Live service status

Timetables

  1. Things you should know before travelling
  2. Our routes
  3. Cycling on the Isle of Wight

Taking your bicycle

  1. Home
  2. Travel advice

  3. Taking your bicycle

Travelling with your bike - what to expect

Travelling between Portsmouth and Ryde with your bike? Bicycles must be booked in advance as storage is limited on our FastCats.

Whether you’re an avid cyclist, commuter or you just enjoy the occasional ride, taking your bicycle across the Solent with us is easy.

When you’re travelling on a foot passenger ticket, taking your bike along with you is completely free of charge. We accept bikes on all our ferries but each vessel is unique, so read below to find out more about boarding and where to place your bike for the sailing.

Make sure to book your bike in advance. At peak times, our sailings can quickly fill up and, unfortunately, if you don’t let us know you’re bringing a bicycle, there may not be room for you to travel on your preferred sailing.

Book now
Foot passenger with bicycle boards FastCat ferry

On this page

Things you should know before travellingOur routesCycling on the Isle of Wight

Related pages

Cycling on the Isle of WightFoot passenger ticketsFerries

Things you should know before travelling

When you bring your bicycle with you, your experience crossing the Solent may be slightly different to other passengers. See below for some of the key things you should know before starting your journey.

  • Book in advance and let us know you're bringing your bike. Storage is limited on our ferries - especially our Portsmouth to Ryde FastCats - so reserving your spot on board is essential to avoid any last-minute disappointments.

  • Travelling on a FastCat between Portsmouth and Ryde? Board the ferry as normal and store your bike in the dedicated bicycle rack at the rear of the vessel.

  • Travelling between Portsmouth and Fishbourne? Board the ferry with other foot passengers but please leave your bike on the vehicle deck, towards the front of the ferry. Our staff will be on hand to help.

  • Travelling between Lymington and Yarmouth? Please wait by the vehicle boarding ramp after checking in and a member of staff will direct you to where to leave your bike.

  • If you're not travelling as a foot passenger and are instead bringing bikes with you attached to your vehicle, you'll need to include any extra height or length on your vehicle when booking.

Our routes

You can bring your bicycle on board on any of our three routes linking the mainland with the Isle of Wight.

For our quickest crossing, jump on a FastCat between Portsmouth Harbour and Ryde and you’ll cross the Solent in just 22 minutes. Onward rail travel is only moments away at each port.

Our Lymington – Yarmouth route is perhaps our most scenic and is ideal if you’re visiting the Island from western England, while the Portsmouth – Fishbourne route is our most popular route for vehicles.

Portsmouth – Fishbourne

Due to coronavirus there are changes to this route/service
minutes
Vehicle and passenger ferry

Portsmouth Harbour – Ryde

Due to coronavirus there are changes to this route/service
minutes
Passenger only ferry

Lymington – Yarmouth

Due to coronavirus there are changes to this route/service
minutes
Vehicle and passenger ferry
map

Cycling on the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight and cycling go hand in hand, with over 200 miles of cycle routes to tackle, a varied terrain to suit all abilities and some of the most scenic countryside views anywhere in the UK.

One of the most popular but challenging tracks to take on is the full round the Island route – a 65 mile coastal cycle that can take up to six hours for a talented cyclist to complete.

But there are many more routes to choose from – check out our Island cycle guide for inspiration.

Explore Island cycle routes