Southampton – West Cowes
Ferry to Isle of Wight
Southampton – West Cowes
Ferry to Isle of Wight
Red Funnel provides the ferry from Southampton to West Cowes. Southampton West Cowes ferries cost between £40 and £158, depending on ticket details. Prices exclude any service fees. Ferry timetables change seasonally, use our Deal Finder to get live pricing and availability for Southampton West Cowes ferries.
The first Southampton West Cowes ferry typically departs from Southampton at around 05:30. The last ferry usually departs at 23:40.
The Southampton West Cowes ferry trip can take around 28 minutes. Sailing times can vary between ferry operators and can be impacted by weather conditions.
There are 139 weekly sailings from Southampton to West Cowes provided by Red Funnel. Timetables can change from season to season.
Southampton West Cowes ferry prices typically range between £40* and £158*. The average price is typically £79*. The cheapest Southampton West Cowes ferry prices start from £40*. The average price for a foot passenger is £79*.
Pricing will vary depending on number of passengers, vehicle type, route and sailing times. Pricing is taken from searches over last 30 days and exclusive of service fees, last updated April 25.
The distance between Southampton to West Cowes is approximately 11.9 miles (19.2km) or 10 nautical miles.
No, ferry operators currently do not allow cars to travel on sailings between Southampton and West Cowes.
Yes, foot passengers can travel with Red Funnel ferries between Southampton and West Cowes.
Pets are currently not allowed on board the ferries from Southampton to West Cowes.
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| Southampton - West Cowes Ferry Route summary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Departure Destination | England | |
| Destination | Isle of Wight | |
| No. of Operators | 1 | |
| Operators | Red Funnel | |
| Average Price | £79 | |
| Average Daily Sailings | 20 | |
| Average Weekly Sailings | 139 | |
| Average Sailing Duration | 28 m | |
| Fastest Sailing Duration | 28 m | |
| First Ferry | 05:30 | |
| Last Ferry | 23:40 | |
| Distance | 10 Nautical Miles | |
* Prices subject to change, pricing is taken from last 30 days, last updated 1 April 2025.
A glance at the map gives some idea of the strategic maritime importance of Southampton, which stands on a triangular peninsula formed at the place where the rivers Itchen and Test flow into Southampton Water, an eight-mile inlet from the Solent. Sure enough, Southampton has figured in numerous stirring events: it witnessed the exodus of Henry V's Agincourt-bound army, the Pilgrim Fathers' departure in the Mayflower in 1620 and the maiden voyages of such ships as the Queen Mary and the Titanic.
The Second World War hit Southampton particularly hard, because of its strategic importance as the major industrial area on the South Coast. Pockets of Georgian architecture remain, but much of the city was levelled. The accuracy of the locally-based Ordnance Survey's maps did not go unrecognised by the Luftwaffe: the German bomber pilots used them to bomb Southampton.
