School Trip Area Choices
/ Isle of Wight Trip Activities / Transport / Red Funnel Ferries
You need to take a ferry to get to the Isle of Wight, so why not use this time as a learning experience?
Believe it or not, Red Funnel offers what is possibly the most comprehensive and detailed set of outdoor Human and Physical Geography resources anywhere in the UK, most of which can be undertaken whilst enjoying the 1-hour crossing! There's also a huge range of activities in other subjects too.
Red Funnel Ferries is ideal for all ages
Here's some of the most frequently-asked questions about school visits to Red Funnel Ferries, posed by teachers and other group leaders
There are toilets at each terminal as well as on board the ships. Please do not use the terminal toilets unless you have more than 30 minutes to wait or it is urgent, as this may delay the vehicle being loaded and cause you to miss your sailing slot.
All of the main areas within the terminals and on board the ships are accessible to wheelchairs. Some of the outdoor spaces on the vessels may be trickier to access due to storm doors and steps but there are always staff on hand to help.
It's very unusual for weather to cause delays, cancellations or uncomfortable journeys. The route sailed is quite sheltered in the main with the only exposed area taking a few minutes to cross. The ships are designed for the route and apart from the occasional slight rocking motion in places the crossing will be less noticeable than the coach that got you there!
The actual crossing takes 1 hour and check-in is advised at least 30 minutes prior to sailing so that the necessary checks can be done and the vehicles loaded. Except during winter, there is a sailing approximately every hour.
Your ferry crossing will be pre-paid by Education Destination and if you are using our coaches all of the information will have been passed on to the driver for you, so you don't have to do anything. If you use your own transport or travel as foot passengers, we will tell you exactly what you need to do in advance which 9 times out of 10 is to go to the ticket office at the terminal with a reference number / barcode.
Yes - there are several lounges and passenger areas on the ship and for larger groups (100+) one of these may be reserved for your use. There are also outdoor areas accessible in good weather with plenty of seating throughout. The nominal passenger capacity is over 900 persons. There's also a restaurant, snack bar and gift shop on most crossings.
Many of our crossings tend to occur around lunchtime and the passenger lounges are well equipped with tables and chairs, bins etc. so feel free to use the crossing time to eat a packed lunch or buy from the cafe / snack bar on board.
The following Red Funnel Ferries educational resources are FREE to use when you book your trip with Education Destination. Some include pre or post-visit classroom work, others are on-site activities. All are accompanied by detailed Teacher Notes and some even have sample lesson plans!
Prepared by our expert team of teachers with local Island knowledge, each resource addresses a specific National Curriculum topic. Click on any image for full details.
Head Teacher with a group of 30 KS2U students
Head of Travel & Tourism with a group of 17 KS4 students
KS2 Teacher with a group of 26 Lower KS2 students
KS2 Teacher with a group of 90 Upper KS2 students
