Getting To Us

Getting to the Isle of Wight is easy, Wightlink operate vehicle ferries from Portsmouth and Lymington while Red Funnel  operate vehicle ferries from Southampton.  There are also fast foot services from Portsmouth via Wightlink and Hovertravel and from Southampton by Redfunnel.

Getting Around

If you want to relax and hang up the car keys, then Wight Cycles offer cycle hire in Ventnor.  The Isle of Wight offers many excellent cycle routes and walking routes, the coastal path offering spectacular scenery.

The Island also benefits from an excellent bus service which will take you from Ventnor to many of the Island’s other towns.

Places to Visit

The Island offers more than enough activities to keep you busy:

The National Trust has a number of properties on the Island - Mottistone Manor Gardens being our favourite on a sunny day.

English Heritage also has a number of properties with Osborne House, the former home of Queen Victoria, being a must see.  As Queen Victoria wrote, “It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot.”

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway will take you on a scenic journey back to the magic of the Victorian and Edwardian age of steam.

To experience a little of the history of the Island, visit the remains of the Brading Roman Villa, the ruins of Carisbrooke Castle where Charles I was held as a prisoner and the Carisbrooke Castle Museum.

Godshill is a picture postcard village, with thatched cottages, tea rooms and a charming  Model Village.

Isle of Wight Studio Glass give you the opportunity to see how hand made blown glass is crafted and blow your own glass bubble.

Closer to home, the Ventnor Botanic Gardens are stunning and fully show off the benefits of Ventnor’s Mediterranean microclimate.

Family Days Out

In our opinion, the Island caters for family holidays better than anywhere else in the UK.  Our favourite activities are:

Blackgang Chine and Robin Hill both offer a very British theme park with numerous activities to safely entertain your children, but where you can relax in the stunning Isle of Wight countryside and enjoy spectacular coastal views at the disappearing Blackgang Chine.

For the animal lovers in your family, Amazon World offers the opportunity to learn about their conservation efforts and to meet some of the world’s most beautiful, unusual and endangered creatures.  The award winning Seaview Wildlife Encounter provides a personal, hands-on, wildlife experience and a close encounter with nature.

The Island is famous for its fossils and no child fascinated with Dinosaurs will want to miss Dinosaur Isle.  This purpose built museum displays both fossils and life size reconstructions of the Island’s dinosaurs.

The Needles Park is one of the Island’s most famous attractions with many activities to keep the whole family busy.  Prepare yourself for a ride on the chairlift!

The Fort Victoria Country Park contains an aquarium, planetarium and model railway.

For the boys (young and old) Combat Island lets you engage in a full scale outdoor battle - fully armed with a laser gun.

Beaches

In addition to Ventnor’s blue flag beach, there are many other excellent beaches on the Island.  Particular favourites are Steephill Cove, a short walk along the coast from Ventnor and Compton Bay enjoying spectacular, natural scenery.