Clair Allan, Brighstone:

At the beginning of the year I booked a week's holiday to the New Forest for my husband and myself at the end of June.  

I had to change this booking due to eye surgery being imminent during June so I changed the booking to a week in the middle of August instead.

We decided to visit the Wightlink ferry office in Yarmouth to make the booking as we thought (wrongly as it turned out!) that some sort of discount might be available for Island dwellers and the fact that we are pensioners. 

The cost for a return journey, a staggering £292.00! 

We had to visit a local cafe for a sit down and a coffee to recover! 

This really is an enormous amount of money for two 45 minute ferry journeys.

The Red Funnel crossings from Cowes to Southampton were marginally cheaper by £28.00 - so hardly worth the bother of a longer car journey to the New Forest.

Incidentally in the Daily Mail today (May 20) Condor Ferries are offering foot passenger trips to Guernsey for £19 return, which is a three-hour journey.