Isle of wight ferrys, low car friendly?

[joe_vrs_tdi]

Never been to the isle of white or on a ferry to anywhere so just wondering if the ferry to and from there is low car friendly. Also if there are any good sites to book my ferry crossing you can recommend that would be great.

Thanks.

[@Lee]

don't bother, it's 147 square miles of dull

 

21 years in Southampton and I've only ventured there once!

 

Don't think you'll have much of a problem TBH.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

I remember reading on a 7 series forum of people scraping getting on and off, but they do have huge overhang. 

[joe_vrs_tdi]

Its only a weekend break lee and an excuse to get drunk so not that bothered on the sites and stuf

Matt why have you been trawling 7 series sites lol.

[United 11]

I was recently on a ferrie with the superb with P&O going from cairnryan - larne, it's just a ramp you drive onto the one I was on was perfectly matched to the road it wasn't like a speed bump up to it,

[Auric Goldfinger]

don't bother, it's 147 square miles of dull

 

21 years in Southampton and I've only ventured there once!

 

Don't think you'll have much of a problem TBH.

 

Perhaps we could tow it to somewhere off Scotland, that'll sort it

[Brianpilman]

It does depend on the ferry/terminal when we drive to guernsey the ferry ramp and dock ramp are at odd angles so catching will happen but I have seen them make wooden temporary ramps to reduce the angles as they have some seriously expensive bit of metal coming off and on the island

[joe_vrs_tdi]

It does depend on the ferry/terminal when we drive to guernsey the ferry ramp and dock ramp are at odd angles so catching will happen but I have seen them make wooden temporary ramps to reduce the angles as they have some seriously expensive bit of metal coming off and on the island

But would they do this for a tatty old skoda?

[Brianpilman]

They would do it for any car one car they were getting off this way last year was a mk2 golf then next was a Porsche 911.

It might be worth emailing the ferry company and asking them

[Jonny5ive]

I say take care. I managed to sump a standard height Touran on the cross channel ferry to France

[@Lee]

It does depend on the ferry/terminal when we drive to guernsey the ferry ramp and dock ramp are at odd angles so catching will happen but I have seen them make wooden temporary ramps to reduce the angles as they have some seriously expensive bit of metal coming off and on the island

they had to do that when SWMBO and I were coming back from Germany at Esbjerg. Coach had no air suspension so they got the scaffold planks out

 

[andyspan]

Never been to the isle of white or on a ferry to anywhere so just wondering if the ferry to and from there is low car friendly. Also if there are any good sites to book my ferry crossing you can recommend that would be great.

Thanks.

Both ferry companies have websites you can book and pay through (Wightlink or Red Funnel). Just be warned you need to have fairly deep pockets! Shouldn't be a problem having a low car.

[Evil Miyagi]

Just got back and I managed ok at standard ride height... There is only one snagging point which is a left /right turn when boarding but other than that all good

[joe_vrs_tdi]

The place I'm staying have recommended 38 return didnt think that was to bad? My car is a tad bit lower than standard this is why I worry.

Cheers though guys, think I will risk it.

[Evil Miyagi]

There is a lower deck that trucks use so they may put you on there... Just don't use the floating bridge in Cowes... I was close to hitting on there

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Matt why have you been trawling 7 series sites lol.

 

I wanted to pretend I was Jason whats his face in "transporter" but 15 stone heavier.

[Lee28]

You don`t need deep pockets if your an insomniac. Travel for 21 pounds each way midnight to 3 am with wightlink. Ramp isnt too steep either.

[andyspan]

You don`t need deep pockets if your an insomniac. Travel for 21 pounds each way midnight to 3 am with wightlink. Ramp isnt too steep either.

Yeah, I forgot about those! I imagine it's a little like being on the Marie Celeste. My daughter paid £115 last week for 'short break' crossings.

[Clunkclick]

Judging by the ferry prices, they are not friendly to any cars - its cheaper to do Dover Calais, than Lymington/yarmouth,  or Portsmouth/Ryde (Southampton/Cowes ?).

