Crossing the water:

You can cross the Solent by car ferry or, alternatives for foot passengers are to catch the Southampton-West Cowes Redjet service or the Portsmouth to Ryde FastCat service or the Hovertravel service from Southsea to Ryde. If you are coming to the Isle of Wight Jazz Festival from the mainland and you need a ferry, do book early as the ferries will be busy the weekend of the jazz festival, due to Easter holiday traffic coming on and going off the Island, in addition to the jazz festival. For a full and up to date timetable contact Travel Operators on the numbers below:

Red Funnel Ferries – www.redfunnel.co.uk
Tel: 0844 844 9988
Hovertravel – www.hovertravel.co.uk
Tel: 01983 811000
Wightlink Ferries - www.wightlink.co.uk
Tel: 0871 3761000

It's great coming on holiday or short break to the Isle of Wight because, just like going to France, the ferry across the water makes it feel like you are travelling a lot further, so it feels like a 'real holiday'!

By train or by car, from London, you are never more than two hours away from Ventnor, the Capital of Jazz in the Deep South of the UK on the Isle of Wight (traffic permitting of course).

Travelling by road to Ventnor:

From East Cowes Red Funnel car ferry terminal, follow signs to Newport then on to Ventnor by turning right at Blackwater.

From Fishbourne near Ryde, the main tourist route to travel is the A3055 through Sandown and Shanklin to Ventnor.

For travel from Yarmouth, follow signs to Newport then on to Ventnor by turning right at Blackwater. OR take the tourist route via Freshwater and along the "Military Road" on to Niton, St Lawrence and Ventnor.

On the Isle of Wight Southern Vectis buses connect the Island. The number 3 directly serves Ventnor for the most hours a day and the number 6 provides an alternative route at various times. The Island's main bus terminal is in Newport, from where all Island buses are linked. From East Cowes, catch the Newport bus and change to the number 3 or 6 to get to Ventnor. From Ryde bus station, take the number 3 to Ventnor.

By air:

National airports
Gatwick Airport www.gatwick-airport-guide.co.ukTel: 08700 002468
London Heathrow Airport www.heathrow-airport-guide.co.uk Tel: 08700 000123
Regional airports
Bournemouth Airport www.flybournemouth.com Tel: 01202 364000
Southampton (Eastleigh) Airport www.southamptonairport.com Tel: 0870 040 0009
Local airports
You can fly to the Island with a private plane, the Isle of Wight has two small airfields.
Bembridge Airport 01983 873331
Sandown Airport 01983 408374