Wightlink Isle of Wight Ferry

[Adam4868]

Ferry's can be expensive ! I've paid some shocking prices to get to and from Ireland and France.Takes a bit of digging sometimes.Freight ferries where you can get them are sometimes a better option.We use the one from Heysham to Ireland quite a bit.I like the overnight ones.Good food aswell.Sorry to derail the thread,bite the bullet and pay the 25,you'll sleep easier.

 

[Paulus]

The Isle of Wight ferry has always been expensive compared to channel crossings. I have no idea how to run a profitable ferry service, but I guess it is because the boats are smaller with less commercial vehicles.

The woolwich ferry is free, funded by TFL, I wonder how much Hampshire council subsidies the service?

At one point the solent was the most expensive bit of water in the world to cross. Probably still is, and I doubt whether Hampshire CC give much subsidy to Wight Link or Red Funnel ferries.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Do you think some jobsworth will get a tape measure out then?

Only an anecdote but.....

Way back in 1966 cars were charged by the foot. British Rail ferries at Lymington had a catalogue of all the common products from Ford, BMC etc and no doubt the VW Beetle and Fiat 500 too. But my Dad's company had given him a Simca 1500 estate, one of only a handful in UK.

Loading staff produced a tape measure....

 

[Justinitus]

I used to use the Irish Sea ferries a lot when I lived over in Ireland. So expensive! I had a Toyota HiLux twin cab for a while. Irish Ferries would sometimes let me through, sometimes get the tape measure out and charge me extra - usually £80-100 or so.
Stena Line were usually fine but once wanted me to pay on the spot freight rates as I was carrying a commercial machine in the back of the pickup for work.
Think it depends on who you get on the gates and what mood they’re in but for £25 I wouldn’t risk it - I reckon it’ll be more if you get stopped and measured before boarding.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Think it depends on who you get on the gates and what mood they’re in but for £25 I wouldn’t risk it - I reckon it’ll be more if you get stopped and measured before boarding.

I had thought I had updated this but clearly not, in the end I decided it wasn't worth the risk, £25 up front or who knows how much on the day so I paid the extra, trivial as it was, I can see me getting anxiety on the drive down about it.

 

[Sharky]

The woolwich ferry is free, funded by TFL, I wonder how much Hampshire council subsidies the service?

I had a ride on the Woolwich ferry. It was a special day and free, put on by the Woolwich Ferry for the benefit of autistic children and their families. They took us up Thames, under Tower Bridge and did a couple of 360 turns in the Port of London, before heading back to Woolwich.

A day I'll always remember.