Southampton Town Quay ferry terminal

Red Funnel ferries sail between Southampton and Cowes on the Isle of Wight. There are two ferry services: the fast ferry to West Cowes and the slower car ferry to East Cowes. A one-way fare on the faster ferry costs £16.60 and a one-way fare on the slower boat costs between £11.60 and £12.55 but an off-peak day return ticket costs £22.10 on either boat. It’s cheapest for a day return with two or more people travelling together after 10.55am.

The Town Quay ferry terminal is also the departure point for ferry services to Hythe on the western side of Southampton Water. Services operate every half hour and the return fare is £5.

There are three separate terminals at Town Quay: one for East Cowes, one for West Cowes and another for the Hythe ferry. All terminals are just a short walk from each other and have facilities that include a ticket office, toilets, a coffee shop and a waiting area with free Wi-Fi. Terminal 1 (for East Cowes) is open 24 hours, but the other terminals close at night.

Southampton’s cruise ship terminal is around a 10-minute walk east of the Town Quay ferry terminal.