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Do tickets to the IOW include the ferry?

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cactustwirly

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Do through fares (ie Reading to Shanklin; Route Not via London) include the ferry or do I have to pay extra?
 
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Haywain

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The ferry or hovercraft, depending on the route stated on the ticket, is included. The default is is the Wightlink ferry from Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde , with the route utilising the hovercraft being clear by mentioning Hovertravel. Through tickets can also be booked to Yarmouth on the island using the ferry from Lymington.
 

cactustwirly

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The ferry or hovercraft, depending on the route stated on the ticket, is included. The default is is the Wightlink ferry from Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde , with the route utilising the hovercraft being clear by mentioning Hovertravel. Through tickets can also be booked to Yarmouth on the island using the ferry from Lymington.

What happens when there's no ferry route? It's just Not London, but a ticket from Southampton for example is routed via Hovertravel or via Wightlink.
 

Bletchleyite

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How do I prove this to Wightlink? Is it written somewhere

You don't need to. It will just be accepted. I suspect more people travel on that particular route with something looking like a train ticket than something looking like a boat ticket. To all intents and purposes it's a virtual train, a bit like a RRB in a way.
 

some bloke

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Is it written somewhere
This page
says combined train and ferry tickets are available via nationalrail.co.uk.

nationalrail.co.uk gives an itinerary via Portsmouth Harbour (and shows a 22-minute crossing like the Wightlink page says), or if you specify via Southsea Hoverport the crossing is from there (10 minutes).
 

joncombe

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Also worth noting that as well as the mentioned fact you can also get National Rail tickets to Yarmouth (routed via Lymington and the ferry from there) the same is also true of Southampton where you can get through tickets to Cowest (west or east) routed either via the RedJat catamaran (to West Cowes) or the Red Funnel Car ferry (to East Cowes). These include use of the bus between Southampton Central and the ferry port (the bus used to be free, but no longer is unless you have a through ticket to the ferries).
 

ainsworth74

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How do I prove this to Wightlink? Is it written somewhere
I would stunned if you had a problem with Whitelink. It's one of the few intermodal connections that is very well used is well known to relevant staff. This isn't an obscure benefit unlike other things.
 
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Bletchleyite

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I would stunned if you had a problem with Whitelink. It's one of the few intermodal connections that is very well used is well known to relevant. This isn't an obscure benefit unlike other things.

As mentioned above I'd go as far to say I reckon more people use it with train tickets than dedicated boat tickets.
 
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I would stunned if you had a problem with Whitelink. It's one of the few intermodal connections that is very well used is well known to relevant staff. This isn't an obscure benefit unlike other things.
Saying that, as far as I'm aware, you currently need to book a reservation on ferries in advance, no matter the ticket you have.
 

Haywain

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Also worth noting that as well as the mentioned fact you can also get National Rail tickets to Yarmouth (routed via Lymington and the ferry from there) the same is also true of Southampton where you can get through tickets to Cowest (west or east) routed either via the RedJat catamaran (to West Cowes) or the Red Funnel Car ferry (to East Cowes). These include use of the bus between Southampton Central and the ferry port (the bus used to be free, but no longer is unless you have a through ticket to the ferries).
I read somewhere (earlier today) that the bus link at Southampton is not operating at present.
 

Shimbleshanks

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Saying that, as far as I'm aware, you currently need to book a reservation on ferries in advance, no matter the ticket you have.
I travelled on a through ticket from London to Shanklin a couple of weeks ago. There was a notice up at the ferry terminal about needing reservations but the guy just glanced at my ticket and waved me through.
 

181

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Saying that, as far as I'm aware, you currently need to book a reservation on ferries in advance, no matter the ticket you have.

The Wightlink timetable currently says 'Foot passengers must book in advance' for all routes, including the Ryde one; elsewhere on the site it says 'Foot passengers are welcome onboard our vehicle ferries. However you must book your ticket in advance, online or via the Wightlink App to be sure of travelling on your chosen service ', and further down that page 'If you’re a foot passenger on our Portsmouth-Fishbourne or Lymington-Yarmouth route, you must book in advance if you want to be sure of travelling on your preferred sailing'.

