13:23 Southsea Terminal £3.20
Hovercraft 13:30 Southsea Terminal 13:40 Ryde £52.00
Return on Thursday (flexible to any off-peak train so this is just an example): 3h01m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
Hovercraft 18:45 Ryde 18:55 Southsea Terminal £0.00
Hoverbus 19:00 Southsea Terminal 19:12 Portsmouth and Southsea £3.20
South West Trains 19:24 Portsmouth and Southsea 21:46 Feltham £0.00
Total: £108.40
6h06m travelling

Inflexible advance option, obeying ticket terms

It turns out that inflexible Advance tickets from/to London Victoria are a lot cheaper.

Must use stated trains for the Southern Railways part of the journey.

The Southern Railways tickets are only valid from/to London Victoria.

Out on Monday: 3h35m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
South West Trains 11:05 Feltham 11:41 London Victoria £7.20
Southern Railways 12:02 London Victoria 13:58 Portsmouth and Southsea £10.60
Hoverbus 14:15 Portsmouth and Southsea 14:23 Southsea Terminal £3.20
Hovercraft 14:30 Southsea Terminal 14:40 Ryde £52.00
Return on Thursday: 3h48m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
Hovercraft 14:15 Ryde 14:25 Southsea Terminal £0.00
Hoverbus 14:30 Southsea Terminal 14:42 Portsmouth and Southsea £3.20
Southern Railways 15:16 Portsmouth and Southsea 17:20 London Victoria £10.60
South West Trains 17:27 London Victoria 18:03 Feltham £11.80
Total: £98.60
7h23m travelling

Inflexible advance option, breaking ticket terms

Must use stated trains for the Southern Railways part of the journey.

The Southern Railways tickets are only valid from/to London Victoria, but they probably have no way of stopping us getting on/off at Clapham Junction.

Out on Monday: 3h29m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
South West Trains 11:11 Feltham 11:43 Clapham Junction £5.00
Southern Railways 12:07 Clapham Junction
(service started at London Victoria at 12:02)
13:58 Portsmouth and Southsea £10.60
Hoverbus 14:15 Portsmouth and Southsea 14:23 Southsea Terminal £3.20
Hovercraft 14:30 Southsea Terminal 14:40 Ryde £52.00
Return on Thursday: 3h31m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
Hovercraft 14:15 Ryde 14:25 Southsea Terminal £0.00
Hoverbus 14:30 Southsea Terminal 14:40 Portsmouth and Southsea £3.20
Southern Railways 15:16 Portsmouth and Southsea 17:15 Clapham Junction
(service arrives London Victoria at 17:20)
£10.60
South West Trains 17:28 Clapham Junction 17:46 Feltham £7.80
Total: £92.40
7h00m travelling

Wightlink Seacat, Portsmouth Harbour - Ryde Pier

Need to buy tickets 15 minutes prior to boarding, and allow 10 minutes for interchange between train and catamaran at Portsmouth Harbour.

Flexible option

Can use any off-peak train, return any time within 30 days.

Out on Monday: 3h17m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
South West Trains 10:20 Feltham 12:33 Portsmouth Harbour £50.00
Wightlink catamaran 13:15 Portsmouth Harbour 13:37 Ryde Pier £47.20
Return on Thursday (flexible to any off-peak train so this is just an example): 2h59m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
Wightlink catamaran 18:47 Ryde Pier 19:09 Portsmouth Harbour £0.00
South West Trains 19:19 Portsmouth Harbour 21:46 Feltham £0.00
Total: £97.20
6h16 travelling

Inflexible advance option, obeying ticket terms

It turns out that inflexible Advance tickets from/to London Victoria are a lot cheaper.

Must use stated trains for the Southern Railways part of the journey.

The Southern Railways tickets are only valid from/to London Victoria.

Out on Monday: 4h32m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
South West Trains 10:05 Feltham 10:40 London Victoria £7.20
Southern Railways 11:02 London Victoria 13:02 Portsmouth Harbour £10.60
Wightlink catamaran 14:15 Portsmouth Harbour 14:37 Ryde Pier £47.20
Return on Thursday: 3h46m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
Wightlink catamaran 14:47 Ryde Pier 15:09 Portsmouth Harbour £0.00
Southern Railways 15:29 Portsmouth Harbour 17:46 London Victoria £10.60
South West Trains 17:57 London Victoria 18:33 Feltham £11.80
Total: £87.40
8h18m travelling

Inflexible advance option, breaking ticket terms

Must use stated trains for the Southern Railways part of the journey.

The Southern Railways tickets are only valid from/to London Victoria, but they probably have no way of stopping us getting on/off at Clapham Junction.

Out on Monday: 4h17m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
South West Trains 10:20 Feltham 10:41 Clapham Junction £5.00
Southern Railways 11:08 Clapham Junction
(service started at London Victoria at 11:02)
13:02 Portsmouth Harbour £10.60
Wightlink catamaran 14:15 Portsmouth Harbour 14:37 Ryde Pier £47.20
Return on Thursday: 3h46m
Departs From Arrives At Cost
Hovercraft 14:15 Ryde 14:25 Southsea Terminal £0.00
Southern Railways 15:29 Portsmouth and Southsea 17:39 Clapham Junction
(service arrives London Victoria at 17:46)
£10.60
South West Trains 17:38 Clapham Junction 17:59 Feltham £7.80
Total: £81.20
8h03m travelling