Isle of Wight Chain Ferry

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » 3 Aug 2015, 10:16pm

Just to let you all know it now cost 40p for foot passengers and cyclists to use the ferry.
It is a flat rate of 40p for a return ticket.

Heltor Chasca · Post by **Heltor Chasca** » 4 Aug 2015, 6:52am

Hooray! Now the ferry man can afford to smile [emoji6]Only miserable basket I met on the whole island doing a tour this Spring....b

Edit: Will he accept £20 notes?

Wesh-Laurence · Post by **Wesh-Laurence** » 4 Aug 2015, 7:01pm

Where does this ferry run to/from?

I'm assuming it's an "internal" ferry somewhere on the island.

Heltor Chasca · Post by **Heltor Chasca** » 4 Aug 2015, 7:18pm

Wesh-Laurence wrote:Where does this ferry run to/from?

I'm assuming it's an "internal" ferry somewhere on the island.

It's over the river in Cowes. I loved it when I did my little tour in the spring. Proper adventure stuff. It's held together with elastic bands and wire. [emoji6]

Samuel D · Post by **Samuel D** » 4 Aug 2015, 7:27pm

Get saving, folks!

TonyR · Post by **TonyR** » 4 Aug 2015, 8:29pm

Samuel D wrote:Get saving, folks!

No need. You can always cycle round via Newport.

Mike Sales · Post by **Mike Sales** » 4 Aug 2015, 9:09pm

Reminds me of the old joke.

What's brown and steams backwards out of Cowes?

bikes4two · Post by **bikes4two** » 5 Aug 2015, 5:14am

I used this ferry last week - the ticket is 40p as stated and can be used twice in either direction (so 'returning' or going the same direction twice - if that makes sense) and the ticket is valid indefinitely.

I think in the long term there will be ticket machines, but last week the tickets were dispensed by a very cheerful and helpful lady.

These chain link ferries are simple machines and if you've not traveled on one before - then do it for the fun of it. The crossing time is just a few minutes

jgurney · Post by **jgurney** » 5 Aug 2015, 5:22pm

bikes4two wrote:These chain link ferries are simple machines and if you've not traveled on one before - then do it for the fun of it.

Others are at Sandbanks, Dorset, Trelissick, Cornwall ('King Harry Ferry'), Torpoint, Devon/Cornwall, Dartmouth, Devon, Windermere, or Reedham, Norfolk.

For a more unusual bike-on-bigger-vehicle trip, try taking a bike on the Southsea - Ryde hovercraft, the only remaining hovercraft service in Europe. Bikes are carried in luggage bays with external doors, known as 'panniers' - probably the only occasion a bike can be in a pannier.

ferrit worrier · Post by **ferrit worrier** » 5 Aug 2015, 5:37pm

Mike Sales wrote:Reminds me of the old joke.

What's brown and steams backwards out of Cowes?

the isle of Wight ferry

Redvee · Post by **Redvee** » 6 Aug 2015, 12:47am

When I took my bike across I think it was FOC, might be wrong as it was many years ago when the TDF was in Portsmouth.

Heltor Chasca · Post by **Heltor Chasca** » 6 Aug 2015, 7:03am

Redvee wrote:When I took my bike across I think it was FOC, might be wrong as it was many years ago when the TDF was in Portsmouth.

You are correct: it USED to be FOC. Now we have to save up agressively[emoji6]

Samuel D · Post by **Samuel D** » 6 Aug 2015, 11:21am

TonyR wrote:
Samuel D wrote:Get saving, folks!

No need. You can always cycle round via Newport.

I don’t mind admitting this really cracked me up!

stewartpratt · Post by **stewartpratt** » 6 Aug 2015, 1:42pm

jgurney wrote:Others are at Sandbanks, Dorset, Trelissick, Cornwall ('King Harry Ferry'), Torpoint, Devon/Cornwall, Dartmouth, Devon, Windermere, or Reedham, Norfolk.

Thanks for that list. Wasn't a huge fan of the roads into Falmouth when I was last down there so Trelissick looks like a nice alternative for next time

Post by **Graham** » 6 Aug 2015, 1:48pm

jgurney wrote:For a more unusual bike-on-bigger-vehicle trip, try taking a bike on the Southsea - Ryde hovercraft, the only remaining hovercraft service in Europe.
Bikes are carried in luggage bays with external doors, known as 'panniers' - probably the only occasion a bike can be in a pannier.

I've been keen to try the hovercraft over the past few years, only to remember that the bicycle is pretty much guaranteed to be sprayed with seawater, from departure to arrival.

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