| all are airy and modern, with stylish decor, flat-screen tvs with dvd players and premium channels, free wifi, and tea and coffeemaking facilities. check-in time: 4:00 pmcheck-out time: 10:30 am. a 10-minute walk from the floating bridge connecting to east cowes and 6 minutes from the cowes maritime museum, this 1851 victorian guesthouse offers 11 rooms. breakfast with locally sourced ingredients is complimentary and served in a bright dining room
Heathrow Airport 2 hr 40
Mary Rose Museum (1 hr 32)
Museum for 16th-century Tudor warship, & King Henry VIII's favourite, built in 1510 & sunk in 1545. Isle of Wight Steam Railway (19 min)
Outfit preserving railway history via exhibits, train stations & rides on steam-powered locomotives. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (1 hr 28)
Nelson's HMS Victory plus HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose Museum, with simulators and harbour tours. The Garlic Farm (20 min)
Home-grown garlic, plus garlic-inspired products and fare in a specialist farm shop with restaurant. HMS Victory (1 hr 28)
Museum within the world's oldest commissioned warship which gained fame at the Battle of Trafalgar. National Motor Museum, Beaulieu (1 hr 37)
250-plus vehicles and World of Top Gear, plus each ticket gives access to Abbey and Palace House. Portchester Castle (1 hr 42)
Commanding castle crucial to Solent defences for centuries, with audio-tours and picnic space. Amazon World Zoo (22 min)
Conservation-minded venue with over 200 species including tropical birds and meerkats. Osborne (20 min)
Italian-inspired mansion amid lush gardens and filled with Victoria and Albert's former possessions. Carisbrooke Castle (17 min)
Fine medieval castle and museum, where Charles I was imprisoned by Cromwell's Roundheads. SeaCity Museum (59 min)
Hands-on venue exploring shipping and the sea, with cafe, education zone and gift shop. Palace House (1 hr 36)
Private 13th-century country manor with Victorian interiors, offering tours, exhibits & a gallery. Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway (1 hr 44)
Expansive woodland gardens with abundant rhododendrons and azaleas, plus steam train rides. Spinnaker Tower (1 hr 26)
Landmark tower with an on-site cafe and a glass-floored platform overlooking Portsmouth harbour. Robin Hill (19 min)
Family rides, tractor train, nature trails, falconry and events, plus a woodland tree house. | 
