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Portsmouth Harbour – Ryde

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About the route

If you’re travelling on foot, Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pier Head is our quickest route, crossing the waters between the Isle of Wight and mainland in just 22 minutes.  

Our reliable, high-speed FastCat catamarans serve this route and come with spacious passenger lounges, bicycle racks and a sun deck, perfect for taking in the views during the day.

Ticket gates

We have introduced ticket gates at both our Portsmouth Harbour and Ryde Pier Head ports.

Similar to gates you see at many train stations, they will accept rail tickets (except Interrail tickets) with barcodes or QR codes as well as Wightlink paper tickets, passes and online tickets on smart phones.

If you’re travelling using a rail ticket with a magnetic strip, these will need to be scanned manually by our port staff, as will adults travelling with children.

How long does it take?

The crossing is around 22 minutes on board one of Wightlink's spacious ferries.

Are vehicles allowed?

No, this route is only for foot passengers.

On this page

Departure and destinationReviewsWhat ferries sail on this route

Departure and destination

This route links Portsmouth Harbour – with great rail, bus and coach connections and moments from Gunwharf Quays shopping outlet, and Ryde – a beautiful seaside town on the north-east coast of the Island.  

Island Line trains run directly into our Ryde Pier Head port and there’s a bus station and taxi rank at the other end of the pier, so it’s ideal for onward travel around the whole Island. 

Portsmouth Harbour FastCat passenger ferry port

Portsmouth Harbour FastCat Passenger Terminal, Portsmouth, PO1 3PS

View Portsmouth Harbour FastCat passenger ferry port port

Ryde Pier Head FastCat passenger ferry port

Ryde Pier Head, The Esplanade, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 2HF

View Ryde Pier Head FastCat passenger ferry port port

Tickets and prices

We offer a range of ticket types for vehicles and foot passengers.

Find out about ticket options and prices

Timetables

Use our live timetable and find printable PDF downloads for all our routes.

View Portsmouth Harbour – Ryde Pier Head timetables

Reviews

What ferries sail on this route

Wight Ryder I

Foot passenger ferry

The first of our high-speed FastCats, Wight Ryder I can get you across the Solent in just 22 minutes.

View the Wight Ryder I

Wight Ryder II

Foot passenger ferry

Our second high-speed FastCat, getting you across the Solent in just 22 minutes.

View the Wight Ryder II
Ferry

Ports

All our ports are easy to get to and come with excellent facilities, including food and drink outlets – find your closest location to travel from.

Ferry

Ferries

Our fleet of six vehicle ferries and two FastCat catamarans serve the Isle of Wight and mainland 364 days a year – find out everything there is to know about them.

Vehicles parked at Ferry port

Parking

There's parking on site or close by at each of our ports – find pricing information and details of where to find them.