Great Western Coffee Shop

Whilst buying my tickets from Clifton Down to Montpelier this evening, the machine flashed up a message to the effect that these tickets were not valid for travel via Southsea Hoverport. As it happens, I wasn't planning to go that way as I was in a bit of a hurry (my daughter's parents' evening - tsk!) but I'm sure we can all agree that this is rather an onerous limitation... can anyone explain why it is necessary?

I was going to say "software" - obviously true, but not exactly illuminating. The other obvious point is that it clearly isn't necessary, but you can still ask why it was displayed.

I think the software (wherever it lives) has correctly applied this easement:

700534     Circuitous Route     Customers may not travel via Southsea Hoverport on route 'Any Permitted'.

Other easements specify which journeys they apply to, but this one doesn't, so logically it applies to all journeys. I'm surprised we don't all see it more often! (I note that all CFN-MTP fares are "any permitted" ones.)

Are you sure the ticket machine wasn't just trying to engage you in a game of Mornington Crescent?

As I'm sitting at my computer, supposedly writing about subsea cables (do.not.ask), and found this curious, I looked up trains from Southsea Hoverport to Clifton Down. Bizarrely, although it's listed in the National Rail database, it doesn't seem to be a station, just a bus stop. I'm actually a bit surprised to find the hovercraft is still running.

The Hovertravel website tells you to go to Portsmouth and Southsea Station from where you are directed to the bus stop for their "specially operated Hoverbus service".

Cool!

If they can have Hoverbuses in Portsmouth, can we have them in Bristol too?

Of course we can, but first we've got to fit them with special guidewheels.

This was more than 40 years ago at Ryde, but they're still operating:

On the Hovertravel website it states a ticket must be valid to 'Ryde Hoverport' in order to be valid. In the fares database, there are of course other destinations on Island Line, South of Ryde Esplanade which can be routed via Hovertravel though. It tends to be a bit cheaper than going via the catamaran (Wightlink) to Ryde Pier Head, probably as it's a bit of extra hassle interchanging at Portsmouth & Southsea/Hoverbus.

Last time I went to the Isle of Wight I did use the Hovercraft, as I was staying in Ryde so it made sense. I did bash the Island Line a bit later in my stay (especially as there are some doubts about it's long term future, so I wanted another go just in case).

I had to try a few websites when purchasing the through rail ticket as some were a bit tricky/non-compliant!