Isle of Wight Travel Options

Get two adults with a "Two Together" railcard from Feltham to the Isle of Wight (any port) and back, departing on a Monday and returning on a Thursday. Assume it's booked far enough in advance to use Advance tickets.

Choices, choices
Seems like the options are:


 * Red Funnel ferries (Southampton)
 * Hovertravel hovercraft (Portsmouth and Southsea)
 * Wightlink catamaran (Portsmouth Harbour)

Too Long; Didn't Read
The Red Funnel ferry is the cheapest but slowest.

The hovercraft is the most expensive but the fastest.

The Wightlink catamaran is somewhere between the two.

For a flexible ticket the spread of prices is £77 – £108.

Around £20 can come off these prices by selecting an inflexible advance ticket, but then you have to travel from/to London Victoria and it's a lot slower.

If you're willing to break the terms of the ticket by getting on/off at Clapham Junction instead then you shave off about £5 more and it gets slightly faster.

Flexible option
Can use any off-peak train, return any time within 30 days.

It seems that this journey can be booked in one go from http://www.buytickets.southwesttrains.co.uk/combinedmatrix.aspx?Command=TimeTable and costs only £76.80. It also thinks you can do it in 6h36m (3h20m there, 3h16m back).

Inflexible advance option, obeying ticket terms
It turns out that inflexible Advance tickets from/to London Victoria are a lot cheaper.

Must use stated trains for the Southern Railways part of the journey.

The Southern Railways tickets are only valid from/to London Victoria.

Inflexible advance option, breaking ticket terms
Must use stated trains for the Southern Railways part of the journey.

The Southern Railways tickets are only valid from/to London Victoria, but they probably have no way of stopping us getting on/off at Clapham Junction.

Flexible option
Can use any off-peak train, return any time within 30 days.

Inflexible advance option, obeying ticket terms
It turns out that inflexible Advance tickets from/to London Victoria are a lot cheaper.

Must use stated trains for the Southern Railways part of the journey.

The Southern Railways tickets are only valid from/to London Victoria.

Inflexible advance option, breaking ticket terms
Must use stated trains for the Southern Railways part of the journey.

The Southern Railways tickets are only valid from/to London Victoria, but they probably have no way of stopping us getting on/off at Clapham Junction.

Wightlink Seacat, Portsmouth Harbour - Ryde Pier
Need to buy tickets 15 minutes prior to boarding, and allow 10 minutes for interchange between train and catamaran at Portsmouth Harbour.

Flexible option
Can use any off-peak train, return any time within 30 days.

Inflexible advance option, obeying ticket terms
It turns out that inflexible Advance tickets from/to London Victoria are a lot cheaper.

Must use stated trains for the Southern Railways part of the journey.

The Southern Railways tickets are only valid from/to London Victoria.

Inflexible advance option, breaking ticket terms
Must use stated trains for the Southern Railways part of the journey.

The Southern Railways tickets are only valid from/to London Victoria, but they probably have no way of stopping us getting on/off at Clapham Junction.