Getting Here
Whether travelling by car, rail or on foot you’ll have to get a ferry. Setting sail to the festival is just the beginning of the adventure!
Your travel to Ventnor Fringe has an impact on the environment, and travelling on the ferries with a vehicle is considerably more expensive than on foot, so please do consider using public transport. Once in Ventnor all the venues are within walking distance of each other.
By Car
Ventnor is approx 45mins drive from most of the Island’s ferry ports. Ferries departing from Southampton are operated by Red Funnel and take approx 60mins. Ferries departing from Lymington and Portsmouth are operated by Wightlink and take approx 45mins.
By Rail
If travelling via London, Brighton or the South East it is generally best to travel through Portsmouth, using Wightlink’s FastCat service from Portsmouth Harbour (approx 20mins crossing)
At Ryde Pier you can catch the Island Line train to Shanklin (approx 20mins) where the No3 bus operates a rail link to Ventnor (approx 15mins)
From Southsea it can be quicker to use the Hovertravel Hovercraft service, changing onto the Island Line Train at Ryde Esplanade.
If travelling from Bristol, Cardiff or the West Country it is generally best to travel via Southampton using Red Funnel’s RedJet service (approx 25mins) and than using local bus connections from West Cowes to Ventnor. You will need to change at Newport.
Please note, if booking tickets with National Rail these can include the ferry journeys and any railcard discounts you may have will also be applied to the ferry fare if booked together.
Ferry Deals
Visitors to Ventnor Fringe can get 20% off ferry travel with Wightlink from Portsmouth or Lymington by clicking here
Red Funnel, who operate ferries from Southampton are offering a special £12.90 day return or £21 period return for foot passengers as well as 15% off all vehicle travel. Simply use the form below to book
Getting Around
Walking
Ventnor is a compact town and most venues are located within a short walking distance of each other. In general, the quickest way to get between venues can often be on foot. Almost all venues are with 10-15mins walk of each other.
It’s worth pointing out that Ventnor is very hilly but the majority of venues are within the town centre (Downtown) and along Park Avenue (Parkside) which avoid the majority of the town’s hills.
Cycling
If you’re thinking of bringing your bike this can also be a great way to get between venues as well as giving you a chance to explore more of the Island. But remember Ventnor is very hilly! That said, there are some fantastic cycle routes right across the Island worth checking out.
Buses
The Isle of Wight’s bus network is excellent, and Ventnor is connected with a regular bus service that runs every 30mins to all of the Island’s main towns. Buses operate until around midnight on weekdays and 3am on weekends.
One off fares can be expensive, but there are a variety of travel cards which offer much better value. Visit Southern Vectis for more details
Park & Ride
This year there will be a park and ride facility with a shuttle bus service connecting to all the main venues. More information will be published shortly.
