Isle of Wight Hovercraft

The Isle of Wight Hovercraft is the last remaining commercial hovercraft service in the world. It operates a regular timetable transporting passengers between Ryde and Southsea in Portsmouth, with excellent connections to both road and rail networks on either side.

As the quickest way to travel from the mainland to the Isle of Wight (less than 10 minutes journey time across the Solent) the hovercraft is regularly used by visitors to the Island, as well as commuters heading to and from work. But as the only remaining service of its kind it is also classed as one of the Isle of Wight's many attractions, with many visitors hopping on board just to enjoy the unique experience!

The hovercraft has a well-established history on the Isle of Wight, with the very first craft (invented by Sir Christopher Cockerell) being manufactured by East Cowes marine firm Saunders-Roe in the late 1950s. That great tradition has continued for many years with Hovertravel, who are now the world’s oldest hovercraft operator celebrating their 50th anniversary as operators of the Isle of Wight hovercraft service in 2015.

The official terminology for a hovercraft journey over the water is “flying” not “sailing”, so remember when you’ve travelled on it you can tell your family and friends you just took a 10 minute flight to the Isle of Wight!

Before you visit check the COVID-19 information page for the latest advice from the Government, ferries, bus and train operators.