Visting the Island for Pride & Travel Info

Local and just looking for travel info? Scroll down for our parking & travel guide!

Getting to the Island

There are 6 routes to the Isle of Wight:

  • Southsea to Ryde - Hovertravel Hovercraft (Passenger Only)

  • Southampton to East Cowes - Red Funnel Ferry (Passenger and Vehicles)

  • Southampton to Cowes (West Cowes) - Red Funnel RedJet (Passenger Only)

  • Portsmouth to Fishbourne - Wightlink Ferry (Passenger and Vehicles)

  • Lymington to Yarmouth - Wightlink Ferry (Passenger and Vehicles)

  • Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pier - Wightlink FastCat (Passenger Only)

If you’re traveling to the Island for Pride, we have discounts available for all of these routes over the pride weekend:

Hovertravel Info & Bookings

Red Funnel Info & Bookings

Wightlink Info & Bookings

Traveling over from Portsmouth?

There are late night crossings just a walk away from the Pride Arena, allowing you to enjoy Isle of Wight Pride and head home on the same evening!

  • Hovertravel have added extra crossings at 21:30 and 22:45 on Saturday 20th July

  • Wightlink have a 22:15 and 23:10 crossing on their FastCat service on Saturday 20th July

Hovertravel’s terminal is less than a 10 minute walk from the arena, and Wightlink’s terminal is at Ryde Pier Head which is a 20 minute walk away.

These times are depatures from Ryde, please leave time to check-in at the terminal before departure and check with the operator for full details & conditions of travel.

Need help planning how to get to a ferry terminal?

The Visit Isle of Wight website has lots more information on trains, coach services and even flight details to get you to one of the ferry terminals. Be sure to come back here and check whether our discounts save you money on your ferry before booking!

About Ryde

Ryde is the home of Isle of Wight Pride and largest town on the Isle of Wight. With its prominent position along the seafront and hovercraft and passenger ferry links it is little wonder it is often referred to as “The Gateway to the Island”.

In addition to an expanse of sandy beach which stretches right along the seafront, Ryde has a great selection of boutique shops, museums and galleries for you to visit along with lots of other things to see and do along its esplanade.

Ryde offers a great variety of things to do which will interest all ages, not least of which are the hovercraft and catamaran ferry from which you can travel to and from the mainland.

Hovertravel is the world’s oldest hovercraft operator and operate the only scheduled hovercraft passenger service in Europe, whereas a trip on the Wightlink catamaran service will take you down Ryde’s recently restored early 19th century pier, which carries both vehicle traffic and train services.

PLACES TO EAT

Restraunts across the Island offer cuisines from around the globe as well as a good range of bars and pubs for more traditional “pub grub”. For advice on where to eat across the Island, visit Matt and Cat’s Isle of Wight Eating Out Guide and Visit Isle of Wight’s Guide.

THINGS TO DO

As the largest town on the Isle of Wight it is little surprise that Ryde is the venue for some of the biggest events that take place annually, with Isle of Wight Pride being the newest and largest!

The Isle of Wight also has a large carnival programme, with parades in each major town throughout the summer season!

Plus, there is a huge range of attractions and activities right across the Island, many of which are open throughout the year and in all weathers.

PLACES TO STAY

As a long established seaside resort, Ryde has a number of traditional hotels and guesthouses available to those looking for accommodation in Ryde. Ryde also has a Travelodge. We also have an exclusive discount with one of our sponsors, The Royal Esplanade Hotel, scroll down for details.

Further afield, the Island has a wide range of accommodation options, including hotels, holiday cottages, self-catering breaks, campsites and even farm stays.

There are also 3 Premier Inn and 2 Travelodge hotels on the Island.

If you are staying on the Island, check with your accommodation provider as they often have access to heavily reduced ferry crossings.

Hotel Discount

One of our amazing sponsors, The Royal Esplanade Hotel in Ryde are offering a special discount to our customers for the weekend of July 19th-21st.

Enjoy a 10% discount with the code PRIDE10 when booking by phone at 01983 562549.

The Royal Esplanade Hotel is just a stone's throw from the Pride site! This year, the main stage returns to Ryde beach, less than a 5-minute walk away. The Fast Cat and Hover terminals, as well as the bus and train stations, are conveniently located just across the road.

Experience Pride in comfort with a dreamy soft bed and a hearty breakfast to fuel your busy day ahead!

For more information, visit www.royalesplanadehotel.co.uk


This offer is valid for new bookings only. Full terms and conditions.

Public Transport on the Island

Bus Services

Buses depart from the main bus stations on Ryde Esplanade and in Newport to all parts of the Island.

For bus timetables/details: Southern Vectis

Traveling by bus is a great way to get to Pride from across the Island and Ryde Esplanade’s bus station is just a short walk from the Pride Arena, plus the parade route! Night buses are also available on Friday & Saturday nights until the early hours. Check the link for full details and timings.

Train Services

Trains run from Ryde Pier Head to Ryde Esplanade, Ryde St Johns Road, Smallbrook Junction (for the IW Steam Railway), Brading, Sandown, Lake and Shanklin.

For train timetables/details: Island Line

If you’re living/staying on the Island and near a train station, the train might be your quickest option to get to Pride and Ryde Esplanade’s train station is just a short walk from the Pride Arena, plus the parade route! Trains run from early till late every day. Check the link for full details and timings.

Driving to Ryde?

Parking in Ryde will be limited on Saturday 20th July, due to the parking restrictions in place for the Isle of Wight Pride Parade. But, there are several public Pay & Display carparks available, as shown on the travel map. The closest of these is the Quay Road car park, off of the Esplanade, behind Ryde Superbowl.

If these are full, you can also Park & Ride, using the large carpark at Ryde St John’s Train Station, then either catch the train one stop to Ryde Esplanade or hop on a Bus to Ryde Bus Station. Both are right next to eachother and only a short walk to watch the parade, or to the Pride Arena! If you’d like to walk, this carpark is only a 15 minute walk from the Pride Arena.

Visit Isle of Wight is the Island’s official tourism website (and one of our supporters!). Their website has information on everything you need or want to know about the Island and is updated daily!