wightlink catamaran ryde to portsmouth

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Catamaran Wightlink Portsmouth to Ryde - Wightlink Isle of Wight Ferries

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• Wightlink Isle of Wight Ferries

I had a very pleasant crossing from Lymington to Yarmouth today. However, I am very disappointed... read more

my husband is now classed as disabled and it was our first time asking for assisted passage and... read more

Catamaran Wightlink Portsmouth to Ryde

We took our Jack Russell on board exceptionally easy to find a comfortable space at front for him to lay down for journey both directions. Staff gave us a friendly smile. Service available in almost all weather conditions. Clean and 22 minutes crossings. Coffee shop Portsmouth side. Entry to Wightlink Catamaran embankmentation is via Portsmouth train station. Slope for suitcases and disabled access. Ryde side has a refreshment shop open until 6pm. Toilet facilities both sides of the Solent. Reduced fares for over 60s.Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times.Take their water bottle too.Tickets available online in advance. Wightlink on request will send a paper copy of tickets to your home address.

Hi Tina Thanks for sharing your experiences of travelling with us. I'm so glad you and your four-legged friend enjoyed sailing with us. I hope you'll get to sail with us again before long.

Thank you for your wonderful determination and tenacity to running a service during the storm. It was much appreciated by many of us who had traveled back to Portsmouth today and managed to get back to the island .

Hi AlistairB631 Thank you for sharing your review. I must admit I share your admiration of our FastCat crew. I'm amazed they were able to continue during Storm Ciara. I'm glad they were able to get you home (and fingers crossed the weather eases up for a while)!

Easy booking. Friendly helpful staff both Portsmouth and isle of wight end. Will always try and get you on if you arrive early like we did heading back to Portsmouth. The sites on the ferry where amazing! Perfect way to travel!

Hi T450GMtonis I just wanted to thank you for travelling with us and for taking the time to write your review. I hope it won't be long before we can welcome you back on board again.

A fast and efficient ferry with plenty of healthy sea air! A good amount of outside deck space as well as comfortable indoor furnishings.

Hello David H Thank you very much for taking the time to review our ferry service. Glad to hear you had a good time and enjoyed the sea air! See you again soon :)

It sums it all up when a brand new ferry just over a year old (Victoria of Wight) has engine(propulsion) failure in the middle of the solent. Can only happen to Wightlink. This is what happens when you use cheaper foreign boat builders

Hi Paul Thank you for your review about our car ferry service. I'm very sorry if you were affected by the disruption on 1 November. The cause was a malfunction of the ship's propulsion control system. Victoria of Wight has been exemplary since her introduction and we've been working closely with our supplier to ensure this can't happen again. I feel I must challenge your last comment. We received more than 30 tenders for the work from shipyards around the world. We made our decision based on quality, delivery schedules - and yes, price was a factor. We chose the experienced Cemre shipyard in Turkey. However, the propulsion system is likely to have been the same had it have been built anywhere else. I can fully understand your frustration if your travel plans were disrupted and can only offer my apologies on behalf of Wightlink. We have found Victoria of Wight to be a lovely ship to operate and I hope you'll get the chance to try her out for yourself at some point.

We drove to Portsmouth and took the ferry with our vehicle to visit the Isle of Wight. Very efficient and easy entrance/exit. The staff was amazing. Know their job as executed with ease.

Hello Paul W Thank you very much for your exceedingly generous review. We hope you'll be back to see us again soon!

Live service status

FastCat passenger ferry port

Portsmouth Harbour

Portsmouth Harbour FastCat passenger ferry port

Located within Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station, and a moment’s walk from a 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.

On this page:

Where is it, portsmouth harbour – ryde pier head.

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.

Facilities at the port

Clipper Café

Our Clipper Café outlet is ideal for a quick stop off before you board the FastCat, with a selection of hot and cold food and drink. You’ll also find a 24 hour Costa Express self service machine.

Self service ticket machines

Purchase tickets at the port with your contactless device or debit or credit card using the ticket vending machine.

Customer Service Point

Purchase or amend tickets at our port using the Customer Service Point. Please note, you can’t purchase any of our frequent traveller passes at our ports and we no longer accept cash payments.

