A Day on the Isle of Wight - Mild Climate, Pristine Nature and Fresh Lobster

Finally, a sunny day began. We were very happy about it, because today we had planned something very special: the Isle of Wight. The island is located in the southern part of England - opposite Southampton. The island is not particularly large. It is 35km long and 20km wide and offers beautiful corners to fall in love with. We want to take you along on our day trip and tell you what’s worth it and what’s not.

The Journey with Red Funnel - Signature Lounge Experience

We decided on the Red Funnel ferry from Southampton to the Isle of Wight. This ferry has the possibility that we could drive over with our own car and thus be quite flexible on the island. There is also the possibility to travel from Portsmouth or Lymington. Our ferry should take 60 minutes for the crossing (only from March to October, otherwise it’s 90 minutes). For the crossing we paid £87. For the outward journey we booked something very special: the Signature Lounge. Additional costs for this were £12.

The lounge is a very quiet and comfortable area. We couldn’t stop being amazed. Above all, we were really lucky that we were completely alone in the entire lounge. Since we were still quite beaten down by our cold, we really enjoyed the peace and quiet. We had really comfortable armchairs and plenty of space, while in the main area there were only hard chairs and you had to sit close together. The standard area was also really full and the noise level extremely high. If you don’t like that, the Signature Lounge is really worthwhile. We also had a generous selection of drinks and pastries that we could choose from for free. The service was very friendly. Fast WiFi was also available, so you could theoretically work there in peace. We naturally used the time to capture some things for you and thus took many photos and video recordings.

For us, this was really a great experience to experience something like this.

Once we arrived on the island, our first stop was to be Osborne House.

Osborne House: An Intimate Insight into the Private Life of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

From the ferry terminal it’s actually only a few kilometres to Osborne House. We weren’t sure at first whether we should go into the house itself or maybe just peek at it from the outside. But you can’t see it without paying admission. It must be said that we often find admission prices far too expensive. Especially because we personally often don’t find the furnishings of castles, palaces or this house that exciting. We’re usually more interested in the building from the outside and their gardens.

Isle of Wight: Osborne Entrance Ticket

Osborne reflects the passions, tastes, and style of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Ornate furnishings and artworks from the Royal Collection adorn the rooms and corridors where Victoria received important guests and ruled over the vast British Empire.

Visit GetYourGuide →

It came in very handy that English Heritage happened to have a few information stands in front of the entrance. After a brief consultation, we decided to become members of English Heritage. With them you pay an annual fee and get free admission to many attractions or discounted admission from selected partners. You can also park for free at many attractions. Which can really be a game changer. Because parking fees can get really expensive in the long run. By going into the house, we had about half of the English Heritage pass back. Since we plan to travel to Great Britain again next year, this is definitely worth it for us.

Osborne House was Queen Victoria’s former country estate and retreat. The sight from the outside is definitely impressive, especially when you stand in the garden, the building looks very impressive indeed. It’s a magnificent building in the style of an Italian Renaissance villa.

(Osborne, under the guardianship of English Heritage.)

Our tour started on the ground floor. We walked through several corridors that are decorated with many statues and paintings. There were insights into a kind of birthday room and a billiards room.

(Osborne, under the guardianship of English Heritage.)

We reached the upper floor through a large staircase. This is where the family rooms are located. Worth highlighting is a room that really differs from all the others - the Durbar Room. This masterpiece was commissioned by the Queen for official occasions. Everything had an Indian touch and was arranged with great attention to detail.

(Osborne, under the guardianship of English Heritage.)

Then we went out into the garden. In October nothing blooms logically, so it looked a bit bare. In spring/summer it probably looks really great here. The garden is really extensive. You can even walk directly to the beach via a long path. However, we decided against it because we wanted to see a bit more of the island itself before our ferry goes back.

(Osborne, under the guardianship of English Heritage.)

All in all, you can easily spend 4-5 hours here, if not a whole day. We drove to the next spot after about 2 hours.

A Detour with Obstacles: Where are the Culver Cliffs?

The next spot we targeted was supposed to promise lots of nature.

From the car park on Culver Down we were rewarded with a breathtaking panoramic view that stretched over the land and the shimmering coast. We saw pastures, the horizon and a wide, beautiful landscape.

On foot we set off to examine the cliffs.

But an important component was missing: the cliffs themselves. We assumed that we would see them from our vantage point, but that was not the case. Without a single sign that would show the way to the cliffs, we were at a loss.

We simply didn’t know which way we had to go and wandered around aimlessly.

After some time we decided to abandon our search and head to the next point on our travel list. It was a shame that we missed the actual destination, but the view alone was worth the detour. But since we were there in October, time was running against us, because the sun was already setting really early. Accordingly, we didn’t have much daylight left. You should definitely keep that in mind when visiting the island. Next time we want to come back in spring so that we have more daylight and can make better use of the day.

Actually we wanted to see much more on this day, but due to daylight and our growing hunger we decided to postpone the other points for the next trip and let the evening end in the restaurant.

Lobster Experiment on the Isle of Wight: Are the Expensive Crustaceans Really Worth It?

A culinary highlight had been on our to-do list for a long time: trying lobster once in our lives. The Isle of Wight seemed the perfect place for it. It doesn’t get any fresher! Our choice fell on “The Crab and Lobster Inn”, a recommendation I had previously found in the travel guide. The location promised everything: located directly by the sea and with the salty breeze in your nose.

We were immediately warmly welcomed. The atmosphere in “The Crab and Lobster Inn” was completely autumnal and decorated in Halloween style. Of course, it was October after all. There was quite a bit of fish on the menu, but for us it was clear that the lobster had to be ordered. Before we tackled the “main project”, we treated ourselves to a small starter: an avocado filled with fresh shrimp – a delicious, light start.

Then came the moment of truth. We had wisely decided on half a lobster, served with chips and a crisp salad. We just wanted to try it, not empty our entire wallet. The price was steep, but curiosity and the “once in a lifetime” mentality won. And then came the surprise… or rather the disillusionment.

We have to be honest: lobster isn’t for us. Maybe we had too high expectations. We found the meat rather firm and “rubbery”. The taste was far less intense than we had imagined. Would we eat it again? Probably not.

Despite the disappointment, the restaurant was really nice. We conducted our experiment and have now become richer by one experience. Next time we’ll have salmon instead. ;)

After the meal we went back to the ferry and after the crossing then relaxed back to our caravan. An eventful day on the island came to an end.

Our Conclusion

The Isle of Wight is definitely worth a visit, especially if you like nature, history and maritime atmosphere. The Red Funnel ferry with the Signature Lounge is an experience in itself, and Osborne House offers fascinating insights into royal history. However, plan enough time and visit the island preferably from March to October for optimal daylight.

Visitor Information

The Isle of Wight is best visited from March to October when ferry connections are more frequent and you have more daylight. Plan a full day to explore the main attractions at a relaxed pace.

Instagram

@redfunnelferry

@englishheritage

@crabandlobsterinn

Websites

Red Funnel Ferry

Osborne House

The Crab and Lobster Inn

Addresses

Red Funnel Terminal Southampton - Southampton, United Kingdom

Osborne House - York Ave, East Cowes PO32 6JX, United Kingdom

Culver Down - Sandown PO36 8QT, United Kingdom

The Crab and Lobster Inn - 32 Forelands Field Rd, Bembridge PO35 5TR, United Kingdom