Wight Returns

[Ivo]

I've been doing a little research into visiting the Isle of Wight (again), and have found the following:

Portsmouth Harbour to Shanklin with 16-25 Railcard...

CDS £13.25
SDS £13.25

Anyone able/care to explain this? It seems rather pointless to me.

 

[wintonian]

Avantix doesn’t give me any fares for Portsmouth stations to Shanklin, nor does Portsmouth Harbour come up with a CDS or the fares you mentioned an SDS is £9.70.

However it does come up with Portsmouth Harbour to Shanklin SDR and CDR bot at £13.25 with a railcard.

 

[Ivo]

Ooh. I meant CDR/SDR. Sorry

 

[wintonian]

The only restriction for the CDR is:

Restriction : B3
OUTWARD TRAVEL
By any train except those
timed to depart Mondays to
Fridays before 0900

RETURN TRAVEL
By any train

The SDR has no restriction as usual.

 

[swt_passenger]

I think part of the explanation for this is that the rail fares wholly within the Isle of Wight have only Anytime single and Return, and 7 day seasons. (From the website planner though - not Avantix.)

If the through ticket from PMH is effectively just an IOW fare plus addon to cover the ferry, (although at a discount to the normal ferry fare perhaps) this might explain why both day fares are the same.

If you start at PMS there is a 10p difference...

 

[BlueDanger]

First time poster here...saw this thread which touches a subject I've been wondering about.

Some mates and I are planning a stag trip to the IoW, mostly starting from Petersfield, and getting Group Save tickets (day return) to Shanklin.

The basic plan is to have some refreshments in Shankin before heading back to Ryde - basically stopping off at various stations en route for further beverages nearby.

Are we ok just getting off and on trains with the one ticket - I believe break of journey is generally allowed on day return tickets, but wanted to be sure.

Thanks a lot

PS any good pub recommendations for the island?

 

[wintonian]

Yes you can as long as you all travel together as you are using Groupsave tickets.

 

[BlueDanger]

Thanks, Wintonian

 

[embers25]

Southampton to West Cowes route Red Jet is cheaper than just the catamaran ticket bought at the port and you can get railcard and groupsave discounts making it MUCH cheaper than paying at the port! Whilst you can't get a Portsmouth to Ryde ticket you can get a Fratton to Ryde ticket for either the Cat or the Hovercraft complete with railcard discounts again making it cheaper than the sea fare alone. Warning though that Wightlink are having many issues still with their Cats so Hovercraft or Red Jet are the safest options.

 

[wintonian]

Or £11.05 with a railcard from P'mouth Harbour to Ryde Esplanade for both the SDR and CDR.

 

[Oracle]

Local radio has again reminded what has just been said, namely that until April there is a revised cut-back timetable on the FastCats to Ryde. I don't think that the Red Jets have any problems at present but they have done!

 

[swt_passenger]

Local radio has again reminded what has just been said, namely that until April there is a revised cut-back timetable on the FastCats to Ryde. I don't think that the Red Jets have any problems at present but they have done!

One of the Wightlink fastcats at a time is having its annual refit in Portchester, so the second boat is a chartered one, but not a fast cat.

I don't know why this seems to come as a surprise to the local media every year. Presumably the Red Jets have annual refits as well?

 

[Oracle]

Every ferry has to have an annual test etc. That includes the chain-link Sandbanks Ferry and the Cowes one.

 

[LE Greys]

Here's a routing question. Are tickets to/from the IoW valid on all ferries, including Yarmouth-Lymington? If so, how do you get there?

I say this because I tried it once, and there were virtually no buses, so I tried walking. Two hours later, somebody gave me a lift and I still missed the last train. I want to try it again (and go on the IoWSR) but am not quite sure of the route and the restrictions.

 

[wintonian]

There are through shipping link tickets to:

Yarmouth IOW
Cowes East RFSHP
Cowes West RDJET
Ryde Esplanade
Ryde Hoverport

Only tickets valid on Wightlink from Portsmouth Hbr allow through travel to stations on the Island Line inc Smallbrook Jcn

They are all routed any permitted but as you can see have unique destinations so a ticket to Cowes East RFSHP can not be used to Cowes West RDJET as the former is the larger ship and the later being the Red Jets

 

[swt_passenger]

Here's a routing question. Are tickets to/from the IoW valid on all ferries, including Yarmouth-Lymington? If so, how do you get there?

I say this because I tried it once, and there were virtually no buses, so I tried walking. Two hours later, somebody gave me a lift and I still missed the last train. I want to try it again (and go on the IoWSR) but am not quite sure of the route and the restrictions.