Toilet and baby changing facilities

Toilets and baby-changing facilities are available at the port while you wait for your ferry crossing.

Public transport

Our Portsmouth Harbour Passenger Ferry Port is easily accessible. It sits within Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station so if you’re travelling by train, head to the end of the railway station when you get off your carriage.

There’s also a well-connected bus interchange, The Hard , just outside the train station, which is served by both local buses and national coaches.

Checking in

Foot passengers need to check in 15 minutes before departure.

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

We offer frequent, round-the-clock sailings.

Nearby attractions

Our handy Wightlink Explorer tool will show everything that’s going on in the area.

Start exploring

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 £93.

Parking at Portsmouth Harbour FastCat passenger ferry port

Over 200 car spaces

Free motorcycle parking within dedicated bays

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)

RingGo payments, credit and debit cards accepted

Postcode: PO1 2LA

What3Words: ///pump.fence.local

Purchase parking at Gunwharf

We don’t advise pre-booking parking spaces as availability can’t be guaranteed

RingGo zone number 22280

What to expect at the port

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.

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 phone) to the team and then proceed down the walkway to board the FastCat.

If you’re bringing along a bicycle, please leave this in the cycle racks at the rear of the FastCat.

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.

• View our ports

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.

• View our fleet of ferries

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

• Parking information

Traveling to the Isle of Wight by ferry

Travel to the island via one of our ferry providers. wightlink and red funnel offer multiple crosses from various ports to the island. if you're looking for something a bit different why not try the hovercraft.

Wightlink vehicle and fast passenger services to the Isle of Wight run regularly from Portsmouth and Lymington in the New Forest. The high-speed catamaran service runs from Portsmouth Harbour directly to Ryde Pier Head and takes just 22 minutes. The car ferry service from Portsmouth leaves from Gunwharf and arrives at Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight, while the Lymington ferry travels to Yarmouth at the western end of the Isle of Wight.

For more information on Wightlink services to the Isle of Wight visit  wightlink.co.uk

Offering both foot passenger and car ferry services from Southampton to Cowes on the Isle of Wight, Red Funnel is the quickest way to get to the northern half of the Island. 

The Red Jet is a fast catamaran service to Cowes, taking just 25 minutes, and there is a free connecting shuttle bus from Southampton central railway station and the main shopping areas to the Red Funnel terminal. 

The car service leaves from the same terminal in Southampton, but docks into East Cowes on the Isle of Wight and after an hour your tires will hit Isle of Wight land. 

For more information on Red Funnel services to the Isle of Wight visit  redfunnel.co.uk

Hovertravel

Hovertravel operate the world’s longest established hovercraft and now only commercial service. Running from Southsea, near Portsmouth to Ryde seafront, it also has the distinction of being the fastest way of travelling to the Isle of Wight. The hovercraft has a pilot and ‘flies’ across the Solent in just 10 minutes.

For more information on Hovertravel services to the Isle of Wight visit  hovertravel.co.uk

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Fastest Isle of Wight Ferry

Your fastest link from portsmouth (southsea) to the isle of wight (ryde)..

Hovertravel provides the fastest Isle of Wight ferry  route across the Solent from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight and is the world’s only year-round scheduled passenger hovercraft service. Our passenger hovercraft service takes you directly to the shore at Southsea or Ryde in just 10 minutes.

Easy onward travel connections are available with our Hoverbus to Portsmouth, bus and train connections at Ryde, plus large car parks at both terminals. 

Whether you are using Hovertravel for a day trip to the Isle of Wight , or a longer stay, Hovertravel is the fastest and most convenient Isle of Wight ferry service to get your adventure started. Take a look at our Explore page which is filled with activities and fun days out and our offers page has plenty of ticket combo deals available too.

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Travelling by train, hoverbus fares & timetable.

For those looking for a fast and efficient way to reach the Isle of Wight, the under 10-minute ferry crossing from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight with Hovertravel offers a convenient and time-saving option.

You can get from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight in under 10 minutes using our Isle of Wight ferry service. This short journey time makes this crossing an ideal choice for a day trip to the Isle of Wight . Once at Ryde, you can explore the local area or jump on the local transport to explore further inland. With regular crossings throughout the day, you can be back on the mainland in no time after your fun day out.