Channel Islands ferries: Jersey and Guernsey from the UK and France

The Channel Islands are reached by fast ferry from Poole, Portsmouth, Weymouth and Saint-Malo, and the crossing is short enough to treat as a day trip. Jersey and Guernsey are 30 miles apart and connected by their own inter-island service, which is the part people forget to book.

Both islands are British crown dependencies, outside the UK and outside the EU, with their own tax and immigration arrangements. That affects what you can bring and what documents you need.

Routes from the UK

Condor Ferries runs fast catamarans from Poole and Portsmouth to both islands, taking about four hours from Portsmouth and three from Poole.

Conventional ferries run from Portsmouth to Guernsey and Jersey in about nine hours overnight, with cabins.

Weymouth has a seasonal fast service to Guernsey and Jersey in summer.

Brittany Ferries historically ran the route and no longer does. Check the operator rather than the old timetable.

Routes from France

Saint-Malo to Jersey and Guernsey is a 90-minute fast crossing in summer, and Granville to Jersey is shorter still.

These routes are popular with French day-trippers and are cheap for foot passengers.

Vehicle space is limited on the fast craft, so book ahead in summer.

Customs and immigration formalities apply because the islands are outside the EU.

The inter-island service

Jersey and Guernsey are connected by a ferry that takes about an hour, with several sailings a day in summer.

Alderney and Sark have their own connections, both from Guernsey. Sark has no cars.

Inter-island space sells out in summer, particularly on day trips, and booking is essential.

It is the leg most often forgotten by travellers who book the UK crossing and assume the rest will follow.

Fares and what they cover

Foot passengers from Poole or Portsmouth pay 60 to 110 return. Cars cost 180 to 320 return, plus passengers on some fares.

Fast craft fares are higher than the conventional ferry: 80 to 140 return on foot, 220 to 380 for a car.

French routes are cheaper: 40 to 80 return on foot from Saint-Malo.

Inter-island day returns cost 30 to 50 on foot.

The ships

Fast catamarans have airline-style seating, a café and limited deck space. The crossing is 90 minutes to four hours.

Conventional ferries have lounges, restaurants, cabins and vehicle decks, and the overnight crossing is comfortable.

The catamarans are more weather-sensitive. The Channel Islands sit in an exposed part of the Channel and the fast craft cancels more often.

If your trip is time-critical, book the conventional ferry or allow a spare day.

Customs and immigration

The islands are not in the UK and not in the EU, so there are border formalities in both directions.

British citizens do not need a passport in theory, but photographic ID is required and a passport is the practical document.

Customs allowances differ from the UK’s and are lower on alcohol and tobacco.

Pets need documentation and there is a quarantine requirement for some animals. Check before booking.

Driving on the islands

Jersey has a 40 mph speed limit on some roads and 15 to 20 mph in built-up areas. It also has priority-to-the-right rules that surprise visitors.

Guernsey is smaller and slower, with narrow lanes and a similar speed limit.

Car hire is available on both islands and is often cheaper than shipping a car across for a short stay.

Parking is limited in St Helier and St Peter Port, and the seafront areas are controlled.

Bringing a car

A car crossing costs more than hiring one on the island for a week, in most cases.

The exception is a long stay or a vehicle carrying specialist equipment.

Cars are carried on the conventional ferries and on the larger fast craft, subject to space.

Vehicle documentation and insurance must cover the islands, which are outside the UK policy area on some policies.

What to do on a day trip

From Poole, a day trip to Guernsey gives about six hours ashore, which is enough for St Peter Port and a coastal walk.

From Portsmouth, the crossing takes four hours each way, which makes a day trip impractical and an overnight essential.

From Saint-Malo, a day trip to Jersey is straightforward and popular.

The inter-island day trip between Jersey and Guernsey is possible but leaves little time on either island.

Accommodation and timing

Hotels on both islands fill in July and August, and the ferry timetable drives the booking pattern.

Book the ferry first, then the hotel. The sailings are the constraint, not the beds.

Morning departures from the UK arrive around lunchtime, which gives a full afternoon.

Afternoon returns leave at 15:00 to 17:00, which means leaving the beach by 14:00.

Weather and cancellations

The Channel Islands are exposed and the fast craft cancels in winds above force 6.

The conventional ferry runs in worse weather but takes nine hours and sails overnight.

If a sailing is cancelled, the next fast craft may be the following day. Travel insurance is worth considering.

Summer fog occasionally closes the airports but rarely the ferries, which is one argument in favour of the sea.

What to check before you book

Which operator currently runs the route. The market has changed hands more than once.

Whether your fare includes a cabin on the overnight crossing. It usually does not.

Whether you need a car at all. Hire on the island is often cheaper than shipping one across.

The inter-island leg, which must be booked separately and fills in summer.

Food and shopping

Both islands have good restaurants and a lower sales tax than the UK, though the difference is smaller than it once was.

Alcohol and tobacco are cheaper than in the UK, and the allowance on return is limited.

The ferries sell duty-free goods, and the prices are competitive with the islands themselves.

Local produce, particularly dairy and seafood, is excellent and worth seeking out.

The islands in brief

Jersey is the larger island, with St Helier as its capital, a wide bay and a network of green lanes where cyclists have priority.

Guernsey is quieter, with St Peter Port’s harbour, cliffs in the south and a slower pace throughout.

Alderney is tiny and reached by air or by a small ferry from Guernsey, and Sark has no cars at all.

Each island is different enough to justify a separate trip, which is why the inter-island service matters and why the day-tripper who tries to see both in one day sees neither properly.

When to go

June and September are the best months: warm, quieter and cheaper than July and August.

July and August are busy, with the ferries full and the beaches crowded on sunny days.

Winter is quiet and many hotels close, but the crossing is cheaper and the storms are impressive.

The islands have a mild climate and are worth visiting outside the summer, particularly for walking.

Booking the two legs

Book the UK crossing first, then the inter-island leg for the day you want, then the accommodation.

Leave at least two hours between the UK arrival and the inter-island departure, because the first ferry can be late.

On the return, allow a full day. A delayed inter-island sailing can cost you the UK crossing.

If you are doing both islands, consider flying into one and out of the other, which removes the inter-island leg entirely.

Ferry and accommodation packages exist for both islands and sometimes undercut booking separately, particularly outside July and August.

Ask about them when you call the operator, because they are rarely promoted on the website.

Foot passengers and luggage

Foot passengers walk on with their bags, and there is no baggage handling. Trolleys are available at the larger terminals.

Luggage limits are generous compared with airlines, but you carry it yourself.

Bicycles are carried free or for a small charge, and both islands are excellent for cycling.

Day-trippers should travel light. The walk from the ferry to the town centre is short on both islands.