Day Trip - Isle of Wight

Sunday, 17 May 2026, meeting in Southampton at 07:30

The Route

We are off to the Isle of Wight for a lap of the island. We cannot guarantee glorious weather but do promise that the road surface will be much better than Hertfordshire offers - We have tried spotting potholes there, and thankfully, failed.

First and foremost this is a social event - we will ride in groups and there are plenty of re-fuelling stops (cafes) to enjoy. Faster groups on the road just happen to rest for longer, or if very fast, wait for the first café to open!

There are two main routes that we take, either the Wight Wizz or Wight Wizz Mini. These are 108km / 81km.  And if you fancy seeing The Needles, then just need to add another 15km detour on when at Freshwater. 

These routes are available on Ride with GPS, and will be published to Facebook with the invite.

Planned stops are:

• Godshill, Old World Tea Rooms (second breakfast / first cake),
• Blackgang Chine, for an opportunity to enjoy the great view (and, perhaps, an ice cream from the small van there, cash-only),
• Freshwater, End of the Line Café, for lunch,
• West Cowes, ice cream and/or fish and chips, lots of places to choose from.
• Then from West Cowes we catch the chain ferry back to East Cowes, before coming back to Southampton
• Eating at each of the stops is optional, chatting isn't!

Timeline:

1. Closest car park is Gloucester Square "Pay and display" (Southampton, SO14 2GH). All day parking is around £8.
2. Meet at 07:30 at Red Funnel's Terminal 1, Dock Gate 7, Town Quay Road, Southampton, SO14 2AR. We buy ferry tickets on the day as cheapest fares (including group tickets) are only available at the terminal.
3. Catch the 08:00 Red Funnel Ferry from Southampton to East Cowes. Ferry crossing is ~1hr. Breakfast options are available to purchase on the ferry. Handy if you didn't have time before leaving home.
4. Clockwise lap of the island - approximately 105kms / 65 miles with 1,600m of climbing.
5. Catch the Ferry from East Cowes back to Southampton. We generally catch the 16:30 ferry back.

Notes

Car sharing to Southampton helps to keep all of our costs down. Please let us know if you can offer a lift or if you need a lift and we'll try and match people together.

If the weather forecast is shocking, we'll look for another date.

Watch our Facebook group (search for HHCC Clubroom) and WhatsApp for a specific event to sign-up so that we know who will be coming.

"The Wight Wizz has been a super day out all the times I have been. I hope to see you there this year."

Paul