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Which Isle of Wight Town Should I Stay In? Pros + cons of Shanklin, Cowes, Ryde, Ventnor, Sandown
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 เม.ย. 2024
- Which is the best Isle of Wight town to stay in whilst on holiday?
We've split the options into five.
The five options are NOT in order of preference. We've covered the whole island and given pros and cons of each place, so you can pick what is right for you. Some people will prefer the rural isolation of the West Wight, others will want to buy a stick of rock on Shanklin seafront.
Here are the links we refer to in the video:
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00:00 - INTRO
The full version of this guide can be found here: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/whi...
00:25
OPTION 1: SANDOWN & SHANKLIN - buckets and spades, chips on the beach, busy beaches - but not for everyone
Here's our pick of Sandown's best accommodation: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/10-...
And here's our selection in Shanklin: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/10-...
As I said in the video, I personally prefer Shanklin to Sandown but the latter does have its plus points so let's not fall out over it.
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02:02
OPTION 2: SOUTH WIGHT - isolated rocky bays and a Victorian town with character
Ventnor: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/5-v...
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03:41
OPTION 3: WEST WIGHT - unspoilt coastline and great walking but fewer attractions
As mentioned, we have a holiday let in Freshwater Bay: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/bay...
There are also several other good West Wight options in this guide to National Trust properties: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/bes...
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05:44
OPTION 4: COWES, NEWPORT AND RYDE - convenient towns but less pretty and rural
As I suggested, my favourite of these three towns is Cowes. Here are some of the best places to stay in Cowes: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/thi...
However, Ryde is much more convenient if you are planning a short break via Portsmouth and it also has a better beach than Cowes. Our pick of Ryde's hotels: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/5-b...
Newport is central and is great for bus travel, so it's good if you want to see the whole Island without driving too much. It's also near to the Isle of Wight Festival. Our guide to places to stay in Newport is here: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/10-...
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08:35
OPTION 5: BEMBRIDGE, ST HELEN'S, SEAVIEW
Finally, there are these coastal village in the East Wight.
The hotel in the video is the adults only Warner Leisure Bembridge Coast Hotel: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/war...
There are several other properties in these villages on this guide: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/hol...
Enjoy your holiday, you can find us on Facebook etc or visit www.isleofwightguru.co.uk to plan your travel and days out.
Fantastic photography and very informative as all your website content always is. I completely agree with your characterisation of the various different areas of the island. There really is something for everyone. My wife and I really love visiting and hope to make it our home in the near future. It is just so sad that the recent land slips have made life difficult for those living in the Ventnor area.
Thanks for your kind comment. Yes, I think the Island's variety in a small area is its biggest selling point. Several other English counties are beautiful but you tend to focus on one area or do a lot of driving. On the Isle of Wight you can see a real mix of beaches without going far. Good luck with your plans. Here's a further explanation of why I love the Isle of Wight, for anyone who is interested! www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/why-choose-isle-of-wight.html
Thank you very much!
Thanks. I've been to the Isle of Wight many times over the last 50 years, and agree all these places are nice and you can't go too wrong. As someone reliant on public transport, the East coast is a winner with really easy train-ferry-train connections at Portsmouth and Ryde. Ventnor is good but the hotels are more limited and expensive than Shanklin and Sandown.
Thanks for your comment. Such a shame the railway doesn't extend as far as Ventnor (as it did originally). Here's our public transport guide for anyone looking at that option: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/public-transport.html
In Shanklin, I'd also recommend St Georges House Hotel, which has been our 'base' for many years. It changed hands a few years ago and the new owners managed to strike a good balance between the 'old school' feel it had and the modernisations they carried out. B&B only, and the breakfasts are great. In Sandown, we've stopped at The Wight. Their 'Jurassic Breakfast' is amazing - providing you're not watching the calories! The ballroom has a unique Hammond organ, that I occasionally play for them!
Thanks for the suggestions! Sandown and Shanklin both have an abundance of good places to stay (as well as some less good ones). The Wight features on our Sandown guide: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/10-best-places-to-stay-in-sandown.html
Excellent video 👍 holidayed there as a child, grandparents on Hayling... been back a few times as an adult and now moving there with wife and baby boy! I’d agree with everything you said... So many little gems on the island - one of our favourites was the nature reserve at Newtown... we saw seals, grey mullet and experienced the most wonderful old gentlemen volunteer guide - he was full of knowledge and just lovely! We saw people paddling canoes and kayaks around the lakes etc... beautiful spot, lovely walks! 👍
Thanks, yes Newtown Creek is a lovely little spot. Read recently that it was earmarked for a nuclear power station in the 1950s but it didn't happen thankfully. Good luck with the move!
