Southern Vectis

[gka472l]

Hi all,

Planning a trip down south in a couple of months, including the Isle of Wight......as it's a place I've never been to before, can anyone more familiar with the area advise what generally works what on the island??? Keen to maximise what I see/photograph, with a couple of scenic trips included.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Hi all,

Planning a trip down south in a couple of months, including the Isle of Wight......as it's a place I've never been to before, can anyone more familiar with the area advise what generally works what on the island??? Keen to maximise what I see/photograph, with a couple of scenic trips included.

Many thanks in advance!

Did it a few years ago.

If it’s buses you’re after snapping, then naturally it’s Ryde and Newport bus stations.

However, in terms places to go generally, then the open toppers to the Needles from Yarmouth are pretty darn good.The bus along the “military road” towards Needles is good - think that’s a Coaster too.

Shanklin thru Ventnor to Godshill (a picture postcard village of chocolate box cottages) on the 3 is a nice trip. Osborne House is a good visit and you can go there from Newport, catch the 5 bus again to East Cowes, get the ferry over the harbour and then get the 1 back to Newport from Cowes.

We had a 72 hr SV ticket and did all those and more plus a train journey though that and ferry were extra.

 

[Surreyman]

The Interurban routes are operated by Double Decks - Enviro 400s (Std & MMC) + Scania/Polish D/D bodies, Enviro 200 operate the shorter distance routes.
GrandWazoo pretty much sums up, Ryde & Newport bus stns for buses(If you like trains, a ride on a 1938 Tube train Ryde - Shanklin is not to be missed).

There are 4 ferry routes to the island, from east to west they are:
1. Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pier (Fast Cat takes 20 mins) some ferries connect with train at the end of pier, if the tide is in, you can ride on a tube train over the sea!)
2. Car/Vehicle ferry, Old Portsmouth to Fishbourne.
3. Southampton - Cowes (Fast ferry to West (Main)Cowes, the slow vehicle ferry goes to East Cowes, There is a 'chain ferry' between the 2 parts of Cowes, aprox 200 yards to cross!
Incidentally, if you are not pushed for time, the Slow ferry is much nicer for views, you are up high and can see the whole of the Solent/Southampton water.
4. Lymington - Yarmouth.
As GW says there are 'Breezers' Open top routes, not just the Needles.
The Southern Vectis bus network is very good, usually reliable and keeps to time, the Deckers have more generous seat spacing.

 

[gka472l]

Thanks both of you for the info....should have one full day on the island plus half the next when I head to Yarmouth for the boat across to Lymington (doing Bournemouth & Poole the next day - another new place for me!). One other question, been looking on Flickr at the fleet and there's a 'Vectis Blue' which seemingly is for school contracts, but have some youthful E400's which are surely not wasted just for school journeys??....where might be the best place to see these?? Cheers!

 

[Andyh82]

Thanks both of you for the info....should have one full day on the island plus half the next when I head to Yarmouth for the boat across to Lymington (doing Bournemouth & Poole the next day - another new place for me!). One other question, been looking on Flickr at the fleet and there's a 'Vectis Blue' which seemingly is for school contracts, but have some youthful E400's which are surely not wasted just for school journeys??....where might be the best place to see these?? Cheers!

They are indeed just for school services.

When I went 2 years ago, traffic in Newport at peak times was unexpectedly busy and some timetables do drift a tad in the tourist areas over the east side as buses get very well loaded and there are lots of parked cars to deal with, so don’t be too tight with your schedule.

Talking about tight don’t miss the route the number 1 bus uses to access the Red Funnel port at Cowes.

 

[westcoaster]

Main depot is not far from newport bus station, beleive alot of the blue busses are kept here, also a smaller depot near ryde st johns station ( iirc festival buses are here).

Used to be citaros looked very smart, but now gone. Think it is now mainly enviro 200/400 & 400MMC's now. And some smart scania omni deckers ( one fire damaged is now an open topper).

Only blue buses i saw in passenger service was the solo's, one in and around cowes, and several village shopper buses.

 

[andyc20050]

Vectis Blue e400’s operate the 3 daily Island Coaster runs from Ryde to Yarmouth. Also the Shanklin Shuttle around the town and along the esplanade.

