Of the ways across the Solent covered on this site, this is the one for drivers heading west. The Red Jet and the Ryde hovercraft are quicker but take no cars; Wightlink's boat from Lymington carries up to 65 vehicles into Yarmouth, on the West Wight, in about 40 minutes.
Wightlink timetable for Monday 28 September to Sunday 1 November 2026, published June 2026 and read on wightlink.co.uk on 1 October 2026 in both the web table and the PDF, which agree. Wightlink — Lymington–Yarmouth timetable, 28 September – 1 November 2026 · 2026-10-01
Compare the three ways onto the Isle of Wight described on this site and the Lymington boat is the odd one out. The Red Jet and the hovercraft to Ryde are built for speed and carry only people, bikes and dogs. Wightlink's Lymington ferry takes around 40 minutes, four times the hovercraft's crossing time, but it carries cars, vans and motorhomes, and it lands them at Yarmouth, which Wightlink recommends for the western half of the island.
Compared with Wightlink's own Portsmouth–Fishbourne car ferry, it is the shorter and quicker crossing; the company calls it the fastest way to take a vehicle across the Solent. It is also the one reached by rail, with trains running to Lymington Pier from Brockenhurst on the London line.
The timetable is easy to hold in your head: roughly one departure an hour each way from early morning to about nine at night, thinner in midweek evenings and from November.
The two halves of the fare system work in opposite ways. On foot, prices are fixed for the season: up to the end of December an adult pays £21.90 one way, £28.20 for a day return, £22.20 for an Afternoon Flyer out after midday, and £39.40 for a return valid 364 nights. A bicycle goes free.
With a car, there is no tariff at all. Wightlink charges for the vehicle's space rather than for the people in it, so up to seven travel for one price, and that price moves with the date, the hour, the size of the vehicle and how full the boat is. Its own illustrations are around £40 to £50 a leg for an early-out, late-back day trip and £80 to £110 a leg for a week's holiday. Off-peak hours, meaning before 10:00 or after 16:00, and early booking cost less. This is the reverse of the Scottish car ferries on this site, where the car and each passenger are priced separately.
| Single | £ 21.90 |
| Afternoon Flyer (out after 12:00, back by 04:30) | £ 22.20 |
| Day return | £ 28.20 |
| Return, within 364 nights | £ 39.40 |
| Child 5–15, single | £ 10.95 |
| Child 5–15, day return | £ 14.10 |
| Senior 60+, single | £ 16.80 |
| Senior 60+, day return | £ 21.50 |
| Student 16+, single | £ 18.60 |
| Family, day return | £ 69 |
| Infant under 5 | Free |
Foot passenger fares for Lymington–Yarmouth, off-peak, 1 October – 31 December 2026, from Wightlink's fares page; vehicle fares have no fixed tariff Wightlink — foot passenger ticket prices · 2026-10-01
As the gull flies Lymington's terminal is 6 kilometres from Yarmouth's, about three and a quarter nautical miles, but the ship cannot take the straight line. Wightlink describes the route as running out through the mouth of the Lymington River and past Hurst Castle before crossing to Yarmouth, which is why a short hop on the map is timed at about 40 minutes. At the island end the ship berths in Yarmouth harbour, run by Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners as a trust port whose jurisdiction reaches from the causeway at Freshwater out to sea.
The terminal is on Undershore Road, on the east bank of the Lymington River, and the railway comes almost to the ramp: trains from Brockenhurst, on South Western Railway's London main line, run direct to Lymington Pier station next to the port. Inside are the Curlew Café, card-only ticket machines, a customer service desk, toilets and a 50 kW rapid charger.
The car park has more than 200 spaces and takes cards or the JustPark app, not cash. Twenty minutes to drop off is free if you stay in the car; after that it is £3.50 for up to two hours, £7.50 up to six, £11.50 up to 16 and £13.50 for a day. Motorcycles park free in their own bays, and an overflow car park opens at busy times.
Yarmouth has a customer building with a lounge, ticket machine and service point, and no cash is taken. Wightlink has no car park on the island side: the nearest is the public Yarmouth Car Park on River Road, which accepts cash and PayByPhone, with Wightlink quoting £2.05 for an hour up to £12.50 for ten. Buses leave from Yarmouth bus station on Bridge Road, where Southern Vectis route 7 runs to Newport and its connections across the island. There is no railway in West Wight.
Wightlink's timetable for this route says foot passengers must book in advance, and on the early 06:05 and 06:50 from Lymington and the 11:05 from Yarmouth numbers are limited, so booking is essential even for pass holders.
Drivers should check in no earlier than an hour and no later than 30 minutes before the sailing, and foot passengers at least 15 minutes ahead. At Yarmouth, cyclists wait by the vehicle ramp to be called.
Standard car tickets can be refunded for a £5 fee up to 24 hours before the outward sailing and changed free. Economy tickets are cheaper and non-refundable, and a change costs £15 online or £25 by phone or at the port. Priority boarding is £12.50 a crossing.
For central and eastern Wight Wightlink points drivers to its Portsmouth–Fishbourne route. Without a car, the Red Jet from Southampton takes about 28 minutes to Cowes and the Ryde hovercraft crosses from Southsea in 10. Lymington suits the west of the island and anyone arriving by train from the Brockenhurst line.
Both terminals say they no longer take cash, and the cafés on board are card, phone or contactless only. The Yarmouth public car park, which Wightlink does not run, is the exception.
The route has been worked since 2009 by three sister ships, Wight Light, Wight Sky and Wight Sun, built in Croatia in 2008 specifically for this crossing and each able to take 359 passengers and 65 vehicles. Wight Sun also stands in on the Portsmouth–Fishbourne route when needed.
The two ends sit in different local authorities: Lymington is in Hampshire's New Forest district, Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight, which has its own council. On the water, Lymington Harbour Commissioners and Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners each look after their own harbour.
Car fares are not fixed. Wightlink prices the vehicle, with up to seven people included, according to date, time, vehicle size and demand. Its own examples are around £40 to £50 a leg for an early-morning day trip, £60 to £80 for a weekend and £80 to £110 for a week's holiday.
Lymington. Wightlink describes it as ideal for the west half of the island, landing at Yarmouth, and recommends its Portsmouth–Fishbourne route for central and East Wight.
The 21:50 from Yarmouth on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays the last departure is the 21:05.
Wightlink's timetable says foot passengers on this route must book in advance, and booking is essential on the limited 06:05 and 06:50 from Lymington and 11:05 from Yarmouth. An adult single costs £21.90 until the end of December.
In Wightlink's car park at the terminal, card or JustPark only: £3.50 up to two hours, £7.50 up to six, £11.50 up to 16 and £13.50 for up to 24 hours.
Yes. Trains run from Brockenhurst, on South Western Railway's London main line, direct to Lymington Pier station beside the terminal. On the island there is no railway near Yarmouth; Southern Vectis route 7 goes on to Newport.
No. Wightlink has no sailings on 25 December, and runs a special timetable from 21 December to 3 January.