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Portsmouth Harbour

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About

Located within Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station and a moment’s walk from the nearby bus interchange, this is our quickest crossing for foot passengers with a journey time of just 22 minutes. Our FastCat catamarans, Wight Ryder I and Wight Ryder II, operate on this route.

We’re temporarily changing the way customers board the FastCat during essential maintenance work. Customers with prams, wheelchairs or mobility scooters or heavy luggage will not be able to use our FastCats for several months, starting January 2022. We strongly recommend these customers and groups of more than ten people travel to and from the Island on our Portsmouth – Fishbourne route instead.

Find out more about how it may affect your journey.

Where is it?

Portsmouth Harbour FastCat Passenger Terminal, Portsmouth, PO1 3PS

Routes

Portsmouth Harbour – Ryde Pier Head

22 minutesFoot passenger ferry

If you’re travelling on foot, Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pier Head is our quickest route, crossing the waters between the Isle of Wight and mainland in just 22 minutes.  

Our reliable, high-speed FastCat catamarans serve this route and come with spacious passenger lounges, bicycle racks and a sun deck, perfect for taking in the views during the day. 

Check our TripAdvisor page to see what others have said about this route. 

We’re temporarily changing the way customers board the FastCat during essential maintenance work. Customers with prams, wheelchairs or mobility scooters or heavy luggage will not be able to use our FastCats for several months, starting January 2022. We strongly recommend these customers and groups of more than ten people travel to and from the Island on our Portsmouth – Fishbourne route instead.

Find out more about how it may affect your journey.

View the Portsmouth Harbour – Ryde Pier Head route
Wightlink Fastcat catamaran at Ryde Pier Head

Facilities at the port

Customer Service Point

Purchase or amend tickets at our port using the dedicated Customer Service Point. Please note, you can’t purchase any of our frequent traveller passes at our ports.

Any payments made at our Customer Service Points will need to be by card as we are no longer accepting cash.

Public transport

Portsmouth Harbour Passenger Ferry Port is easily accessible. It’s just a minute’s walk from Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station and the nearby bus interchange at The Hard, which is served by both local buses and national coaches.

Portmouth Harbour exteropr

Checking in

Foot passengers need to check in 15 minutes before departure.

Find out what it’s like to travel with us on foot

Timetable

Wightlink offers frequent, round-the-clock sailings.

Timetables

Nearby attractions

Our handy Wightlink Explorer section will show everything that is going on in the area.

Start exploring

Parking

Car parking is available opposite Wightlink’s Portsmouth car ferry port in Gunwharf Road, which is about a 10 minute walk away from the FastCat port.

You can pay for your parking of up to three days using the RingGo app on your phone or you can use the designated ticket machines to pay by card. You can extend your session through your phone if you plan on staying a little longer.

If you plan to use our car park regularly, you can purchase a 30-day Parking Permit for just £88.

Parking at Portsmouth Harbour

  • Over 200 car spaces

  • Accessible spaces for Blue Badge holders

  • Two POLAR network, 50kw rapid charging points for electric vehicles (found within the port, not in the car park)

  • Ringo payments, credit and debit cards accepted

  • Postcode: PO1 2LA

  • Purchase parking at Gunwharf

RingGo

RingGo zone number 22280

Duration of stayPrice
Up to three hours£3.90
Up to five hours£7.90
Up to eight hours£9.50
Up to 24 hours£11.60
Over 24 hours (per day or part thereof)£11.60
Evening (16:00 - 05:00)£6.90

What to expect at the port

On foot

Upon arrival, a seating area is available where you can wait until the FastCat is ready for boarding. Feel free to use our port facilities but try to be ready to board at least 15 minutes before your booked sailing time.

All our foot passenger tickets, except for Family tickets, can be purchased online or through the Wightlink app in advance. Foot passenger tickets can also be purchased at our self service ticket machines, located at our ports.

When the ferry is ready to board, please present your ticket (this can be a printed ticket or you can show the ticket on your Wightlink app) to the team for inspection and then proceed down the walkway to board the FastCat.

Ferry

Ports

All our ports are easy to get to and come with excellent facilities, including food and drink outlets – find your closest location to travel from.

Ferry

Ferries

Our fleet of six vehicle ferries and two FastCat catamarans serve the Isle of Wight and mainland 364 days a year – find out everything there is to know about them.

Vehicles parked at Ferry port

Parking

There's parking on site or close by at each of our ports – find pricing information and details of where to find them.