According to thefreegeography, Wight (English: Isle of Wight) is an island in “The Channel” (strait connecting the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean (Europe)), located between the United Kingdom and France. Wight is part of England (United Kingdom). The capital of Wight is Newport. Some of the major towns on Wight are: Cowes, Bembridge, Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor and Yamouth.
Wight is mainly known for its impressive coastline. This coastline is approximately 90 kilometers long and consists partly of fine sandy beaches and partly of rocky outcrops. The landscape of Wight is hilly with lots of greenery. There are many authentic villages on Wight and also a few castles. Many tourists visit the island because of the pleasant climate and the many sports options such as water sports, hiking and cycling. The island is also known for the annual Isle of Wight festival.
Where is Wight located?
Travel information of Wight
Official name: Wight
Continent: Europe
Area: 369 km²
Capital: Newport
Country code: GB, GBR
Population: 141,538 inhabitants (2018)
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy
Highest point: 241 m (St. Boniface Down)
Distance (Amsterdam – Newport): 450 km
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in place on Wight that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs from Wight, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Wight. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Wight?
Weather and climate
Wight has a mild climate. The temperatures are around 20 degrees during the summer months and around 5 to 15 degrees during the winter months. Stormy weather can occur during the autumn period.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Wight can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Wight can be found at Climate info.
Best time
March, April and May are the best months to travel to Wight. In these months you have the least chance of precipitation.
Language
English and the official language at Wight.
Would you like to translate from or into English for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in the United Kingdom:
netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulates in the United Kingdom:
netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of the United Kingdom in the Netherlands: ukinnl.fco.gov.uk.
United Kingdom Consulate in the Netherlands: ukinnl.fco.gov.uk.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations to visit Wight.
Money and Currency
On Wight, payment is made with the pound sterling (GBP).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs on Wight can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
The prices on Wight are a lot higher than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is +20% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (8% more expensive), food (10% more expensive), imported beer in catering (30% more expensive), cigarettes (71% more expensive) and public transport (77% more expensive). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
On Wight it is customary to tip. If this has not already been included in the bill, it is customary to tip approximately 10%.
Time difference
On Wight it is 1 hour earlier than in the Netherlands.
Summer time on Wight is the same as in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone for Wight can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and Route
On Wight you must drive on the left.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle on Wight.
Information on public transport on Wight can be found at islandbuses.info.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Wight.
Electricity
On Wight you need a travel plug.
More information about common plugs and sockets on Wight can be found on our electricity page (see United Kingdom below).
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 999 or 112
– Fire: 999 or 112
– Ambulance: 999 or 112
– Non-emergency care: 101
Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to the Wight can be found on Google news.
Online newspaper from Wight: iwcp.
Internet
Web sites from Wight end in.co.uk.
Official Wight website: iwight.com.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone on Wight is 0044 or +44.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Wight? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Phone numbers can be found in the Wight Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Wight Yellow Pages.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Wight.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos of Wight.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays on Wight can be found on Redfunnel.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations on Wight, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Wight?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Wight. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) on Wight can be found on Protected Planet.
Wight is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Wight? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business on or do business with Wight, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Wight, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations, which you may encounter during your visit to Wight.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.8.
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoke from the age of 16.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Wight is known for its 30 meter high chalk towers?
…Wight has the most hours of sunshine in the UK?
…Wight is known for exporting garlic?
… ‘Blackgang Chine’ is the oldest amusement park in the world?
…Wight is visited by more than two million tourists every year?
… Bones of 20 different dinosaurs have been found on Wight?