To add to wintonian's post, the connections are as follows:
East Cowes (via Southampton Central and free bus to Town Quay)
West Cowes (via Southampton Central and free bus to Town Quay)
Yarmouth (via Lymington Pier station)

IIRC the two Cowes routes have different prices, the 'Red Jet' being the more expensive.

 

[Oracle]

If you want to go via Lymington, take the Flyer down the branch from Brockenhurst, get off at the platform that is all that is left of Lymington Pier station, walk forward a few yeards into the passenger terminal. With any luck the ship will be there waiting..you have to get on via the loading ramp. At Yarmouth you get out through the side. You then have to walk past the ticket office, and then turn right and cross the access road. There is a bus layby with a ticket and information kiosk where you can purchase a rover ticket. The bus to Newport runs from there and there's also one to Alum Chine. At Newport you have to change at the bus station to get to Ryde, Cowes, Ventnor, Shanklin..

The East Cowes ferry used to stop off at West Cowes on occasions and then cross the Medina River to East Cowes but now it just goes to East Cowes. You then need to take the chain ferry which I think is still free for foot passengers. There is a midi-bus to Newport from the terminal at West Cowes.

The free blue bus to Town Quay leaves from Southampton Central south side and drops you off at the ferry terminal and then runs on to the Red Jet/Hythe Ferry office which is in the building complex on the quay. The ferry takes much longer than the Red Jet but you have the refreshments on board! Before licensing hours were relaxed you could get an alcoholic drink on board way before opening hours...same as on British Rail.

 

[wintonian]

The Cowes floating bridge was still free for foot pax last month.

To add the Wightlink cats go from Portsmouth Hbr station at the back.

The cost of the bus to the hover port is included in the through ticket and can be caught from Portsmouth and Southsea (turn left out the station heading towards the guildhall and the stop is round there) or Portsmouth Harbour which is quicker (walk to the hard bus station)

 

[Oracle]

There is also a fare for footpassengers via the Portsmouth-Fishbourne Wightlink: £6.15 return? Is there a rail fare via that route?
It is of course used when the FastCats are not able to run because of bad weather. It's a short walk to the terminal: turn right at The Hard, go under the railway bridge, pass Gunwharf Quays and continue till the next road junction, then turn round the corner and the entrance is just before the fish market.

There may still be a chap who cycles each weekday from The New Forest and catches the Lymington-Yarmouth, thence by road to the Fishbourne-Portsmouth ferry and then to work.

 

[LE Greys]

Interesting answers, thanks.

Now it just remains to find out when the steam line is open, just a quick check on the website.

 

[cav1975]

Hi
I don't know when you are planning to go to the steam railway, but when you do remember that the electric trains stop at one end of the line (Smallbrook Junction) and the buses (Southern Vectis) at the other (Wootton). There are some very rare buses to Havenstreet on weekdays.

You should be able to buy a ticket (including Wightlink Portsmouth to Ryde) right through to Smallbrook Junction from any mainland station and then buy the steam railway ticket on arrival there or from the steam railway's travelling conductor. Alternatively book to Portsmouth Harbour and buy an "Island Liner" ticket from the Wightlink ticket office at the pier which includes the ferry and all day travel on steam and electric railways.

Worth planning a bit as the steam railway trains are relatively infrequent and Smallbrook Junction is not a great place to wait a long time.

Enjoy your day out

Nick

 

[wintonian]

There is also a fare for footpassengers via the Portsmouth-Fishbourne Wightlink: £6.15 return? Is there a rail fare via that route?
It is of course used when the FastCats are not able to run because of bad weather. It's a short walk to the terminal: turn right at The Hard, go under the railway bridge, pass Gunwharf Quays and continue till the next road junction, then turn round the corner and the entrance is just before the fish market.

There may still be a chap who cycles each weekday from The New Forest and catches the Lymington-Yarmouth, thence by road to the Fishbourne-Portsmouth ferry and then to work.

The only Fishborne fare I could find in NF08 is to Fishborne SSEX.

 

[Birdbrain]

As far as I'm aware there has never been a fare to Fishbourne. One of the cheapest ways over is via the East Cowes car ferry. You can also get a bus to Ryde or Newport from East Cowes.

I have also found that the only way to get advance fares to London from the IOW that include the IOW ferry is via the Yarmouth route. This is because SWT only offer advances from Brockenhurst onwards. Even though I live in Shanklin, its sometimes cheaper to get a bus to Yarmouth, then an advance to London, sometimes only £11!