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  1. Dedicated Assisted Travel line
  2. Travelling with a companion
  3. What to expect when you travel
  4. Bus routes
  5. Accessible travel requirements - how we can help
  6. Our accessible travel facilities
  7. Discounts for people with disabilities – up to 25% off
  8. See travel information in large print, braille and audio formats

Accessible travel

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Accessible
travel and customer assistance

We’re here to help when you need it. If you have a disability, reduced mobility, a medical condition or just need some extra help, you can rely on us to make sure your journey meets your needs.

Dedicated Assisted Travel line

Looking for help with your accessible travel requirements, Blue Badge discounts or NHS hospital appointment bookings? Call our dedicated Assisted Travel Line on 0800 093 8236 and our team will be on hand to make sure you can travel confidently when you need it most.

Opening hours:

  • Monday to Friday

    09:00 - 18:00

  • Saturday - Sunday

    09:00 - 17:00

Once you’ve made your ferry booking, please let us know how we can help as soon as possible, but no later than 48 hours before you travel. We will then assess your needs and ensure that we can meet them on your chosen sailing – this includes bringing any specialist equipment on board.

Let us know if you need extra space to exit your vehicle, remove a wheelchair or mobility aid from the car or boot, have mobility issues that make it difficult to walk to the lifts or if you’re bringing any specialist equipment on board.

Should we be unable to help, we’ll explain why and may ask you to travel on an alternative sailing.

If you don’t advise us in advance, we will still do our best to allow you to travel as soon as possible after you arrive at the port. However, this may mean your departure is delayed and assistance can’t be guaranteed.

If you have accessible travel requirements, you will be unable to book Priority Boarding.

You can book your accessible travel and assistance needs by using this form on our Contact Us page or by calling our team on 0800 093 8236, Monday – Friday 09:00 – 18:00 and Saturday and Sunday, 09:00 – 17:00.

Click here to book your accessible travel requirements

On this page

Dedicated Assisted Travel lineTravelling with a companionWhat to expect when you travelBus routesAccessible travel requirements - how we can helpOur accessible travel facilitiesDiscounts for people with disabilities – up to 25% offSee travel information in large print, braille and audio formats

Travelling with a companion

If personal care is required, we may ask you to bring a companion with you to provide this assistance.

If you are travelling by foot, companions must be booked at least 48 hours in advance only if you require assistance with breathing, feeding or toileting. They will not be charged.

Travelling in a car? We don’t charge per passenger, so your price will stay the same with up to seven people in your vehicle.

Call our dedicated Assisted Travel line on 0800 093 8236 Monday to Friday 09:00 – 18:00 and Saturday and Sunday 09:00 – 17:00 or or complete the form on our Contact Us page to arrange this.

What to expect when you travel

What happens when I arrive at the port in my car?

When you arrive at our port, let our team know you have booked accessible travel assistance at the check in booth. Check in is up to an hour before but no later than 30 minutes before your booked sailing time.

You will be checked in and sent to a lane ready to board with a green hanger to display on your rear view mirror.

The green hanger will have your requirements box ticked, the date and time of travel and which port you are travelling from. You will be given a different hanger for each leg of your journey.

You will also be asked to turn on your hazard lights while waiting in the car lane to board. The team ashore will communicate your requirements to the team on board.

What happens when I arrive at the port as a foot passenger?

When you arrive at our port, let our team know you have booked have booked accessible travel assistance at the Customer Service Point. Check in is up to 15 minutes before your booked sailing time.

You will be directed to our waiting area and when it is time to board our team will provide your booked assistance.

What happens if there are delays or disruption?

If we experience delays or disruption to our car ferries or FastCat services, we will make sure you are contacted and advised if we need to move your sailing time to make sure your travel requirements are accommodated.

Noises you may hear during your journey

Our ports and ships can be noisy sometimes. The ports may have freight lorries that need to keep their engines running for refrigeration while they wait to board or there may be lots of other customers having conversations and walking around or cars parking nearby.

Our ships may be noisy after boarding. This may be due to the number of people travelling, being close to the pet friendly area or the children’s play area or film room.  When the vessel makes a turn or if the weather conditions are poor, you will be able to hear a number of car alarms for a short period, too.

All our passenger lounges are open with a number of different areas and seating offered.

Bus routes

All of our ports, both on the Isle of Wight and the mainland, are well connected to the public transport network.

If you’ve travelled across the Solent as a foot passenger, you’ll be able to make onward travel by bus to a variety of destinations. See the bus routes that link up with our ports below.

Mainland routes

Portsmouth bus routes

Both our Portsmouth Gunwharf and Portsmouth Harbour ports are located close to The Hard Interchange, a major bus and coach station run by the city council.

Stagecoach operate services out of the Hard, connecting Portsmouth with Havant, Leigh Park, Hayling Island and Chichester.

First Bus also run a selection of routes from here, heading to Paulsgrove, Southampton and Clanfield.

Wightlink ferry departs Lymington port, Hampshire

Lymington bus routes

There are no bus routes that link directly to our Lymington port but Lymington Pier Train Station is found only moments from where our ferry docks and departs and comes with excellent connections to a variety of locations.

The train can drop you off in Lymington town centre, from where Bluestar run bus services connecting the town with Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst, Ashurst, Totton and Southampton.

Isle of Wight routes

Ryde bus routes

At the dry end of Ryde Pier you’ll find the Ryde Transport Interchange, with a number of bus routes linking you to the Island.

