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Ryde Pier Head

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About

Ryde is a beautiful seaside town on the north-east coast of the Island.

There are Island Line trains running directly to and from our Ryde Pier Head Port. This is our quickest crossing for foot passengers, with a journey time of 22 minutes. Our FastCats Wight Ryder I and Wight Ryder II operate on this route.

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

Ryde Pier barrier and toll

The Ryde Pier Toll has ended and the barrier on the pier is no longer in use. We have changed the way we finance the maintenance and refurbishment of the pier as a result of customer feedback and to reduce traffic congestion.

Instead of a £1.30 Pier Toll there is now a supplement of 50p to the price of individual FastCat journeys. Multilink, Season Ticket and Business Pass holders are not affected.

Fishing on Ryde Pier

Ryde Pier is a great place to spend a few hours fishing.

You can now buy your daily and annual fishing permit directly from the car park machines on the Pier – just use the yellow button to find the option you want, then the green button to find out the price and make payment.

Wightlink staff and the parking patrol officers will ask to see your permit when they’re on their rounds.

Please fish responsibly and don’t leave any litter behind when you go home.

Fishing permit prices

  • Adult Day Permit (per rod): £5.00
  • Child Day Permit (with adult, per rod): £2.50
  • Annual Season Ticket (two rods per person): £50.00

Where is it?

Ryde Pier Head, The Esplanade, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 2HF

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.

Seagull Cafe

Our Seagull Cafe outlet is ideal for a quick stop off before you board the FastCat, with a selection of locally-sourced hot and cold food and drink.

Public transport

South Western Railway’s Island Line runs direct trains from Brading, Sandown, Shanklin and other stations to Ryde Pier Head. Several Southern Vectis bus routes operate to Ryde Esplanade, from where you can walk to the Terminal or hop on the train.

Checking in

Foot passengers need to check in 15 minutes before departure.

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 at the port is available and if you intend to use the car park regularly you can purchase a 30-day Parking Permit for just £88.

A weight restriction of three tonnes and a height restriction of 2.25 metres applied to all vehicles using the pier.

A 10mph speed limit applies to all vehicles using the pier, including cyclists. Drivers exceeding this limit will be issued a fixed penalty notice of £80 and/or face exclusion from Wightlink property and vessels.

Parking at Ryde Pier Head

RingGo

RingGo zone number 22285

Duration of stayPrice
Up to 30 minutesFree
Up to two hours£2.30
Up to 16 hours£9.00
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.