From this it's not clear to me a) whether the advance booking requirement applies to the Ryde route or not, b) whether it's an absolute requirement or just a good idea to avoid the risk of having to wait for the next boat, and c) whether (and if so how) you can book in advance if travelling on a rail-sea-rail ticket; but:
I travelled on a through ticket from London to Shanklin a couple of weeks ago. There was a notice up at the ferry terminal about needing reservations but the guy just glanced at my ticket and waved me through.
suggests that it's probably not something you need worry about too much.

The site also says 'Passengers must arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled sailing time', but from my memory of previous discussions here, and making the journey myself on a few occasions, I think this is a permanent statement which is not in fact enforced, at least for people coming off trains. (Can anyone confirm this?)
 

Bletchleyite

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I wonder if by "must book in advance" they just mean "tickets are not on sale at the port to reduce contact with staff" as many businesses have done. So if you have a train ticket, you've booked in advance.
 

joncombe

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The site also says 'Passengers must arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled sailing time', but from my memory of previous discussions here, and making the journey myself on a few occasions, I think this is a permanent statement which is not in fact enforced, at least for people coming off trains. (Can anyone confirm this?)

Yes that is the case. In fact back when SWR used to publish timetables (will that ever come back?) it would show connections between the mainland trains, ferries and island line trains. I seem to recall some of the connections between Island Line and Wightlink are only around 5 minutes. The timetable did have a comment something along the lines that connections to the ferry couldn't be guaranteed but it's what the journey planners etc would show too. I don't think the 15 minute thing is ever enforced.
 

Alex365Dash

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The timetable did have a comment something along the lines that connections to the ferry couldn't be guaranteed but it's what the journey planners etc would show too. I don't think the 15 minute thing is ever enforced.

The minimum connection time (for journey planners) at Ryde Pier Head is 5 minutes like you say, but the minimum connection time at Portsmouth Harbour is 20 minutes, so journey planners only show tight connections coming from the Isle of Wight to the mainland, but not the other way around.

This also has the side effect of through itineraries to the Gosport Ferry (does anyone use through ticketing for it?) also leaving 20 minutes to connect - from experience, you won't need the full 20 minutes there!
 

hermit

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There is no requirement to book in advance on the Wightlink ferry - what their rather misleading messaging means is that you should book in advance if you want to be sure of getting on a particular sailing. Since as I understand it traffic remains very light (indeed that is Wightlink’s justification for not reinstating their full timetable) there is plenty of room on board, even allowing for COVID restrictions.

Similarly, the requirement to allow 15 minutes for connection is not enforced. Since the Island Line train only arrives at Pierhead about 5 minutes before the ferry departs that would be ridiculous.

I had‘nt realised that journey planners now insert a 20 minute connection time at Portsmouth Harbour. This is a recent change, and is presumably related in some way to the crisis. It produces seriously stupid results. A frequent journey of mine is on the 0930 from Waterloo, which arrives at Portsmouth Harbour at 1108, in time for the 1115 ferry, getting me to Ryde St Johns at 1155. Planners have always shown this connection in the past, and similar connections for the other fast trains from Waterloo. Now the planners show arrival on the IoW an hour later, via the hovercraft, (or via the Wightlink 1215 ferry if and when their full timetable is restored), so not arriving at St Johns until 1255.. Regular travellers will not be affected, as we know the realities of the situation. But casual visitors are going to be seriously misled and will either waste a lot of time or decide not to come at all - a day trip to the island is going to be much less attractive if the journey appears to be an hour longer.

