Booking Conditions & FAQs

Trucks and Commercial Vehicles are unable to be booked online, please call our Reservation Office on 0871 376 1000 (calls cost 7p per minute plus network extras).

Fares shown are subject to availability and valid at the time of quotation only. When travelling with a vehicle tickets are cheaper if booked in advance, higher "Go Show" rates apply on the day of departure.

Charges are determined by the date and time of travel. Return fares where outward and return ferry sailings are in different tariffs are calculated at half the outward plus half the inward tariff return fares.

Single Vehicle Fares are available, please contact us for details.

Season Tickets and Multilink Foot Passenger tickets require a passport sized photograph to be supplied at time of purchase, in order for a ID card to be issued.

Children under 5 travel free of charge. Ages 5-15 (inclusive) travel at Child rate.

Dogs and Bicycles accompanying passengers travel free of charge.

Vehicles must be correctly declared at the time of booking, failure to correctly declare the type and dimensions of your vehicle at the time of booking will lead to supplements to be paid at the port and in some circumstances refusal to ship.

Light Vans not exceeding 4.6 metres long and 2.25 metres high are charged at either the Mainland Standard Day Return fare or Mainland Standard Period Return (90 days) Car rates. Vans exceeding these dimensions are charged at Commercial Rates, details may be obtained by calling 0871 376 1000 (calls cost 7p per minute plus network extras). Vans will be measured on arrival at the port and surcharges and/or refusal to ship may result if vehicles exceed the booked dimensions.

Pick-Up Trucks, Crew-Cabs which are up to 6m long and 2.25m high travel at car rate though we reserve the right to charge a supplement on certain tickets (excludes flat bed pick ups).

Vehicle Sizes: Overall length means either the actual length of your vehicle (including fixed tow bars on caravans or other trailers) or the length from bumper to bumper shown in the manufacturers’ specification, whichever is the greater.

Car Racks & Vehicle Heights: Customers must declare the height of their vehicle and any roof-top items, including, but not limited to, aerials, cycle racks, luggage and sporting equipment. Failure to declare may result in the customer being unable to travel on their booked sailing.

Excess Fares may be payable when foot passengers holding return tickets return by another route.

Group Rates are available, please telephone 0871 376 1000 (calls cost 7p per minute plus network extras) for details.

Day refers to a calendar day, a period of 24 hours starting from midnight.

 Please note that for safety reasons mobile phones must be switched off whilst driving on and off all ferries.

 Please note that Wightlink operates a no smoking policy. Smoking is not permitted in our terminals or onboard our ferries except on the open sundecks and is strictly prohibited on the ferry car decks.

VAT is not applicable on these fares - if you require a receipt please ask at the time of purchase.

Booking Your Ferry - Passenger Ferry & Catamaran Services:  Foot passengers do not need to book in advance. We do request, however, that you arrive 15 minutes prior to departure to allow time to purchase your tickets and board the ferry. Please allow at least 10 minutes for connecting between trains and catamarans at Portsmouth Harbour. Onward rail journey tickets from Lymington Pier and Portsmouth Harbour can be purchased from our offices at Yarmouth and Ryde Pier Head. Tickets for onward rail journeys on the Isle of Wight are available from the Wightlink Ticket Office at Portsmouth Harbour.

Booking Your Ferry - Car Ferry Services:  Advance reservations for cars and motorcycles should be made for all sailings and are essential for travel at Christmas, Easter and Summer weekends. Online bookings cannot be made within 2 hours of the sailing time. Reservations for bicycles are not required and these are carried by all services, space permitting, free of charge.  You are advised to make full payment for your reservation at the time of booking to benefit from the advance booking discounted fares unless you already hold a valid ticket for your date and time of travel. You are required to make full payment for your reservation at the time of booking if travelling on peak sailings.

Tickets: The Reservation Office must be advised prior to date of travel in instances where tickets sent by post have not been received. For full details call Wightlink on 0871 376 1000 (calls cost 7p per minute plus network extras).  Tickets can be collected on departure at the port or in certain circumstances sent in the post prior to travel.

Payment: Mastercard, American Express and Visa credit cards are all accepted as well as Delta, Visa and Maestro debit cards. Cheques are not accepted. Payment can be made in cash at any of our terminals. Tesco Clubcard Deals Tokens are accepted for some ticket types only and bookings must be made at least 14 days in advance through our call centre, please call 0871 376 1000 (calls cost 7p per minute plus network extras) for details.

Refunds and Cancellations: If you wish to cancel your booking or reservation after we have confirmed your booking, you should inform us as soon as possible. Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours prior to the date of departure by telephoning the Call Centre on 0871 376 1000 (calls cost 7p per minute plus network extras); by email or by writing to Wightlink. If you cancel, we reserve the right to charge a cancellation fee on the following scale:

• "Standard" Tickets: £5.00

• "Saver" Tickets; More than 7 days before outward sailing date: £10.00. Between 7 days and 24 hours in advance of outward sailing date: £20.00

• "Super Saver" or Promotional Tickets: No refunds will be given  

Please note: Refunds will not be considered on bookings that a customer has failed to cancel; on part-used tickets; or on "Super Saver"/special offers/promotional fares.

Alterations to Bookings. Alterations can only be made by calling our Reservations Office. It is not possible to make amendments online. All alterations requested by you to a booking or reservation are subject to availability. For "Fully Flexible" fares we will not charge you for any alteration though additional fare may be payable.  For other ticket types the first alteration to a booking will incur no charge. Any second or subsequent changes will incur a £5 administration charge. If the change results in an excess payment that is greater that £5 the admin charge will be waived.

Subject to validity, tickets will be accepted for the date and service for which reservations have been made. When tickets are issued on an “open” basis, reservations will be made on application subject to availability of space but the journey must be completed within 90 days of the original outward sailing date.  Any amendment and/or excess charge will be payable at the time the booking is reconfirmed.

Contacting the Reservations Office

• Telephone 0871 376 1000 (calls cost 7p per minute plus network extras)
• Facsimile (023) 9285 5257
• Email: click here
• Post: Wightlink Isle of Wight Ferries, PO Box 59, Portsmouth, PO1 2XB

Reservations Office opening hours

• Mondays to Saturdays 07:00–21:00
• Sundays 08:00–20:00
• Bank Holidays 08:00-20:00. Closed Christmas Day. New Year’s Day 10:00–16:00
• Ticket Offices are open in connection with ferry departure and arrival times
• In the interest of maintaining the highest standards of customer service, some telephone calls to our Reservations Department are monitored and/or recorded.

In the interest of maintaining the highest standards of customer service, some telephone calls to our Reservations Department are monitored and/or recorded.

Checking In  For operating reasons, ships may have to sail a little before or after advertised times. Motorists are requested to check in at least 30 minutes, but not more than one hour, before departure, foot passengers 15 minutes before departure (please allow extra time if collecting tickets). Services are liable to alteration at Christmas and on Bank Holidays.