There are no commercial flights to the Isle of Wight. Most visitors who fly land at Southampton, Bournemouth or a London airport, then cross the Solent by ferry or hovercraft. The island does have two small airfields, Sandown and Bembridge, but they are only for private and light aircraft.
Nearest airports with scheduled flightsSection titled Nearest airports with scheduled flights
| Airport | Ferry to the island | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Southampton | Red Funnel from Southampton (Red Jet to West Cowes, car ferry to East Cowes) | Closest; train to Southampton Central, then Red Funnel shuttle bus |
| Bournemouth | Wightlink, Lymington to Yarmouth | About 30–45 minutes' drive to Lymington |
| London Gatwick | Wightlink from Portsmouth or Red Funnel from Southampton | Many more routes; allow 2+ hours to the ferry |
| London Heathrow | Red Funnel from Southampton or Wightlink from Portsmouth | Allow 2+ hours to the ferry |
From Southampton AirportSection titled From Southampton Airport
Southampton Airport Parkway station is next to the terminal. Trains to Southampton Central run about every 20 minutes and take around 10 minutes. From Central station, Red Funnel runs a shuttle bus to its ferry terminals. Allow time for the connection: route planners put the whole airport-to-Red-Jet journey at around 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, including waiting.
From London airportsSection titled From London airports
From Heathrow or Gatwick, the simplest routes are by train to Portsmouth Harbour (for Wightlink's fast cat to Ryde) or to Southampton Central (for Red Funnel). By car, it's mostly motorway to Portsmouth or Southampton. Book your car ferry in advance in summer.
Flying your own planeSection titled Flying your own plane
The island has two airfields used by general aviation:
- Sandown (Isle of Wight Airport, EGHN) is a grass airfield just outside Sandown, open to visitors all year. Visit Isle of Wight lists its radio as staffed 09:00–17:00 or sunset, seven days a week. Pilots can camp on site, and the beaches at Sandown and Shanklin are close by.
- Bembridge (EGHJ), at the island's eastern tip, is the home of Britten-Norman, maker of the Islander aircraft. Visitors need prior permission (PPR).
Opening times and procedures change, so check the UK AIP, NOTAMs and the airfield itself before flying.
The fastest way across without flyingSection titled The fastest way across without flying
The hovercraft from Southsea to Ryde takes about 10 minutes, and Hovertravel describes it as the world's only year-round passenger hovercraft service. Wightlink's fast cat from Portsmouth to Ryde Pier takes around 22 minutes, and Red Funnel's Red Jet from Southampton to West Cowes under half an hour. If you're bringing a car, see can you drive to the Isle of Wight?. You won't need a passport either way (here's why).
Once you're here, see how many days you need, or head straight for the beaches and theme parks.
