Ferries to Cowes

Port of Cowes on the Isle of Wight with sailing boats and a Red Funnel ferry

Ferry routes from Cowes

Every route from Cowes at a glance.

Ports and terminals

Cowes

Town port

Terminals: East Cowes: Trinity Road, PO32 6RF (Navi fuer Fahrzeug-Check-in PO32 6RA); West Cowes: PO31 7AR (Red Jet)
Location: East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England

Cowes lies at the mouth of the River Medina on the north coast of the Isle of Wight. From here you can reach Southampton. A ferry departs up to 37 times a day, and the crossing takes around an hour. The port is served by Red Funnel. Important for the journey: the town has two landing points, one on each side of the river.

Getting there and the terminal

The car ferry to Southampton runs from the terminal on Trinity Road in East Cowes (PO32 6RF); for vehicle check-in, Red Funnel gives the postcode PO32 6RA for sat-navs. The building has a waiting area, toilets, vending machines and Wi-Fi, and the ticket office is staffed daily from 9am to 5pm. Long-stay parking is available on Well Road, about 150 metres away, with further spaces on York Avenue and the Esplanade; right by the terminal you're only allowed to stop for 20 minutes to drop off. Buses run to Ryde and Newport.

The fast Red Jet for foot passengers, by contrast, departs from West Cowes (PO31 7AR), with long-stay parking on Park Road, Mornington Road and Brunswick Road. A chain ferry shuttles between the two banks every 10 to 15 minutes.

Check-in

For the car ferry in East Cowes, you should be at check-in 30 to 45 minutes before departure on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, and 30 to 60 minutes on other days. Foot passengers check in there between 60 and 10 minutes before departure. For the Red Jet in West Cowes, it's enough to arrive 5 to 15 minutes before departure at peak times.