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Original poster

Isle of Wight for one day.

28 replies

mimi14 · 15/07/2021 14:11

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations of things to do, towns to visit etc.
We're only there for one day, the ferry comes in at East Cowes, and we have no car. 4 children aged 6-14. Thank you.

OP posts:
Budgiesareloud · 15/07/2021 14:14

Catch the number 6 from Newport to Blackgang
Lots of fun
The ferry's are a nightmare at the moment loads have been cancelled

plixy · 15/07/2021 14:22

How long do you have between your ferry arriving and having to be back to depart?

Original poster
mimi14 · 15/07/2021 14:33

We haven't booked the ferry yet, but planning to arrive around 10am and leave at 6pm ish.

OP posts:
MarianneUnfaithful · 15/07/2021 14:46

Get the bus to Ventnor and walk to Steephill Cove
Or
Get the bus to the Needles and Tennison Down
Or
See if you can book a fossil walk with the Dinosaur Expedition Centre

What sort of things do you like doing?

osprey24 · 15/07/2021 16:28

Osbourne house isn't very far from the ferry.

Hellcatspangle · 15/07/2021 16:41

The bus service is excellent, you can download the app and get a day pass if you want to go to a couple of different places. Cowes itself is nice (you can hop on the floating bridge from east cowes) and we also liked Yarmouth.

Oblomov21 · 15/07/2021 16:44

Oh I love day trips to IoW. Puts it on bucket list of things to do in the next year.

CosmicComfort · 15/07/2021 17:01

Day trips to the Isle of Wight are fabulous. We got the hovercraft to ryde last time and walked to seaview for lunch. It was amazing.
Osborne house is amazing, well worth a trip.
Bus to the needles then bus to shanklin for a seafront walk would be my recommendation.

Probably more than a day there though🤣

ReviewingTheSituation · 15/07/2021 17:13

That doesn't feel like a long time. The buses are good, but only if they're direct. If you have to change in Newport, then you might end up spending ages on the bus, and if they only go (say) every 30 mins, you've wasted a lot of time.

Yarmouth is indeed lovely, but not much to do there (for kids).

Needles are of course the iconic sight, and there's lots for kids to do there. I don't think you could do anything other than the Needles in your timeframe.

Shanklin/Ventnor would make a nice day if you can do it.

If you're limited to the hours you've said, I'd just stay in/around Cowes - go to the beach, wander around town, look at the boats, go to Osborne house...

Do you have to get the ferry at 6? Can't you make it a longer day and get a late ferry back? It would give you so many more options.

ReviewingTheSituation · 15/07/2021 17:18

Or do the 'hop on hop off' bus (there are 2), which might be a fun way to spend a day. You'd need to pick it up in Yarmouth I think. It's called the Breezer.

PussInBin20 · 15/07/2021 17:24

Robin Hill country park is good for the kids. Not sure if you can bus there - I would have thought so though. It’s just South East of Newport.

olivethegreat · 15/07/2021 17:25

Garlic Farm!! Have lunch and a shop.

lockdownrainbow · 15/07/2021 18:23

Donkey sanctuary is lovely

CarolinaWeeper · 15/07/2021 18:29

There's so much to see and do but I think you'd struggle to fit lots in one one day with no car so I'd go to the Needles and Alum bay on the bus from where you are.

Blackgang Chine is brilliant and my DC love it but I think it would probably be boring for children over the age of about 8.

TSSDNCOP · 15/07/2021 18:54

Definitely Ventnor

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/07/2021 18:59

Osbourne house or you'll spend ages on the bus. The beach is lovely there too.

Tal45 · 15/07/2021 19:16

@lockdownrainbow

Donkey sanctuary is lovely
Agreed, our favourite thing on the IOW - and free.
frugalkitty · 15/07/2021 20:46

I'd get the bus to Newport and go to carisbrooke castle. Otherwise, there's a fun park at Alum Bay and you can get a chair lift down to the bay and do a boat ride out to the Needles, that's a nice little trip.

olivethegreat · 15/07/2021 21:19

Also agree donkey sanctuary is lovely and we enjoyed carisbrooke castle . Osborne house has bad reviews atm as lots of it I closed but it still costs £££

Original poster
mimi14 · 15/07/2021 21:20

Thank you everyone 😊

OP posts:
FVFrog · 15/07/2021 21:38

We just spent a week in the Isle of Wight and still wasn’t time to do everything we wanted! You really are spoilt for choice. Think about what kind of day you want and what are your must dos (beach walk, ice cream, fish and chips, dinosaur fossils, sightseeing) and plan accordingly. If the weather will be nice St Helens beach near Ryde is a glorious beach with a fab cafe. We hired kayaks and stand up paddle boards (book in advance) but just as good for a swim/paddle. The needles is very touristy, but you can still do a fabulous hike up on the cliff path. We stayed in Ventnor and it is fabulous but at the other end of the island so if time is tight you may want to go somewhere closer. We also enjoyed alpaca trekking at the farm park and my three young adults loved the aqua park (basically a floating assault course). Bike hire is another option you could look at, lots of cycle trails. Shanklin is very pretty for tea rooms and tourists shops. Generally speaking the east coast of the island is more built up with traditional seaside attractions and the west coast much quieter and more natural (National Trust beaches). Have a wonderful day!

ZenNudist · 15/07/2021 21:42

There's treasure trails that go round cowes or Ventnor. £10 great for younger kids. Mine are 8 and 10. The Ventnor one went through a paddling pool a playground and botanical garden. Then there's the beach. In Ventnor there's a great seafood restaurant called the smoking lobster and another in the same group in cowes. Either Ventnor or cowes, walk around go to beach nice food. Robin Hill looks good but pricey you won't experience as much "real" iow.

I liked the needles but on a sunny day they are very touristy. Can you book in advance. Seems a shame to spend ages on the bus

FaceyRomford · 15/07/2021 22:11

Lunch at The Boathouse at Seaview (just the other side of Ryde).

GreenTeaPingPong · 15/07/2021 22:17

Kids and I really enjoyed the Shipwreck centre & maritime museum, really amazing collection of treasure found on wrecks.

"Bursting with thousands of relics from shipwrecks and, treasures from the Deep including beautiful "Pieces of Eight", Spanish Gold, and items salvaged from galleons, steamships and wartime submarines.

See a fascinating display of antique diving equipment, Isle of Wight prehistory, dramatic shipwreck stories, pirates, smuggling, ship models and much more."

I'm not sure about how to get there by bus though.

user1471530109 · 09/08/2021 15:12

Hi OP. Have you been? I'm doing similar next week!
I'm now wondering if I should take the car across Confused. We were going to get the catamaran from Portsmouth harbour to Ryde and spend the day on the beach. But the bus journey to the Needles for example, is 2.5 hours one way! But 35mins car journey...