You can catch a Southern Vectis bus to the Island’s capital, Newport, as well as East Cowes and the seaside towns of Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor, Seaview and Bembridge.

There is also a circular Ryde route that takes you from the Interchange, through Ryde, Haylands and Binstead.

Yarmouth bus routes

As you alight our ferry in Yarmouth, you’ll find Yarmouth Bus Station.

From here, Southern Vectis run services that connect West Wight with the centre of the Island, with routes going to Newport, Freshwater, Totland and The Needles.

Fishbourne bus routes

There are no bus stops directly outside our port in Fishbourne but at the end of Fishbourne Lane – around a 20 minute walk away – you’ll find bus stops that can take you to Ryde or Newport.

Both of these destinations are Island transport hubs, with onward travel to both and west and east coasts through the Southern Vectis network.

Accessible travel requirements - how we can help

We will try our best to help with any assistance you may need. Below, you’ll find a list of things we can offer assistance with and some things that we, unfortunately, are unable to help with:

We will do our best to help with:

  • A wider or longer space on board our ferries, with more room to get in and out of your vehicle or remove wheelchairs from the rear of your vehicle. You will also be situated close to the lift.

  • Assistance to and from the car deck or FastCat (please note we are only able to provide assistance at our ports).

  • Loan of a wheelchair while you are travelling on board.

  • Transportation of equipment that is safe and authorised to take on board.

  • Providing ramps on the ship so you can access the deck with a wheelchair or pram more easily.

  • Information for passengers who cannot leave the vehicle (subject to authorisation by the ship’s captain on the day of travel. Unfortunately, this can’t be guaranteed).

We're unable to help with:

  • Transportation of equipment that is not safe to take on board, such as some oxygen refrigeration systems (other than refrigerated flasks).

  • Requests that are impossible to accommodate due to the design of our ship or port infrastructure.

  • Requests to remain in your vehicle during the crossing, except in exceptional circumstances such as mobility restrictions that make it unfeasible or unsafe to leave the vehicle during the crossing. This can only be done with the express authorisation of the ship’s Captain on the day of travel.

  • Assistance with personal care such as feeding, breathing or using the toilet.

  • If you have accessible travel requirements, you will be unable to book Priority Boarding.

Book your accessible travel requirements

Our accessible travel facilities

Across our ports and ferries, we have a range of facilities designed to make your journey more comfortable.

Changing places toilets

If you have limited mobility and you can’t use standard accessible toilets, we have Changing Places toilets at our Portsmouth Gunwharf and Ryde Pier Head ports.

The toilets are much larger than a standard room and come equipped with:

  • Changing bench
  • Hoist
  • Peninsular toilet
  • Height-adjustable washbasin
  • Accessible shower
  • Grab rails
Find toilets on a map

All our car ferries have:

  • Wheelchair loan
  • Ramps for access from the car decks to the lifts
  • Lifts to access the passenger lounges – The Wight Sky, Wight Light and Wight Sun lift is across the car deck from the foot passenger entrance. Please ask a member of the Wightlink team to assist you across the car deck.
  • Four accessible parking spaces
  • An accessible – or ambulatory – toilet. The accessible toilet on Wight Sky, Wight Light and Wight Sun is on the car deck and unfortunately can’t be accessed during the crossing
Ferries
Wightlink FastCat exits Portsmouth Harbour

All our FastCats have:

  • Wheelchair loan
  • Powered wheelchair – can only be used with a Wightlink team member
  • Wheelchair secure points on board
  • Ramps to get on board
  • Wheelchair secure points
  • Priority seating at the port and on board
  • Intercom facility from the port entrance to a Wightlink team member if you require assistance
Ferries

All our ports have:

  • Hearing loops at our Customer Service Points and cafés
  • Wheelchair loan
  • Accessible toilets
  • Ramp access to the Customer Service Point
Ports

Discounts for people with disabilities – up to 25% off

If you have a Blue Badge, ENCTS Card or Disabled Persons Railcard, you can benefit from money off your ferry crossing with us.

Blue Badge holders can get 25% off foot passenger prices and up to 20% off vehicle fares, while ENCTS and Disabled Persons Railcard holders are able to get 25% off foot crossings.

Book with your Blue Badge discount

Website accessibility

Find out more about this website’s accessibility functions and compliance as specified by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

  • Website accessibility

    • See travel information in large print, braille and audio formats

    We’re able to provide large print, braille and audio versions of both our ‘Accessible Travel and Customer Assistance’ leaflet and your ‘Passenger Rights information’. If you require these documents, please download the relevant files below or fill in the form to have them sent to you in the post.

    If you’re unable to fill in the form, please give us a call on 0333 999 7333.

    Download Accessible Travel and Customer Assistance information | Large print (pdf - 158 kB)

    Download Passenger Rights Information | Large Print (pdf - 135 kB)

    Order "Accessible Travel & Customer Assistance" leaflet and "Passenger Rights Information" in normal print, large print, braille and audio

    If you request audio, this will be delivered as a CD

    Tell us about your experience

    We’re always looking to improve the service we offer you, so if you booked accessible travel assistance with us, please do let us know how we did. Have a read of our Feedback Guarantee and get in touch with us.

    If you feel our service wasn’t up to standard, you can submit a complaint on our Contact Us page.

    Quality standards for assistance

    Quality standards for assistance (pdf - 127 kB)