Very helpful note : Have smelling salts handy when attempting to book a passage on any car ferry. Then after recovering from the initial shock, enquire about cut price offers, the staff may not reveal them initially or indeed, willingly, but they often exist. In addition I believe that Tesco vouchers may be currently accepted by Wightlink. You may find that Red Funnel prices are a little lower than Wightlink's and there is to be a new three-tier tariff scheme from January 2008. In general try booking at least three weeks in advance and booking 'on-line' may save £5. Also the outrageously high fare may be reduced by travelling incredibly late or incredibly early. The fares are arranged to be highest for Cowes Week, i.e. the first week in August, for all Bank holidays and during all school holidays. If you don't like crowded conditions, it might be a good idea to avoid travelling at the time of the Pop Festival too. See additional information. Our Island MP has organised a petition regarding the methods of the ferry operators which is to be submitted to the Office of Fair Trading and you can help by signing up to this. The more help we can get from people living on the mainland the better.

With Wightlink book on-line and hit the 'Special Offers' tab. A mid-weekday return for a car & driver+ up to three passengers is currently £35, a four day short break trip costing £58.50 return. Also see additional information about how much more expensive it can be.

Pedestrians may travel on the car ferries of course but faster methods are also provided for them. Red Funnel has high speed catamarran things which they call Red Jets, and Wight link have something similar called Fast Cats. The more adventurous may choose to undergo the novel, noisy but brief experience of 'flying' across from Southsea to Ryde in about ten minutes by booking with Hovertravel who are the most experienced operators in the whole world of these unusual machines. A day return will cost you £12.50 and a yearly return £15.20. On a rough day it is quite fascinating when the craft is at the bottom of a trough in the swell, as all you can see is an all encircling wall of water.

However if you happen to be an alien from outer space then you will have your own specialised transport so this next map, provided by courtesy of Google Earth, could well be of greater help. We welcome all sorts here, you see, except madcap drivers.

So having arrived here, where are you going to go? Well if you'd looked at the most excellent and helpful Wight Index you would have been able to have planned in advance, wouldn't you? And if the exorbitant ferry fares combined with my motoring notes have deterred you from bringing your car, then you will need to use our most excellent ( but pricy of course ) bus service.

 

And finally, here are the views of Ventnor that you might very reasonably have been expecting from the outset. In the panorama the radar site is at the top right about an inch in. In the reverse view Ventnor is seen snuggling very prettily against the foot of St.Boniface Down. Americans and aliens should note that in this context a 'down' means an 'up'. Silly isn't it?