Channel Islands Ferries

ABOVE:  St. Aubins harbor, Jersey, Channel Islands.

Island Ferries: Channel Islands

In Part 1 of this "Island Ferries" series, I provided brief descriptions and Web links for the Aran Islands (Ireland), Arran (Scotland), Orkney, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, and the Shetlands. With this article, we turn to the Channel Islands--and, just as important, to the ferry lines that serve them.

The Channel Islands are a collection of independent states in the Gulf of St. Malo, just a few miles off the coast of France. They have their own parliaments but swear allegiance to the British crown and rely on the United Kingdom for diplomacy and defense. 

Thanks to their unique legal status, the Channel Islands have become tax havens for wealthy Britons and an offshore mecca for international banks and investment companies. Yet even with the postwar influx of tax exiles and financiers, the islands have retained the physical beauty, charm, and Gallic flavor that have made them popular with tourists since the days of Renoir and Victor Hugo.

Jersey

The "Queen of the Channel" draws visitors with its castles, scenery, beaches, boat harbors, golf courses, and many tourist attractions. If you're a World War II buff, don't miss the German Underground Hospital, the Island Fortress Occupation Museum, the Channel Islands Military Museum, or the many restored bunkers scattered around the island. For history of a different kind, visit the Elizabeth Castle in St. Helier and the Hamptonne Country Life Museum in St. Lawrence.

Jersey.com
"Welcome to Jersey" is the island's official tourism site.

Jersey Web
Tourist advice, business listings, tips on how to get married on the island, and other useful facts about Jersey are available here.

Jersey Island
This commercial site has general information on Jersey, plus listings for the communities of Gorey, St. Aubin, St. Brelade, and St. Helier.

The Pocket Guide to Jersey Online
Read about Jersey before you go, then order the 96-page printed guide or buy it on the island.

Jersey Virtual Villages
This site has hotel and restaurant listings for the communities of Gorey, St. Aubin, St. Brelade, and St. Helier.

Jersey Channel Islands Half Marathon
Join the Jersey Hash House Harriers in "Jersey's Great North Run" next May. (Your kids can participate in the three-mile children's race.)

Next page: Guernsey, Alderney, Herm

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