@@isleofwightguru yes lol thank god they didn’t! Getting really excited about the move so binge watching videos when I really ought to be packing instead 😳👍
@@dannyboywhaa3146 Good luck with it. Bit late for you but here's our guide to moving to the Isle of Wight for anyone who's interested: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/should-i-move-to-the-isle-of-wight.html
@@isleofwightguru that was most useful thank you... we’re moving from a very nice South Manchester area, loved it and it has some of the best grammar schools in the country however, now we have a baby boy we wanted to leave city life. Even the negative points about the island are positives to us lol... the only real negatives would be health care, we feel that’s offset by the healthy island lifestyle and we’re very fit and healthy people, and education however, I don’t like the way education is going anyway so I’m much happier with either the private schools or home-schooling if necessary! We don’t drink so nightlife not a concern... we prefer pub culture anyway... maybe one concern I have is that organised sports here in Manchester is of a very high level - slightly worried the standard of rugby won’t be as good lol I’d like my son to enjoy playing a high standard like his father etc etc... as you say there’s no going back now but your site only reaffirmed our decision. Thanks again 👍
@@dannyboywhaa3146 Glad you found it useful. A while ago the various rugby clubs on the island got together to make a bigger club so they could have junior teams. Not sure if that's still the case. Drop us an email via the website when you've moved if you want to say hi. Good luck!
61 years old, born and bred on the Isle of Wight- this is one of the most unrealistic reviews I've ever seen! 🤣🤣
Nice overview…I cycled around the island 2 weeks ago and for once didn’t have a head wind on the Military Road on the south coast, which made it a lot easier! No mention of Falmouth? I had a great holiday there, just a stone’s throw from the Lymington ferry.
Thanks Steve. I think you mean Yarmouth, which I should have mentioned. Really lovely town and a good point for catching the open top bus. Here's our cycling guide for anyone else planning a cycle on the island.
www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/cycling-holidays-isle-of-wight.html
Recommend the tennyson trail if you like mountain biking.
@@isleofwightguru Haha...sorry yes, Yarmouth, not Falmouth! Having a senior moment there! 😆
Love the Isle Of Wight, first time I went was only 6 years ago, but have been back a few times since. I come over on my bicycle, loaded with camping gear as you only pay foot passenger fee then. Get off at Cowes then cycle the Red Squirell trail to a campsite between Sandown and Shanklin. Ive also stayed over near Totland and explored that side of the Island, Tennyeson down is great for astro photography, although the roads are not great for cycling there with a fully loaded bike. The area around Shanklkin, Sandown and Ryde has great traffic free cycling routes. Its a great way to see the island, although unlike many cyclists, I have no interest in doing the round the island route. I just like leisurely exploring different places.
Thanks for your comment. Yes, the Isle of Wight by bike is very good. There are a good number of cycle tracks thanks to all the former railway lines. Here's our cycling guide for anyone who is interested: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/cycling-holidays-isle-of-wight.html
Used to do many trips a year to the IOW, sometimes just a day visit, but the ferry companies are just too expensive now. I am not paying the ridiculous charges.
@@stevejones5080 It certainly can be expensive. This guide might help - there are various tips and tricks to make the ferry much better value www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/discount-isle-of-wight-ferry-travel.html
I go to isle every few months as live opposite in the beautiful new forest... have done for 30:years. Ryde is the place to stay it has more to do and less run down, yet shanklin traditional love the Isle
Thanks for your comment. Yes, there's quite a bit to do in Ryde (great beach, cinema, bowling, arts centre, games arcade, swimming pool, shops, playgrounds, coastal walk etc) and it's also nice and easy for travelling from Portsmouth and then exploring via public transport. Personally I prefer less developed places but each to their own! Here's my guide to Ryde Hotels: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/5-best-ryde-hotels.html
Great vid. I really like the IOW, but the ferry cost to take a car needs a mortgage... Just ridiculous prices. Let us know if that ever changes.
Thanks, glad you liked it. Yes, ferry prices can be very high at peak times. There are various ways round it but one option for visitors is to stay at one of the accommodation providers that gets a big trade discount, such as these: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/isle-of-wight-holiday-including-ferry.html
@@isleofwightguru Hi, again... You were quite correct in that the accommodation places you suggested can assist with the cost. I've booked one of your recommended places, as we have stayed there before and got a 35% reduction (both ways) on the ferry cost. Your code for 10% didn't work, but no problem.
So thanks for that! Good man. I started booking places to visit and my fave place, Robin Hill, is no more! Scandal! But the island is littered with fine attractions, as you have pointed out.
