Working on the Isle of Wight Getting here Getting around The Isle of Wight is served by a number of frequent The Island is not a daunting place to commute and reliable routes to and from mainland ports. around. The majority of businesses are based in Travel crossings on the foot passenger routes take and around the county town of Newport and the less than 25 minutes on all routes, and much less road network extends to all corners of the Island on some. Car ferry routes take a maximum of one making everywhere accessible in a short time. hour. For residents, long and tedious commutes are generally not part of their working life and the Red Funnel fabulous countryside and landscapes you pass www.redfunnel.co.uk through between work and home makes the daily Tel: 0844 844 9988 travel considerably more pleasurable. Red Funnel operates car ferry services from Public transport is well served and frequent. Most Southampton to East Cowes and fast foot towns and villages have regular bus services passenger catamarans from Southampton to running seven days a week and there is a unique Cowes. railway link between Ryde Pier and Shanklin Wightlink serving the east of the Island. www.wightlink.co.uk Southern Vectis Tel: 0871 376 1000 www.islandbuses.info Wightlink operates car ferry services from Our historical bus company operating a frequent Portsmouth to Fishbourne (near Ryde) and fast foot transport fleet between towns and villages. passenger catamarans from Portsmouth to Ryde. Island Line Hovertravel www.southwesttrains.co.uk/island-line.aspx www.hovertravel.co.uk Tel: 08434 87 88 87 The train company linking Ryde with the main towns on the eastern side of the Isle of Wight. Hovertravel operates the only commercial foot passenger hover craft service in the UK between Southsea and Ryde. Local business Housing The Isle of Wight is well served by numerous small The average Isle of Wight house price in April and medium sized enterprises, often with strong 2012 was £151,670. For all of England and Wales historical links to the Island’s commercial past. the average price was £160,417. The housing stock Whilst many high street chains are available in the ranges from Victorian town houses, thatched larger towns, there remain a significant number of country cottages, modern family homes and independent shops and businesses offering every modern apartments with sweeping sea views service you can imagine and employing a wide (and priced accordingly!) and everything in- range of skills and experience. between. The majority of Islanders are home owners (76.2 per cent of either owner outright or The public sector remains a key employer on mortgaged) but there is still a range of different the Isle of Wight with not only the Isle of Wight properties for rent. Council, but also schools, the NHS, the Prison Service and Hampshire Constabulary. The majority To check out more information on properties for of the larger public sector bodies are based in sale and rent try the following websites: Newport, but many smaller establishments with www.rightmove.co.uk the responsibility for the delivery of services to the local communities are dotted across the Island. www.primelocation.com www.zoopla.co.uk.