Hovertravel
Hovertravel
4.5
About
Hovertravel provides the fastest Isle of Wight ferry service across the Solent and is the world's longest running and only commercial hovercraft operator in Europe. Our passenger ferry service takes you directly to the shore at Southsea or Ryde in just 10 minutes. Easy onward travel connections are available with our Hoverbus to Portsmouth, bus and train connections at Ryde.
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  • Samantha B
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent care for Furry friends !
    All the Hovertravel staff are amazing but we travelled across on the 0915 from Ryde last Friday for a vet appointment and Kev went above and beyond. Chip, a blind Jack Russell was freaked out when the cargo shutters went down, Kev realised this and pulled the second one down slowly to reduce the noise and did the same raising them. Any company that takes as much care of their furry customers as they do the humans has my vote every time. Chip would like to say a big thank you to Kev too x
    Thank you for your five star review (and for Chip's gratitude to Kev) - our teams pride themselves on delivering the best possible service. We will pass your kind words on and share them within the business.
    Written 26 March 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 21 March 2023
  • Kay W
    6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Second to none for Customer Service.
    The Customer Service I received from Hovertravel on booking, amending and re-booking flights for hospital appointments was fantastic. No problems with communication and no hurdles to jump over - just friendly, helpful and considerate treatment. Brilliant.
    Great to read your review and we are pleased that our customer service delivery is helping you travel for your treatment.
    Written 4 July 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 3 July 2023
  • Judith C
    Guildford, United Kingdom69 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Quick and easy route across the Solent
    Very efficient service - just 10 minutes to get across the Solent. If you book tickets online you have the choice of various combo deals including one with unlimited Isle of Wight bus travel included. Very good value and you can even go on the open top tour buses.
    Hi Judith and thank you for your five-star review. As you explain our combination of flights with bus travel is a hugely popular choice with our customers. We hope to see you onboard again soon.
    Written 19 July 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2023
    Written 19 July 2023
  • Ibrahim G
    Huddersfield, United Kingdom104 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This was a must for me
    We to be honest this was a must for myself and it gave my son a different experience. I had been watching the weather all week before hand hoping it was going to hold fine and thankfully it did. The buying of a ticket on-line was OK but sometimes you were left really searching for what you were after. As we were going over to the Needles after landing at Ryde and back, I wanted to buy a Hovercraft and combined bus ticket. I managed to order the wrong one the first time (got a refund after sending an email without a problem) but fine the second time. On the day of the flight, I was impressed that one of the staff clocked straight away that we had our sunflower lanyards on and asked if my autistic son needed to the ramp, but my son had quickly disappeared up the steps. The flight went on-time both there and back. It certainly different when we were glided passed one of the larger Isle of Wight car ferries.
    Hello and thank you for your five star review. Great to read that you and your son had a good time with us. Your comments about the website have been passed on to the web team and we will share your review with all the company too. Our staff have had hidden disabilities training through the Sunflower network and our pilots team also recently completed the online training.
    Written 25 July 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 24 July 2023
  • Andrew W
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Outstanding. Staff. Journey. And way we was dealt with
    As a family of 4 and having one adult and two children with disabilities The dest staff went above and beyond to help us. They helped us that much it has made my children's experience 100 times what we expected to be. There was a lady and a guy they called a manager who again went totaly out of there way to help us. For this we are forever greatfull Thank you to the staff for such a helpfully team. Thanks from Alison and Andrew waters. Wales on tour
    Hi Alison and Andrew - thank you for reviewing us - our teams will be delighted that we made your time with us a great experience and we will share it with them, as well as our senior management! We are committed to making our hovercraft flights accessible for all so reviews like this mean a great deal to all of us.
    Written 4 August 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 3 August 2023
  • Malcybabe
    Boston, United Kingdom408 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Less bovver with the Hover
    The only commercial hovercraft service in the world. Ten minute trip from Ryde to Southsea and its as smooth as can be. Helpful efficient staff at either end helped make the trip memorable.
    Hi thanks for your review and happy to help make some good memories for you!
    Written 22 August 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 August 2023
  • Brian M
    2 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Delightful - but be very careful to get your details correct when booking !
    Excellent service, offers exactly 'what it says on the tin' just be careful with booking. I made an error in my booking info. and needing the assurance of having a ticket when I arrived at the port I booked a second ticket correctly hoping to request a refund at the ticket office. While a successfully cancelled the erroneous fare and went on to throughly enjoy the experience, I find to my frustration, NO REFUND is available ! The fare is not cheap ! They have told me that this is mentioned in the 'Terms & Conditions' but who ever reads these. I would humbly suggest that Hovertravel make this much more obvious than cleverly embedding it where it is ... so be careful but enjoy !
    Hello and thank you for your review - we are sorry you felt you needed to book a second ticket - in many instances we can correct incorrect bookings for a small admin fee.
    Written 14 September 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 13 September 2023
  • Wayne H
    12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Childhood memory
    I used to watch the hovercraft come in and out of Portsmouth when I was a young child. Now 55 I decided to book a flight. It was so amazing. The staff at Portsmouth and Ryde were wonderful and friendly. They made my experience so good. Best day ever.
    Hello Wayne and thank you for your five star review. We are delighted to be an old memory and helping you make new memories too!
    Written 19 September 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 18 September 2023
  • SmillaRyde
    Bradfield, United Kingdom114 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Upgrade the waiting area
    Traveling across the Solent with Hovertravel is rarely a disappointment. Punctual, helpful staff and resonantly priced. The trip is only 10 minutes and the services are fairly regular although this time of the year, the time table is understandably reduced. I just feel I need to mentioned the waiting areas and in particular Southsea's. It dull, uninviting and often not very clean. A bit of paint, nice, colourful posters of the island and generally making it look more attracting rather than an old bus station from the 1970s!
    Thank you for your review - we are grateful for your feedback (the good and the not so good). Your comments have been passed on to the facilities team and the senior management. There are future plans for our Southsea terminal and at a lesser level, Ryde's waiting areas, so we most definitely hear you.
    Written 15 January 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 12 January 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles998 reviews
Excellent
669
Very good
168
Average
31
Poor
37
Terrible
93