Thanks, again.
@@johnbailey2824 Glad to hear you saved some money. Will have to investigate the ferry offer. Yes, Robin Hill is closed, we are gutted! Although I still hope it will rise again. We recently wrote a long history of Robin Hill, which is only suitable for serious fans though as it goes into a lot of detail! www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/blog/robin-hill-a-not-very-brief-history
We also wrote a blog when they closure was announced: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/blog/is-this-farewell-or-a-new-beginning-for-robin-hill-country-park
@@isleofwightguru Crikey, that was a tome! But I enjoyed reading both of your articles on Robin Hill, as we visited first about 25 years ago, so when we went last year, it had changed a lot, but was still really great. As George said, "All things must pass". I liked your free parking section, too... Keep up the good work with your Vids and blogs, etc. Much appreciated.
@@johnbailey2824 Yes, it sure is! I got a bit carried away.. Perhaps I need to do a 100 word summary as well!
Where are great dog friendly beaches,summer months?
Hi Paul. This is the guide you need! Scroll down about a third of the way: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/dog-friendly-isle-of-wight-holidays-beaches-attractions-pubs-accommodation.html
There are some ( excellent ) secure hotels , near Newport .. HMP Parkhurst ? ... Ha - Ha ... DAVE™🛑
Yes, I hear it's lovely in the summer! Lots of organised activities for the guests and fully catered.
Sandown, really?
I certainly prefer Shanklin to Sandown at the moment (as mentioned in the video) but Sandown does have some good points. The seafront Premier Inn is appealing if you like a brand name hotel. There are also a couple of other good value hotels and the Yaverland end has had investment in recent years. Plus, the beach has won awards, as mentioned in the video. Here's our full comparison of Sandown v Shanklin in case anyone is struggling to sleep - www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/blog/which-is-best-sandown-or-shanklin
I should also point out that the five options aren't ranked in order of preference. I've tried to cover every option on the Isle of Wight with pros and cons of each one.
@@isleofwightguruSandown isn’t that bad… it used to be lovely years ago. I’m moving to Ryde in August. People say that’s a bit of a dump but it’s not as bad as where I currently live. Lovely video. Thank you 🙏🏼
I agree. Sandown isn't perfect and the empty hotels are an eyesore but it still has money being invested. It has some good restaurants, some good hotels, a railway station, a beautiful beach and some good attractions. That's a lot more than some mainland towns!
@@isleofwightguru completely agree. The island is beautiful even the not so polished parts. Everything takes time, I hope Sandown is restored to how I remember it as a kid from the late 80’s early 90’s. I went through there last time I visited in February just gone and it was a shame to see some of the decaying parts. I have lots of happy memories visiting as a child.
This is some well curated, terrible advice 🤦♂️
Don't bother, most boring place in the UK. Billericay high street on a Sunday afternoon in 1974 more interesting. And I live here unfortunately.
@@zooniethelazoon Thanks for your comment. The Isle of Wight certainly isn't for everyone.
The weather has been beautiful this week and in the last few days I've fallen off my paddleboard at Compton Bay whilst watching the sun set, walked to Priory Bay on the most beautiful sunny morning at 6am when all I could hear was the sounds of birds and the lapping waves, watched live music for free with half a cider at The Anchor during Cowes Week, rode a horse along Seagrove Bay, jumped off a big tower at the Isle of Wight Aqua Park, had a stunning early morning walk through St Helens and Bembridge harbour, clung on to an inflatable llama at a kids' pool party at Nodes Point Holiday Park, raced a go kart and slid down a zip wire at Tapnell Farm Park, swapped 677 yellow tokens for four bouncy balls and a handful of lollies at Shanklin arcade, eaten a cookie dough ice cream at Dunroamin Beach, paddled at Colwell Bay, admired the view from Culver Down and been shopping for shorts in M&S.
If that all sounds terrible, I would steer well clear of the Isle of Wight this summer.
If not, please see our guides to days out for children: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/activities-for-children-and-families-on-the-isle-of-wight.html
Or our guide to days out for adults
www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/activities-for-adults-on-the-isle-of-wight.html
We also have similar figures for teenagers, toddlers, dog owners etc.
Botanical gardens have lost their charm
Not been in a while but some recent reviews are very positive, some less so! Here's our guide to gardens and parks: www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/isle-of-wight-gardens-parks.html
I remember when it was free to visit the botanical gardens….it’s now £11.50 per adult!😮
@@stevegeekYes it was sold off in 2012 along with some other publicly owned assets as part of the coalition government's austerity policy. There are some other free parks and gardens though!
www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/isle-of-wight-gardens-parks.html