Isle of Wight on a Budget Part Three: Travelling to and around the Isle of Wight

Have you heard? There are plenty of clever ways to cut the cost of your ferry travel to the Isle of Wight and get the best value for money (most people just don’t know about them).

A great starting point is to try and be as flexible as possible with your plans. Could you consider travelling outside the main holidays? Catching an early morning or late-night boat? Going midweek? All of these things can really cut costs if you need to travel on peak dates.

But of course this won’t be possible for everyone, so I’ve rounded up some alternative ways to make some savings this year if you’re looking to visit the island.

Travelling for the day as a foot passenger can unlock some great deals. And, with longer daylight hours now upon us, it’s amazing how much you can fit into one day with a bit of planning!

Cheaper afternoon daytrips

If you depart after midday, you can travel with Wightlink from just £19 per person return. Granted, you won’t be able to see the whole island – but did you know that the ferries back to Portsmouth run through the night?

That’s perfect for a relaxed lunch or dinner ‘overseas’ with enough time to fit in an attraction or two. From Ryde, for example, you could take the train down to Sandown or Shanklin for a day at the beach (around 25 minutes), or hop on the bus to explore Osborne House (21 minutes on the number 4 service). Leaving plenty of time for cocktails and supper by the sea.

Explore West Wight

Fancy exploring beautiful West Wight on a daytrip? Wightlink customers heading to the Island from Lymington can take advantage of a special West Wight Rover ticket running until November.

Priced at £30 (or £18 for ages 5-15), this includes your return ferry along with unlimited travel on the open-top Needles Breezer and number 7 bus. That’s perfect for exploring the historic port town of Yarmouth as well as the stunning Needles and its nearby attractions – or you could even head over to historic Carisbrooke Castle if you like. The offer also includes mainland train travel between Brockenhurst and Lymington.

Kids go free

While under-5s always travel free with Wightlink, during school holidays you can also take up to two children aged 5-15 for free with every adult (or senior) foot passenger day return ticket.

And this applies not just to summer, but all major school holidays including half-term – check  applicable dates and learn more here.

Before booking your a place to stay on the island, be sure to check if your preferred accomodation provider can offer you a discount on the ferry. The savings can be significant and really help with your holiday budgeting!

If you’re looking for a caravan or lodge, Parkdean Resorts has four sites on the island: Lower Hyde and Landguard in Shanklin, Nodes Point in St Helens, and Thorness Bay in the north. (I’ve stayed in three of these myself and I’m a frequent return customer!)

A big bonus of staying with Parkdean is that you can take advantage of a hefty discount on ferry travel. While the rate varies depending on the date and route, it is often 50% off and sometimes even more. Within 48 hours of booking your accommodation, Parkdean emails you with a code to use on the Wightlink website so you can reserve your boat.

If you’re looking for a more unique holiday experience, however, don’t overlook the island’s many wonderful independent hotels, guest houses and B&Bs. Many are able to offer a discount on the ferry, while others offer attractive packages that include your crossing as well as your stay. They’ll usually make this clear on their websites and on the booking portals where they advertise.

Finally, if you prefer to take your accommodation with you, Caravan and Motorhome Club members can secure a discount of 20-50% on fares with Wightlink too!

Wightlink partners with a wide range of third-party card and membership schemes. So don’t forget to check any you are part of for travel discounts – or consider joining if it’s cost-effective to do so! Here are my top picks.

Railcards

If you’re travelling by rail, did you know that you can buy a single ticket from your home station to stations on the island, which includes your ferry crossing?

Not only does this save the hassle of buying separate tickets, it often works out cheaper – especially if you have a railcard, because you’ll get the discount on your boat fare as well as your train.

Using a railcard, you can save up to a third on foot passenger ferry travel – and this includes many of the most popular cards such as the 16-25, Senior and Network railcards.

Tesco Clubcard

The golden days of Tesco quadruple-value redemptions may be long gone, but did you know that Tesco customers can ‘double up’ their Clubcard vouchers when using Wightlink?

You can redeem your Clubcard vouchers from as little as 50p in value, which can add up quickly. For example, £25 in vouchers would get you £50 off.

Paid memberships

If you’re a member of one of these paid membership schemes, then you could also make a meaningful saving on your ferry costs.

English Heritage members receive discounts of 15% for cars & motorbikes, and 20% off foot travel. And as a member, once you’re on the island, don’t forget you can visit some of the island’s best attractions such as Osborne and Carisbrooke Castle for free! (Last year, I found a discounted membership which more than paid for itself through visits to Isle of Wight sites alone).

AA members also receive discounts of 15% for cars & motorbikes, and 20% off foot travel.

Job-related memberships

Blue Light Card holders working in the emergency services, NHS, social care sector and armed forces can receive discounts of 15% off cars & motorbikes, and 20% off foot travel. Don’t forget, teachers and school support staff are now eligible too.

Discounts for Carers, a benefit provider for carers and retired carers which is completely free to join, also offers discounts of 15% off cars & motorbikes, and 20% off foot travel.

Or perhaps one of your party is an armed forces serviceperson (or veteran) and a member of the Defence Discount Service? The same discount applies with 15% off cars & motorbikes, and 20% off foot travel.

Train travel

Regular Island Line trains run south-east from Ryde as far as Shanklin. It’s a short and fun journey which takes around 25 minutes in former London Underground carriages.

A typical day return ticket covering the length of the line costs around £7.50, and don’t forget that you can break your journey in either direction with most standard tickets , meaning it’s easy to build a fun itinerary for the day (just ask staff if you’re unsure). However, you can also purchase a Day Ranger ticket from staffed ticket offices giving you unlimited travel for just £7 (£3.20 for children).

Don’t forget you can make use of any relevant national railcards to save some money when you’re on the island too. The Island Line falls within the Network Railcard area, so that works too (subject to the usual time and minimum pricing restrictions).

Bus travel

To reach other destinations by public transport, Southern Vectis buses are the answer. Both Wightlink ports in Ryde and Yarmouth are well served, and the company has handy online journey planners and a useful app.

Like the mainland, a £3 fare cap currently applies to Southern Vectis routes – and that’s what you’ll pay for most journeys. However, if you’re likely to catch the bus more than a couple of times, it’s well worth considering a rover ticket or multi-day pass.

For example, 48-hour Rover tickets cost from just £7.40 per day, while a 7-day Freedom pass gives you seven consecutive days of travel for £31, or £4.43 per day. Several tickets include the option of travelling on the open-top bus routes, and there are some nice deals for groups of up to five people too.

Happy travelling!

Want more money saving tips? Read the other blogs in this series:

• Isle of Wight on a Budget Part One: My 10 favourite FREE things to do on the Island all year round
• Isle of Wight on a Budget Part Two: Cheap Accommodation on the Isle of Wight