Dee S
Aylesford, UK470 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
Great trip across the solent to the I.O.W from Portsmouth. Very organised and on trip . Great to stand and watch the hovercraft's from the beach . Well worth the experience . Not cheap .
Written 28 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your five-star review and great to read you enjoyed your flight.
Written 4 March 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

sarahs
Poole, UK1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
I took my young grandson today from Southsea to Ryde return - really just for the experience - on the way out the guy on board presented my grandson with a sticker and certificate as it was his first time - this was a lovely gesture - on our return I realised I had lost my ticket - the same guy was waiting in the ticket office when I got there - he realised it was ours, kept hold of it and gave it back to me - saving me a lot of explaining and possibly having to buy another ticket - I was so impressed and grateful for the excellent customer service and my grandson can't wait to go again some time! Thank you!
Written 3 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We really appreciate our customers providing feedback and we are delighted that you took the time to give us your review. Our team are focussed on being helpful and to have their efforts recongised is doubly rewarding - thank you!
Written 4 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Dee S
Aylesford, UK470 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
Exciting trip on the Hovercraft. Spacious . 10 mins across the water to IOW from Ryde . Booked return trip . Dogs and bikes allowed. Refreshments available in the booking office
Written 2 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review and great summary of our service. Glad to read you enjoyed your flight.
Written 4 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

