h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I can be just as biaised as the person who describes using Red Funnel as a 'very pleasant experience'. The staff are surly (surly? you can't be serious), and the food must rank as some of the most expensive in southern England. They do you a favour by accepting you on board.

Hmm... the food - yep, that's true. Very expensive. That's why I've never bought any food on any ferry because it's inevitably expensive. It's just something you don't do - and you get used to not doing it because no-one does who wants to be ripped off.

The staff is friendly, though, but I have seen a few unpleasant ones too. It depends who is on the ferry, and at what time you catch the ferry too.

It can be a very pleasant experience, though. Very relaxing if you take a book. Just hope you're not on a crowded one with thousands of school kids - that's NEVER a pleasant experience.

Why is it so expensive to cross the Solent when visiting the Isle of Wight with a car. Has anyone any ideas?

Yes. It's expensive because between them Red Funnel and Wight Link make an awful lot of money and see no reason why they should do anything to change that.
They charge that much because they're able to get away with it, almost all of the money you pay on your ticket is pure profit for them.

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