Leave your vehicle at home and let public transport take the strain

Don't be put off by planning your trip to the Isle of Man TT travelling without your own transport. The whole island is easily accessible without your bike or car.

Yes, we know that most TT fans want to bring their own vehicle to get around, but most of the places that you will want to get to can be accessed using the Isle of Man’s excellent public transport system.

It's a little-known secret that many repeat TT fans leave the bike or car at home and travel on foot using public transport. They have become accustomed to letting public transportation take the strain. Getting from one side of the island to the other can take just 20 to 30 minutes, you have to remember that the island is small. It won't take long to get around.

The island has three great transport options being the island's bus service which goes everywhere, apart from the mountain section during the TT for obvious reasons. You can get a bus from the airport or the sea terminal to anywhere on the island, granted you may need to change bus but this is very rare, most services depart the major hubs of the ports and Douglas. 

You can use the bus service to get to different vantage points around the TT course, and you need to ensure that you travel well before roads close and you could potentially be in the same location for the day as the return service will not come back until the roads are open again. 

Another transport option is the Isle of Man Steam Railway that operates from Port Erin in the South coast of the island to the capital Douglas, via Port St Mary and Castletown. This is a regular service throughout the TT period, and if you plan to stay with 4 Ever TT during the TT then the campsite in Colby even has a station on site!

You can also join the Steam Train with the Manx Electric Railway which operates from the northern end of Douglas promenade. Horse trams travel along Douglas promenade to meet the electric railway. The promenade in Douglas is only a ten-minute walk from Douglas railway station. 

The Manx Electric Railway serves the east coast of the island travelling to Ramsey in the north, and all services go through Laxey which is also the place to join the mountain railway to the summit of Snaefell the island's highest point. This is also the place where you can use public transport to get to the mountain section of the TT course, and the tram has to go over the TT course (not when roads are closed for racing or practice sessions) at the Bungalow to access Snaefell.

To make the most of your stay using public transport you can purchase Go Explorer Cards which enable unlimited travel on any of the island's public transport systems for the number of days your purchase.

Isle of Man 1, 3, 5 and 7-day transport tickets can be purchased to enable you to travel on any public transport. Tickets can be purchased in advance from iomtt Travel.

You don't need your own transportation so don't be put off and let public transport take the strain while at the Isle of Man TT.