David D
Wellington, UK49 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Friends
Had to travel on it as it was on my bucket list , just took the trip across to Southsea & returned . A novel way of travling , maybe do it again at aome point .
Written 27 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi David - as always we are humbled to be on people's bucket lists and great to read you were able to tick us off. Please come back for another flight if you can.
Written 31 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Brandon S
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
Terrible service got there early for clocking in before craft left no service given saw me and ignored me and got left behind so had to wait an hour get better staff Portsmouth end rude when did get service won’t be useing again unless absolutely necessary think I’d rather swim
Written 20 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi we are sorry you missed your flight. On our website we recommend to all our customers that they arrive at least 10 minutes before departure. Please contact us via info@hovertravel.com if we can help or provide more assistance
Written 31 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sharron
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
Wow what can I say !!! Got to terminal at south sea 17.23 ready for the 17.30 nobody at front desk to scan in so went round to entrance for hover boarding door was closed! The staff saw us their waiting n ignored us then hover left 17.30 then a female member of staff came n asked had we booked in knowing we hadn’t I said well their were no staff to she said we were loading hover. Said so how can we book in?! She was like well we were loading the ho er I said we’ve bn waiting n you’ve seen us n let the ho er leave!!! She kept saying well u didn’t book in I repeated well how could we book in when no staff their!!! Grrrr I’m disabled n have an assistance dog and was with family !!! But they didn’t care Shocking service 🤬😡
Written 20 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are sorry you missed your flight with us. We recommend that all customers arrive at least ten minutes before the departure time of their booked flight.
Written 31 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

SmillaRyde
Bradfield, UK114 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Solo
Traveling across the Solent with Hovertravel is rarely a disappointment. Punctual, helpful staff and resonantly priced. The trip is only 10 minutes and the services are fairly regular although this time of the year, the time table is understandably reduced.
I just feel I need to mentioned the waiting areas and in particular Southsea's.
It dull, uninviting and often not very clean. A bit of paint, nice, colourful posters of the island and generally making it look more attracting rather than an old bus station from the 1970s!
Written 12 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review - we are grateful for your feedback (the good and the not so good). Your comments have been passed on to the facilities team and the senior management. There are future plans for our Southsea terminal and at a lesser level, Ryde's waiting areas, so we most definitely hear you.
Written 15 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Island_Andrew
Ryde, UK48 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
Using the residents Blue Card the day return was £33 which is less that their rivals at the end of the pier so we gave it a go. Buying the ticket online with the Blue Card deal gave me a whole load of grief but I got the better of the website in the end. The Ryde terminal location is ideally placed by the bus station, check in easy and lounge comfortable. Service departed on time and within minutes we were pushing up the ramp at Southsea. The shuttle bus was outside but we walked the 25 minutes into Gunwharf. The return service was just as pleasant, staff friendly and onboard safety announcements clear and professional.
Unfortunately this service can be cancelled at short notice due to weather conditions (wave height, wind speed and wind direction) so if it looks a rough day coming consider options if your journey is important.
Written 7 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Andrew - great to read that you were able to take advantage of our Hover Blue discount for Isle of Wight residents. Thanks to an agreement with our friends at the end of the pier, if we cancel your Hovertravel ticket can be used on the FastCat so there is a contingency built in.
Written 9 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Gabrielle S
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Solo

I usually travel on the Hovertravel (every other month or so) and the staff are usually pleasant and friendly.

However, yesterday when I was at Ryde Hovertravel leaving to go to Southsea, the lady at the desk who checked my ticket was rude to me and told me I can’t leave the hover terminal to wonder around Ryde once she checked my ticket even though I never asked (I was planning on staying in the hover terminal so that I did not miss my hover) and the lady (white lady in hair mid 60s/70s, with long grey hair tied back in a ponytail wearing a face mask ) also complained that I wasn’t showing her my ticket with a steady hand showing her the QR code even though I was (I’m a black female). She seemed polite and friendly to the white customers after me and said please and thank you to them. She never said thank you to me.
Written 7 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review and we are sorry your experience was not up to the standards you usually experience with us. We are certain that no-one at Hovertravel, consciously or sub-consciously, means to cause any type of offense whatsoever. Whilst we would always urge anyone to ask to see a duty manager at the time if they have any concerns we do understand that sometimes this might not be possible and we would like to invite you to meet with the manager who was on duty at the time so we can re-assure you that we aim to act politely, professionally and helpfully. Please email info@hovertravel.com so we can arrange this.
Written 9 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

73Familyman
Greater London, UK5 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Solo
Front desk staff at Southsea were rude, miserable and clearly adhered to the “computer says no” school of customer service. Oh, and extortionate price.
Written 14 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi We are sorry your experience with us was not up to our usual standards. Your comments have been passed on to the operations team who will investigate, as we normally receive regular compliments about customer service.
Written 17 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Hovertravel - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Hovertravel