Isle of Wight tips?

[DavyS]

We intend a week in the Isle of Wight, second week in Sept.

Please, can anyone offer any tips, especially concerning:

• campsites close to bus hubs or routes
• motorhomes on the ferry, and can you get discounts
• how easy would it be to drive a 6m motorhome around
• some quiet circular cycling routes

Many thanks in advance

[breakaleg]

Waverny ? camp site just outside Cowes near Waitrose and Osbourn house has nice terraced views of the solent all hard standing.

Ferry from Southampton to Cowes including five nights on said site is around £136.00

Pete

[ALAN G]

We went in May this year.

The ferry from Lymington is large with a comfortable viewing lounge. The Caravan Club arranged a good discount as we were staying at Southland.

The ferry from Portsmouth is in the LEZ but strangely enough our 2001 van is compliant and not chargeable. Worth checking on the Govt website.

There appear to be a good range of bus services although we didn't try them.

Driving on the IOW is the same as Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire. There are a great variety of road styles so the width of your van is probably more important than the length. Ours is 2.2 meters with the mirrors in and we needed to pull them in, sometimes, to clear approaching vehicles. The main roads are well out and quite fast. The towns are old and have many one-way systems.

Just like the mainland you will find plenty of "rush hour" traffic.

Osborne house was the highlight of our visit. There is plenty of parking and we went back to the van for lunch. The restaurants were too busy for us anyway. We took advantage of the buggy to go to the royal children's playhouse.

Hope the weather stays fair.

[DavyS]

Thanks for the tips.

Unfortunately we have been watching YouTube videos about the IoW. Does not look good. Decrepit towns (see YouTubes's TurdeTowns - IoW video), full of overblown tourist traps, and an expensive ferry.

Cheaper ferry packages available if you book with one of the four sites offered - but all sites are huge and mostly regimented and set up for kids - not our taste at all. Swimming pools close early or mid Sept.

Pretty scenery but not any better than say Purbeck which has none of the hassle.

So having second thoughts. Am I wrong?

[laimeduck]

We went in September 2021 for 11 days. Stayed in 3 locations: Firstly near Carisbrook Castle then near Sandown then near the Needles
All good sites. Explored the island from these base camps on our 125cc motorbike.

Found some great walks, great eateries, and great vistas. All off the beaten track. Avoided the big touristy locations as they are touristy which we hate. Eg Needles theme park, Osbourne House etc .... Except the Garlic farm which was interesting. A lovely Island.

Went Portsmouth Fishbourne returned Yarmouth Lymington on Wightlink £162.50 return. For our 7.3 metre 3850kg Benimar.

Loved the trip and the island and will repeat in a few years.

I have done several Cowes week regattas and Round the Island races and the Island Inshore series races over about 15 years but have only really visited Cowes and Yarmouth on foot, although have seen all of the coastline but only from a yacht!

So to answer your unanswerable question .... I personally think you are wrong ... but I am not you! 

Jeremy

[Kevjan]

The Caravan &Motorhome  club site Southlands is good been there a few times bus stop right outside for normal day bus then about a  10/15 minuet walk to main road for later in the evening bus and it's about as close too the middle of the island as you can get. Kevin