How to Plan a Holiday in the Channel Islands

The Channel Islands are located in the English Channel, close to the Normandy coast. These British crown dependencies are divided into two self-governing Bailiwicks, the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey. With their excellent climate, unspoiled beaches, glorious natural scenery and laid-back life-style, the Channel Islands offer a wonderful holiday escape from hectic city schedules.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Passport
• Visa
• Accommodation reservations
• Flight or ferry booking

1. Research the Channel Islands and decide which one you want to visit. The Bailiwick of Guernsey includes the islands of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou and Lihou. The Bailiwick of Jersey includes the islands of Jersey, Minquiers, Les Dirouilles, Ecrehous and Les Pierres de Lecq. The inhabited islands are Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm. Each has its own website with detailed information for visitors.
2. Access the websites to find out about the island tourist attractions. While all the islands boast water-sports, boating, walking, bird watching and beachcombing, each island has its own distinctive features like museums, restaurants, shops, architectures, churches, farms and gardens.
3. Try the local food and products. In Jersey, sample the local apple pastries and cakes. In Guernsey, try seafood at the Dixcart Hotel and the Aval du Creux Hotel. Buy the famous Jersey and Guernsey knitwear. Visit in May for the Alderney Seafood Festival.
4. Admire the natural wonders. Sark has over 30 different butterfly species, 170 bird species and a variety of plants. Herm is awash with bright wild flowers throughout the year, and you can find over 200 varieties of sea-shells on its Shell Beach. Alderney is famous for its blond hedgehogs.
5. Plan to fly to the Channel Islands. Many U.K. airports and most major European airports have direct flights to Jersey and Guernsey, and Alderney airport has connections from Southampton, Bournemouth, Brighton/Shoreham, Jersey and Guernsey. Sark and Herm have no airports. The following airlines operate in the Channel Islands: Air Southwest, Flybe, Bmibaby, Thomsonfly, Aerlingus, Aurigny and Blue Islands Airlines.
6. Make online ferry booking. Condor ferries operate from the ports of Poole, Weymouth, Portsmouth and St Malo (in France) to St. Helier, capital of Jersey, and to St. Peter Port, capital of Guernsey. Take a 40-minute ferry from St Peter Port to Sark, and the Herm Trident catamaran service, which has hourly departures in peak season, to Herm. The Ille de Manche ferry operates from April to September between Jersey and Sark, skirting Herm and Brecqhou.
7. Find out about local island transport. Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney have a good network of local buses and taxis. You also can hire a car, motorcycle, moped, scooter and bicycle. Motor vehicles are forbidden on Sark, but you can get around on bicycle, horse-drawn transport and on foot. On Herm, where motor vehicles and bicycles are both forbidden, you get around solely on your soles.
8. Book your accommodation in advance. Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney have a variety of accommodations from hotels, health spas, guest houses, bed and breakfasts, self-catering cottages and campsites. The choices are more limited in Sark and Herm. Herm only has one hotel, the White House Hotel.

Tips & Warnings

• Citizens of the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland don’t require a visa for visiting the Channel Islands.
• The Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey each have their own currency, but the British pound is also widely used.
• There are severe penalties for possessing drugs and for drunk-driving on the Channel Islands.
• Seek local advice about tides before visiting Sark’s famous Boutique caves and Gouliot Caves.
• Loud music is forbidden on Herm, and you can wash your clothes only between midnight and midday.