Destination Information – Jersey, Channel Islands

I’d never been to Jersey before, none of the Channel Islands really, so being in the U.K. for a bit, I jumped at the opportunity to make it happen in my quest to visit all the countries/territories in the world.

History of Jersey, Channel Islands

You know how good I am at history :-), but the history of Jersey and the Channel Islands deserves some thoughts. Jersey is not governed by the U.K. as most think; it is actually what’s called a Crown Dependency; I’m still confused about what this means, so I’ll link you to a website or two where you can read about it.

• Jersey.com – they have a great timeline here
• Government of Jersey – history about how the island is governed
• Locate Jersey – More History

 

Where Is Jersey?

Jersey is an island located just off the coast of northwestern France and south of Southampton in the United Kingdom. It is part of the Channel Islands.

 

How To Get To Jersey

There are many ways to get to Jersey.

By Air

Air service is provided by the following airlines:

Aer Lingus (EI), Blue Islands (SI), British Airways (BA), Eastern Airways (T3), EasyJet Airlines (U2), Eurowings (EW), Jet2.com (LS), Links Air (W2) and Lufthansa German Airlines (LH).

I flew in on easyJet from Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL).

 

By Bus

There are buses on the islands, but you obviously can’t get there by bus.

By Ferry

Ferry service is available by Condor Ferries from the U.K. mainland and France.

You can find routes at https://www.condorferries.co.uk/ferry-routes-ports/ferries-to-jersey.

 

By Train

There are no trains to Jersey. However, you can take a train to the ferry ports in the U.K. mainland and France and then the ferry to Jersey.

There is Le Petit Train though that runs along the coast in St. Aubin. Details at https://www.jersey.com/things-to-do/activities/listings/le-petit-train/.

 

Airport Tip

The airport is very small. I highly recommend taking some time and checking out the old arrival terminal.

Check your schedules on passrider.com.

Jersey Airport Lounges

There is one airport lounges at this airport. It’s operated by British Airways and located near Gate 2. They accept a number of cards including Priority Pass.

 

Jersey Airport To The City of St. Helier and St. Aubin

There are three buses that comes to the airport and serves the island. The #15 is a double decker bus that seems to be the most popular and frequent.

You can pay with a contactless card or cash. It’s cheaper to use a contactless card though. Just tap on your way in and collect your receipt. You get a good view from the top.

Check the Liberty Bus website for current schedule information at https://www.libertybus.je/.

 

Currency of Jersey

The local currency is the British Pounds. Credit cards are accepted everywhere, usually MasterCard or Visa. There are ATMs everywhere. You get the best rates using ATMs rather than the currency exchange booths,

Jersey Language

I read that there is a local language called, Jèrriais. but I did not hear anyone speaking it. I found this tidbit on the Jersey government website:

Jèrriais is the traditional language of Jersey, which is closely related to French. It’s an important part of Jersey’s heritage.

It’s interesting as you’ll see that many street have French names as well as the towns due to its proximity to France.

 

Visa and Health Requirements For Jersey

If you are a U.S. citizen, a visa is not required at the time of this writing. However, one may be required for citizens from select other countries. Use this link to check visa requirements for other citizenship.

Here is some additional information from the U.S. State Department, including visa and health requirements.

In addition, check https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19 for the most current travel restrictions and health requirements for the United Kingdom before you start your travel plans.

Here’s some more information from the Jersey Tourist Board as you can’t have too much information – https://www.jersey.com/plan-your-break/before-you-visit/passports-and-visas/.

Incidentally, I didn’t need my passport to travel to Jersey as I’d already entered the U.K. I just needed an ID. As a true traveler though, i always travel with my passport just in case.

Airport Wifi

Wifi is complimentary throughout the airport.

Accommodations (Where To Stay In Jersey)

Looks like the hotels are in St. Aubin and St. Helier primarily. They do have a Radisson Blue and a Best Western if looking for a chain hotel to get points. They are both in St. Helier.

I did not stay in a hotel on Jersey as I did a day trip. It’s summer and the hotels are really expensive.

The Jersey Tourism Board at https://www.jersey.com/, has a good list of places to stay so check that out as well.

 Also, you can go to https://www.passrider.com/hotelscombined to book your hotel or use the box below.

 

 
 

 

Where To Eat in Jersey

You can find many places to eat in Jersey. While walking in St. Aubin, there were places to eat along the coast. You can find a list of places to eat at https://www.jersey.com/things-to-do/food-and-drink/ from the Jersey Tourism Board.

I’m an ice cream fanatic, so I did stop and have some British soft serve ice cream while walking around St. Aubin at the Fort View Cafe.

 

 

Things To Do In Jersey

So what does one do in Jersey?

I was only there for a few hours and I took the bus from the airport St. Aubin which is on the way to the capital St. Helier. It was a great drive, and walk once I arrived in St. Aubin.

When the tide is out, it goes way out and all the boats in the harbor (harbour) touches the bottom. Also, there are people walking on the bottom of the Bay, which is always odd to see.

The Tourism Board has a list of Things To Do here: https://www.jersey.com/things-to-do/food-and-drink/.

 

Additional Information

Tourism Board

• Visit Jersey Tourism – https://www.jersey.com/
• Visit Jersey twitter – https://twitter.com/VisitJerseyCI
• Vive Jersey Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/VisitJersey
• Vive Jersey Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/visitjerseyci/
• Hashtag – #JerseyCI

Please leave a comment below about your own experiences and tips.