Using coach travel to visit the Isle of Wight is one of the most economical and convenient ways of getting here. National Express runs services from many locations down to Portsmouth, from where you can catch a catamaran or hovercraft across The Solent to Ryde.
For catamaran, The Hard Interchange Bus & Coach Station is a mere 1 minute walk to Wightlink’s FastCat passenger terminal at Portsmouth Harbour Station. The catamaran comes into Ryde Pier Head which is just an 11 minute walk down Ryde's Victorian Pier to the esplanade where the Western Gardens festival site is located.
Or, for hovercraft, National Express will drop you at HoverTravel’s Southsea Terminal, for one inclusive ticket price. It's the last commercial hovercraft service in the world, so a very unique way of travel. You'll fly across The Solent to Ryde Esplanade in under 10 minutes, then just 2 minutes on foot from the Western Gardens festival site.
To reach Ryde by train, the most convenient way is to catch a South Western Railway service to Portsmouth Harbour station and then catch the catamaran.
Wightlink's FastCat service to the Island is a 22 minute crossing to Ryde Pier Head. Then either walk down the Ryde's Victorian pier to the Western Gardens festival site on Ryde Esplanade (just 11 minutes), or catch a train.
You can purchase a through-ticket, which includes the Wightlink FastCat crossing, from any railway station.
Two companies operate vehicle ferries to the Island - Red Funnel and WightLink.
Wightlink’s vehicle ferry from Gunwharf Terminal in Portsmouth will bring you to Fishbourne in under 45 minutes. From there it’s a 14 minute drive to Ryde.
Wightlink also runs a vehicle ferry service from Lymington to Yarmouth. It takes 40 minutes and then it's a 35 minute drive to Ryde.
Or Red Funnel's vehicle ferry from Southampton is a 30 minutes drive from East Cowes to Ryde
If you're being dropped off at a port, the two most convenient options to cross the water to Ryde are either the catamaran from Portsmouth or the hovercraft from Southsea.
Wightlink's 'FastCat' catamaran from Portsmouth Harbour station brings you to Ryde Pier Head, from which it's just 11 minutes on foot along Ryde's Victorian pier to the Western Gardens festival site on Ryde Esplanade. Or you can take the train from the pier head to the Esplanade Station.
The hovercraft from HoverTravel's Southsea Terminal flies you to Ryde Esplanade in under 10 minutes. It's the last commercial hovercraft service in the world, so a very unique way of travel.
Red Funnel runs its 'RedJet' service from Southampton to Cowes (that's Cowes Old Town, not East Cowes). It's only 28 minutes, but you'll have to use public transport or catch a taxi to reach Ryde.
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Once you arrive in Ryde, everything going on at the Festival happens within the town. If you wish to visit other areas, the main bus terminal is on Ryde Esplanade, with routes serving most areas on the Island.
Or catch a train from Ryde to Shanklin.
There are also taxis on the Esplanade near the station, or you can Google a local taxi company.
Ryde has a good choice of pay-and-display car parks, and some on-street parking with daytime restrictions. The closest carparks to the festival being St Thomas Street (short and long stay), Victoria Street (short stay) and Garfield Road (long stay).
Most of the Island's carparks use the PayByPhone app.
Some people rent their private driveways out, which you can find by using the JustPark app.