 

Earlier this week the Daily Telegraph listed a bridge to the Isle of Wight as one of the 13 capital expenditure projects it thought worth undertaking if the HMG fancied doing some Keynesian "Good works" !!

 

So, there we are, another thing that's always been the same (Or as long as I can remember it, i.e. 1960s) - overcharging for the ferry link to IOW, as if Red funnel and co haven't got their capital investment paid back several times over by now.

 

Nick

Edited 17 August, 2013 by Clunkclick

[andyspan]

Judging by the ferry prices, they are not friendly to any cars - its cheaper to do Dover Calais, than Lymington/yarmouth,  or Portsmouth/Ryde (Southampton/Cowes ?).

 

Earlier this week the Daily Telegraph listed a bridge to the Isle of Wight as one of the 13 capital expenditure projects it thought worth undertaking if the HMG fancied doing some Keynesian "Good works" !!

 

So, there we are, another thing that's always been the same (Or as long as I can remember it, i.e. 1960s) - overcharging for the ferry link to IOW, as if Red funnel and co haven't got their capital investment paid back several times over by now.

 

Nick

Big bone of contention on IOW. Be interesting to know how many inhabitants would welcome bridge, there's a very noisy anti brigade but suspect silent majority would favour one!

[Clunkclick]

Big bone of contention on IOW. Be interesting to know how many inhabitants would welcome bridge, there's a very noisy anti brigade but suspect silent majority would favour one!

 

HMP Parkhurst might not be a supporter.

 

Afterthought

 

Well, if they didn't want the cars, make the bridge trains only - they could get a decent light tram running on the track served by the existing ex-LT stock and run it over the bridge to Pompeii. There must be loads of commuters nowadays who do the IOW/pompei route daily.

 

Nick

Edited 17 August, 2013 by Clunkclick

[andyspan]

HMP Parkhurst might not be a supporter.

 

Afterthought

 

Well, if they didn't want the cars, make the bridge trains only - they could get a decent light tram running on the track served by the existing ex-LT stock and run it over the bridge to Pompeii. There must be loads of commuters nowadays who do the IOW/pompei route daily.

 

Nick

HMP Parkhurst no more, now known as HMP Isle of Wight after closing Camp Hill and merging with Albany. The tunnel/bridge debate comes up every few years but no one thinks it will ever happen. I'm afraid ferry companies have islanders and visitors by the short and curlies!  :evil:

[joe_vrs_tdi]

Well im booked up with red ferry (southampton-cowe) for £19 each way.

[CitigoAllen]

Ferry fares are a rip off.  Last year I took the family to Disney in Paris.  The fare for the Ireland to Wales route cost almost exactly 10x what the Dover to Dunkirk crossing did.  Yes it was a longer crossing, but by about 50% not 1000%.  Trouble is competition is lacking compared with the channel.

[Clunkclick]

And that's not saying much, especially if you want to go to the West of France.

 

Brittany Ferries has bought up virtually every route west of Boulogne, with the exception of One Transmanche route , One LD lines route and the limited service by Condor to Cherbourg (The indirect service to St Malo doesn't compare as it takes too long during the day), and has set the pricing point (about double everybody else) under which the rest hide.

 

When LD first came on the scene about 6 years ago, I could get a return Portsmouth/Le Havre on a weekend at the end of the season for £160, now I'm lucky if I can get same for less than £250 in the middle of the week.

 

As far as I can see, more competition (Without regulation) has Just  resulted in more of the "Lets rob the UK Citizen, they are a bunch of stupid *******" attitude.

 

What's needed is another tunnel, say Ventnor (IOW) to Cherbourg, which at 66 miles, isn't out of the realms of technical achievement - might be a better investment for an export led Birmingham than HS2, as it would open-up the whole of western france as  a market (An area which the official statisticians tell us is going to increase its population significantly over the next few years).

 

 

Nick

Edited 27 August, 2013 by Clunkclick