RailTrails

English, Welsh and Manx Islands by Train and Ferry

The Isle of Wight, the Isles of Scilly, the Isle of Man, Brownsea and Caldey are a train ride and a crossing from the mainland, with no car needed. Each has a ferry or boat from a station at or near the harbour, and every crossing takes foot passengers, so you can walk straight on.

The quickest from London is the Isle of Wight: 1hr 19min by train to Southampton Central, then a 28min crossing from a terminal 1.0 mi (about 1 to 1.5 mi on foot) from the station.

Walking distances are estimates from the straight-line distance and the type of ground, not a measured route. Check a map before you set off.

South coast islands by train and ferry

The Isle of Wight has ferries from three stations on the Hampshire coast: Portsmouth Harbour, Lymington Pier and Southampton Central. Further west, boats cross Poole Harbour from Poole Quay to Brownsea, and the Scillonian sails from Penzance, at the end of the line through Cornwall, to the Isles of Scilly.

Isle of Man and Caldey by train and ferry

The Isle of Man is a sailing from Liverpool, and Caldey, off the Pembrokeshire coast, a short boat trip from Tenby harbour between Easter and September.

Also by train and ferry: Scottish islands.

Check sailings with Wightlink, Red Funnel, the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company, the St Mary's Boatmen's Association, the Isle of Man Steam Packet, Greenslade Pleasure Boats or Caldey Island boats before you travel: some run less often in winter, and all depend on the weather. Crossing times are from the operators' current timetables and vary by sailing. Train times are the quickest in our journey-time data; check the live timetable for the day you travel.