 

[Hophead]

To add to the cross-Solent options, there's also the hovercraft from Southsea to Ryde. This takes around 10 minutes, and the company lays on plenty of extras at busy times.

As for Southern Vectis, a day ticket is £10! So, very expensive but, as already stated, reliable, modern and extremely well presented. On my visit last summer, I was surprised to find a lack of wi-fi and next stop information; I don't know if this has changed at all.

 

[Bungle965]

I echo many of the other posters comments, we travelled as a group as part of last years beer and bus festival and although the group ticket was slightly more expensive than I would have expected I would say it was worth it.
No doubt down to it being part of the Go-Ahead group has meant that they have been able to update their buses fairly regularly, when I visited they were introducing their newest batch of Enviro 400 MMCs. But furthermore they also have the back office that allows them to implement contactless on their Ticketer machines which makes it more passenger friendly. I believe they have a mobile app however I never used it and looking at the reviews of it, it looks pretty naff. (It is an annoyance of mine of bus companies inability to make a decent mobile app, decent ones are relatively few and far between)
The vast majority of the buses that I used were punctual, clean and an increasing majority of which now have USB sockets.
Something which is interesting to watch is the impressive gradients that they have to climb coming out of Ventnor.
The operation is relatively simple with no complicated numbering of bus routes, the only downside that I remember is the relatively tedious journey times on some of the routes, which is down to the speed limit I suppose more than anything.
Hope this has not turned into a large paragraph of me rambling and is of some help!
Sam

 

[gka472l]

I echo many of the other posters comments, we travelled as a group as part of last years beer and bus festival and although the group ticket was slightly more expensive than I would have expected I would say it was worth it.
No doubt down to it being part of the Go-Ahead group has meant that they have been able to update their buses fairly regularly, when I visited they were introducing their newest batch of Enviro 400 MMCs. But furthermore they also have the back office that allows them to implement contactless on their Ticketer machines which makes it more passenger friendly. I believe they have a mobile app however I never used it and looking at the reviews of it, it looks pretty naff. (It is an annoyance of mine of bus companies inability to make a decent mobile app, decent ones are relatively few and far between)
The vast majority of the buses that I used were punctual, clean and an increasing majority of which now have USB sockets.
Something which is interesting to watch is the impressive gradients that they have to climb coming out of Ventnor.
The operation is relatively simple with no complicated numbering of bus routes, the only downside that I remember is the relatively tedious journey times on some of the routes, which is down to the speed limit I suppose more than anything.
Hope this has not turned into a large paragraph of me rambling and is of some help!
Sam

Everyone's replies on the thread are appreciated so thanks! Full day on the island on 23 October so hopefully will see a few blue ones out and about, and I will check the island coaster services out, in fact probably will use it on the Wednesday on my way to the Yarmouth-Lymington ferry...…

Cheers all for the info!

 

[andyc20050]

Ah just seen what day your planning to visit, the island coaster will of finished for the season by then. Also the only open topper still running will be the Needles Breezer (Yarmouth/Alum Bay/Needles), runs until 28th October.

Also if you visit more once a year worth to register for “the Key” you can purchsse 5 day tickets for £25 and these are valid for 2 years.

 

[gka472l]

Ah just seen what day your planning to visit, the island coaster will of finished for the season by then. Also the only open topper still running will be the Needles Breezer (Yarmouth/Alum Bay/Needles), runs until 28th October.

Also if you visit more once a year worth to register for “the Key” you can purchsse 5 day tickets for £25 and these are valid for 2 years.

It will give me an excuse to go back again!! cheers for all the replies!!

 

[83G/84D]

Reviving this thread, I am on the Island for the Rydabus event at the weekend.

In visiting Newport (Isle of Wight!) bus station today I was pleasantly surprised to see Dart 3326 on services 38/39.

 

[83G/84D]

Reviving this thread, I am on the Island for the Rydabus event at the weekend.

In visiting Newport (Isle of Wight!) bus station today I was pleasantly surprised to see Dart 3326 on services 38/39.

3326 operated service 38 again on Saturday.