London to Isle of Wight Festival train with South Western Railway

Trains from London to the Isle of Wight

Travelling from London to the Isle of Wight comes with several options departing from London Waterloo and arriving in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. These journeys often start around 8:35 a.m., with the last train leaving around 11:35 p.m. The trains generally run once every hour and the journey will take approximately 3h 10min with a couple of transfers along the way. Your journey will start at Waterloo and head to Brockenhurst where you'll change to another train and make your way to Lymington Pier, from there you'll hop on a ferry and make your way to the Isle of Wight.

London to the Isle of Wight Train Time: Daily Departures

Typically, trains running from London to the Isle of Wight will depart once every hour starting at 8:35 a.m., with the last train departing at around 11:35 p.m, with approximately 12 trips a day, or 84 train rides a week between these two destinations. Many of these trips require at least two transfers along the way with the last transfer being onto a ferry. The trip will generally take around 3h 10min, although they may take close to 9h 35min later at night with longer stopovers.

How long is the journey by train from London to the Isle of Wight?

Your travel time on the train from London to the Isle of Wight is dependent on the length of your stopovers. If you're travelling earlier on in the day when trains are more frequent, you will have 2 - 3 stopovers along the way but they will be quicker transfers than later at night. These trips will typically take around 3h 10min, while the train rides departing at 8:35 p.m. and 11:35 p.m. typically have longer changes and tend to take between 8h 35min and 9h 35min.

London Sparklig. Source: Shutterstock

What is/are the departure and arrival stations for trains from London to the Isle of Wight?

Departure stations: London Waterloo is Britain's largest and busiest train station with close to 100 million travellers passing through every year. The station is around 2.1 miles (3.37 km) away from the city centre, easily accessible via buses and trains. Waterloo joins several major cities across the south and west, including destinations like Southampton, Portsmouth, Windsor, and Bournemouth. Waterloo offers all the basic services including cash exchange, ATMs, ticket machines, storage space, and free Wi-Fi. Southampton Central station is a large station in Southampton with several basic facilities that include toilet facilities, seating areas, luggage trolleys, as well as restaurants, shops, and pubs. This station is connected to the Isle of Wight through the East Cowes port, which sees close to 20 crossings daily from Southampton to the Isle of Wight. Each trip takes approximately one hour.

Arrival stations: Portsmouth Harbour is the final train stop for the journey from London to the Isle of Wight, and currently stands as a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Portsmouth and Gosport. After arriving here, you can hop onto a Southwestern Railway Ferry to take you across to the Isle of Wight. The ferries tend to leave from Lymington Pier and take you over in around 40min.

Which train companies travel from London to the Isle of Wight?

If you're travelling from London to the Isle of Wight, your train journey will be operated by South Western Railway. South Western operates trains that transport visitors around from Waterloo, its Central London terminal, right the way through to South West London. They also offer suburban services, which includes the ferry to the Isle of Wight. Despite South Western operating all of the trains travelling this route, travelling earlier tends to mean lower costs, travelling this route is less popular at night, meaning a higher price tag.

South Western Railway trains from London to the Isle of Wight

South Western Railway operates a variety of trains across these routes and all of them offer services that include Quiet Zones, free Wi-Fi on the train, and onboard catering. There are regular trips from London to the Isle of Wight starting at 8:35 a.m., with a departure every hour after that until the last train at 11:35 p.m. The total travel time is expected to be less than 3h 30min covering around 89 miles (143.3 km). The South Western Railway trains travelling this route are commuter trains made for distance travel rather than speed. South Western Railway trains travelling these routes will either go to Southampton or Portsmouth.

London Subawy. Source: Shutterstock

To Isle of Wight by train—travel tips

The Isle of Wight is well-known for its seafront promenades and sandy beaches off the south coast of England, beaches that include Ventnor Beach and Shanklin Beach. Isle of white is brimming with all kinds of activities for the whole family to enjoy. If you're looking for something to eat, the Isle of Wight offers everything from seafood to pub grub to a Sunday Roast, there's no shortage of restaurants. As an avid cyclist and explorer, you can head to Bicycle Island and bike along the terrain and cycling routes.

Travelling with kids? Why not take them to Blackgang and explore the dinosaur fossils or search along the beach for fossils of your own. Did you know the Isle of Wight is considered a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve? Due to the harmonious nature of the island, there's less pollution, meaning a darker night sky and more stars. Spend the evening staring at the sky through a pair of binoculars and get a clear look at the Milky Way, Cassiopeia, Orion, and the Plough.

The Isle of Wight also offers shoppers an array of choices to appease their retail therapy needs. The artistic heritage of the island lends itself to the arts and craft outlets. You'll also find a range of locally sourced produce and drink provided.

Train from London to the Isle of Wight