Europe's Channel Islands: An Introduction to Island Exploration
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Last Updated: 18th November 2024
During my schooldays, there was a day trip to Jersey, but my explorations of the Channel Islands never went beyond that until a recent Easter stay on the island. Between those two time points, my brother enjoyed a longer stay on the island of Jersey, so that increased its desirability. There was a time when the islands might have made a first step back to travel on the way out of the recent pandemic, but their having small populations meant that few visitors were allowed and, even then, only those with island connections.
Thankfully, things have cheered up since then, so the attractions of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Herm and Sark all return to mind. My ambitions are pedestrian and these get informed by Cicerone guidebooks as there is plenty of coastal walking to go along with wandering about various conurbations, and various parts of the Jersey coastline are included in Jersey National Park. Slow motion travel is a great way of surveying any scenery and history as one goes. Smaller islands are not places to rush.
For getting around Jersey and Guernsey without a car, both Liberty Bus and Guernsey Bus will have their respective uses. For those arriving by sea, Condor Ferries and Alderney Ferry Services will be especially useful year round given that Manche-Îles Express appears to be a seasonal foot passenger service mainly restricted to the summer months, even if it includes ports of call in Normandy. The former also conveys vehicles as well as linking the islands with England; on some days, day trips are a possibility. Otherwise, travellers often arrive by air with operators like easyJet, British Airways, Blue Islands or Aurigny.
More travel information is available from Ports of Jersey, who look after the island's airport, harbours, marinas and coastguard. Naturally, there is also useful information from Guernsey Airport too. Knowing how far in advance to check in before a flight or a sailing is invaluable.
While coastal walking is my lure, others will be attracted by any beaches as well as the islands' history, and Société Jersiaise does plenty of work regarding the latter. Aside from what is overseen by Jersey Heritage and the National Trust for Jersey, other visitor attractions like Priaulx Library, Sausmarez Manor and Art Parks all seek to gain custom. France is not far away either, and Condor Ferries offer daily sailings to Saint-Malo in Brittany for those wanting to go over there.