Can anyone explain why this change has been made? It does seem a prime example of not thinking through the consequences.
 

some bloke

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I would stunned if you had a problem with Whitelink. It's one of the few intermodal connections that is very well used is well known to relevant staff. This isn't an obscure benefit unlike other things.
Yes - @cactustwirly, you can be confident about that especially as SWR describe the tickets (same prices as on nationalrail.co.uk) as

"combined ferry and train tickets"
https://www.southwesternrailway.com/travelling-with-us/at-the-station/ferry-tickets

There is no requirement to book in advance on the Wightlink ferry
As seems strongly implied by nationalrail.co.uk's results page: "Other services you can travel on". Or if you use the link on the SWR page and choose a fare, you see "Valid on all services by the route and Train Operator shown" and "Only select a service if you want to reserve a seat".
 

hermit

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Possibly - Wightlink have always advised allowing 15 minutes to ensure connection, but the current wording is stronger.

Incidentally, I was wrong to suggest that regular travellers will not be affected: it appears that advance tickets are only being offered on the journeys with 20min+ connections, and no longer on the those with shorter connections. I see that the journey I’ve booked from Waterloo next week involves a 25 minute wait at the harbour - and to rub salt into the wound, requires me to take the stopping train rather than the fast one (hourly at present).
 

DelW

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How do I prove this to Wightlink? Is it written somewhere
Unless it has changed with the new-design tickets, the route section on the ticket itself specifies it, e.g. "Route: ANY PERM+WIGHTLK". Though as others have said, ferry staff rarely do more than glance at train tickets.

Tickets via the hovercraft show something like "Route: ANY PERM+HVRTVL" (I don't have one to hand just now).
 

Hassocks5489

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New design tickets show Valid by any permitted route&Wightlink and Valid via the Hovertravel service respectively for walk-up fares. I also have Valid on specified services&Wightlink and Valid specified services & Hovertravel in my collection, both on Advance tickets.
 

Bletchleyite

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Unless it has changed with the new-design tickets, the route section on the ticket itself specifies it, e.g. "Route: ANY PERM+WIGHTLK". Though as others have said, ferry staff rarely do more than glance at train tickets.

Tickets via the hovercraft show something like "Route: ANY PERM+HVRTVL" (I don't have one to hand just now).

It doesn't on all of them. As an example Bletchley-Ryde Esplanade route "KEN OLYMPIA" are valid on Wightlink but this is not explicitly stated.

Don't know if anyone's seen the slightly silly text you get on some TVMs when you buy an Any Permitted routed ticket stating "not valid on Hovertravel" even where your journey goes nowhere near it? That's why - Hovertravel requires explicit routeing, Wightlink via Ryde is the default. To reassure the OP, I've done it a number of times without problems.
 

Hassocks5489

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It doesn't on all of them. As an example Bletchley-Ryde Esplanade route "KEN OLYMPIA" are valid on Wightlink but this is not explicitly stated.

Don't know if anyone's seen the slightly silly text you get on some TVMs when you buy an Any Permitted routed ticket stating "not valid on Hovertravel" even where your journey goes nowhere near it? That's why - Hovertravel requires explicit routeing, Wightlink via Ryde is the default.
Yes, that's true: the Wightlink-specifying one only appears on certain tickets - I believe anything for which the route would otherwise be "Any Permitted" (e.g. Hove-Ryde Esplanade).
 

Bletchleyite

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Yes, that's true: the Wightlink-specifying one only appears on certain tickets - I believe anything for which the route would otherwise be "Any Permitted" (e.g. Hove-Ryde Esplanade).

I went looking for some Any Permitted without that and found none. What I did find, which was interesting, is that from High Wycombe the only through fares are Advances, which is surprising - there are through fares from everywhere else I tried, yes, even Wick! :)

Edit: Chiltern in general, it seems. No fares at all from Bicester, not even Advances. Odd.
 

Hassocks5489

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I went looking for some Any Permitted without that and found none. What I did find, which was interesting, is that from High Wycombe the only through fares are Advances, which is surprising - there are through fares from everywhere else I tried, yes, even Wick! :)

Edit: Chiltern in general, it seems. No fares at all from Bicester, not even Advances. Odd.
How bizarre! I had a look on Brfares.com, using High Wycombe-Ryde Esplanade, and according to the expert mode there is a whole swathe of stations just outside the London Zones to the west, north and east which don't have any walk-up fares! http://www.brfares.com/#expert?orig=HWY&dest=RYD I wonder why that is?
 
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