By Carole Dennett
The £500 cross-Solent ferry fare has officially arrived.
IW East MP, Joe Robertson, this week revealed that two people travelling with a standard car from Portsmouth to Fishbourne, on Thursday, June 18, and returning on the Monday, could be charged £511.50. The journey takes just 45 minutes and is 10 miles each way, meaning IW Festival weekend travellers could be paying more than £25 per mile to cross the Solent.
How the Solent compares
To put this into context, the IW Observer examined a range of other commercial, unsubsidised return ferry fares across the UK and Europe, with two people travelling on the same dates. The prices were publicly available and checked yesterday (Thursday) morning.
Across the UK, many Scottish ferry routes benefit from government subsidy. However, the Caithness-Orkney route is unsubsidised. That crossing is also 10 miles each way but costs £202 (£10.10 per mile). The resident fare, at £88 return, equals £4.40 per mile. The discounted fare is available to all Orkney residents and does not require vouchers or up-front spend, as Multilink and season tickets do.
The much longer 432-mile round Liverpool–Belfast journey costs £382 return, or 88p per mile.
International ferries also cost a fraction of the Solent price. A return trip from Portsmouth to Le Havre is £298 (£1.33 per mile), including the ETS surcharge recently introduced by Wightlink.
Thousands of flights are also dramatically cheaper. A return to Gran Canaria is around nine pence per mile, while London to Milan is four pence per mile.
Tourism sector fears the impact
The impact of high pricing is felt far beyond the ferry terminals. Tourism businesses across the Island say that high fares, unreliable services, and limited availability at peak times already deter visitors, shorten stays, and reduce spending. Attractions, accommodation providers, and event organisers say they are increasingly hearing from customers who want to come but simply cannot justify the cost of getting here. For an Island whose economy depends heavily on tourism, that is very bad news.
Visit Isle of Wight’s CEO, Dominic Wray, said any significant rise in cross-Solent travel costs was a real concern for the Island’s tourism sector, particularly during major events such as the Isle of Wight Festival. With many hospitality and tourism operators already under pressure, he said higher travel costs could influence visitor decisions and add to the challenges facing the industry.
However, he acknowledged that ferry operators face substantial operational costs and capacity pressures during peak periods, and noted that Wightlink provides a range of discounts for residents and early bookings. He added that the introduction of additional costs, linked to the Government’s UK Emissions Trading Scheme, was another factor affecting pricing.
Ferry firm responds
A spokeswoman for Wightlink said: “Wightlink offer many discounts and special offers. While peak fares during major events can be higher, they do not reflect what most customers pay.
“For the Isle of Wight Festival, special offers were available, and most festivalgoers booked at lower prices. Island residents can use Multilink passes over the festival period, meaning they are not impacted by peak demand.
“Independent analysis shows that the average Islander fare is £39 per leg for a car and up to seven passengers, using a wide range of discounts including resident fares, Multilink passes, the fixed-price Sunset Flyer fare, season tickets, and the Solent Saver booklets. Higher prices at very busy periods help us maintain frequent, reliable services throughout the quieter months.”
Killing the goose that lays the golden egg?
IW East MP, Joe Robertson, said: “Ferry ticket prices at this level are completely unacceptable. There is no justification for these charges. Everyone knows it except the ferry companies who exist to make profits for overseas pension-holders and other shareholders. And now Red Funnel wants Island businesses to underwrite their losses of running occasional late night Red Jets.
“The ferry companies don’t care. They won’t change. The Government must step in to stop this unique injustice.”
One business owner said “Ever-increasing ferry fares are yet another blow on top of unhelpful government policies that add to the expense of doing business here.”
He added that the ferry companies should remember they have “killed the goose that laid the golden egg” before. “The loss of Bestival was a big blow, and proves that major events can and will relocate when the economics don’t stack up.”
He said he did not wish to be named publicly as he feared losing discounts he receives for visitors.
When Bestival left the Island in 2016, founder, Rob da Bank, made it clear that rising prices and the logistical challenges of getting people across the Solent made it increasingly difficult to stage the festival here.
With Festival weekend fares now breaking the £500 barrier for an ordinary family car, many in the tourism sector fear history may repeat itself.
