Channel Islands

Travel to Channel Islands

Health Notes when travelling to United Kingdom

There are no specific health risks associated with travel to the UK and food and water can be considered safe. The British National Health Service is excellent, while a number of countries have reciprocal health agreements with the UK including Australia, New Zealand and EU countries. Visitors from other countries such as Canada, South Africa and the United States are advised to take out comprehensive travel insurance.

Safety Notes when travelling to United Kingdom

It is generally safe to travel throughout the UK.

Customs in United Kingdom

Handshaking is customary when introduced to someone new. Smoking is banned in all enclosed public spaces, including pubs, restaurants and public transport. Queue barging is frowned upon and there is strict etiquette on escalators: stand on the right, walk on the left. Visitors may find Londoners more rushed and less friendly than locals in other parts of the country, particularly on London transport where tourists are often the only people who talk.

Duty Free in United Kingdom

When arriving from a non-EU country, travellers can bring the following goods into the UK tax or duty free: 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco, 4 litres of still table wine, 16 litres of beer, 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs or 2 litres of fortified wine, sparkling wine or other alcoholic beverages of less than 22 per cent volume, £340 worth of all other goods including perfume and souvenirs.

When travelling from another EU country to the UK visitors do not have to pay tax or duty on goods purchased in said EU country provided tax was included in the purchase price, the items are for personal use and have been transported to the UK by the visitor, and do not exceed 3,200 cigarettes, 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars, 3kg of smoking tobacco, 110 litres of beer, 10 litres of spirits, 90 litres of wine and 20 litres of fortified wine. Note that although Gibraltar is part of the EU, it is outside the Community Customs territory and allowances for outside the EU therefore apply. In the case of Cyprus, only goods under the effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus are treated as EU imports.

Doing Business in United Kingdom

The four countries of the United Kingdom, although culturally and historically different, generally keep to the same business practices. Politeness and punctuality are key to good business relations and initial meetings are often conducted formally and impersonally, becoming more open and social as things progress. Business cards are exchanged at introductions, and dress is formal with dark suits preferred. Business hours are generally 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday with an hour taken at lunch.

The communication style can be difficult to adjust to: the British people respect politeness to a point that often obscures their ability to say exactly what they mean. As a result, travelling business people may need to learn to 'read between the lines' and to take cues from tone of voice and facial expression. Humour is also an integral part of the British system of communication, and is used to diffuse a tense situation and to cultivate relationships. Never assume that an attempt at humour undermines a person's ability to do their job, or discredits the importance they attach to a deal or negotiation. Furthermore, don't be fooled into thinking that the British propensity for irony and sarcasm equates with an informal work environment.

Be tactful during meetings, avoid becoming emotional and illustrate your experience with the subject at-hand. Performance and initiative are looked upon favourably, whereas academic pretension is given far less credence. Meetings are often used as platforms for debate, rather than moments of confirmation, so don't be surprised if not much progress is made. Be sure to respect and appeal to all parties involved as the British have recently begun to take a far flatter approach to management and the responsibility of decision-making. And if things go well, purchase a pint or two for your clients or colleagues; though gifts are borderline inappropriate, a round of drinks will rarely be refused.

Communication in United Kingdom

The international country dialling code for the UK is +44. Mobile phone coverage is extensive and free wifi is widely available in pubs and coffee shops.

Tipping in United Kingdom

Tips of 10 to 15 percent are expected in restaurants and upmarket hotels in the UK if a service charge hasn't been included. Hotel service staff receive an optional amount, while taxi drivers are usually given 10 to 15 percent of the fare. Tipping bartenders isn't expected, and tipping for other services is discretionary.

Passport/Visa Note

If a visa is not required, travellers should hold a return or onward ticket, or proof of funds for the duration of stay. Passports must be valid for the period of intended stay in the UK; nationals of the EU require a passport valid on arrival. It is highly recommended that passports have at least six months validity remaining after your intended date of departure from your travel destination. Immigration officials often apply different rules to those stated by travel agents and official sources. For visitors who are visa exempt up to a maximum stay of 6 months, the period of stay will be determined by the Immigration Officer on arrival.

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements for Americans:

US travellers must hold a passport that is valid for the duration of their stay; a visa is not required for stays of up to six months.

Entry requirements for Canadians:

Passports must be valid for at least the expected duration of the stay. No visa is required for stays of six months or less.

Entry requirements for Australians:

Passports must be valid for at least six months after the departure date. No visa is required for stays of six months or less.

Entry requirements for Irish nationals:

Under the Common Travel Area agreement, citizens from the UK and Ireland are not required to pass through passport control. They can travel between both countries without a valid passport if they can prove they are a valid UK or Irish national.

Entry requirements for New Zealanders:

New Zealand nationals must hold a valid passport, but no visa is required for stays of up to 6 months.

Entry requirements for South Africans:

South Africans require a valid passport and a visa for entry or transit through the UK. South African temporary passports are not recognised.

Currency

The currency is the British Pound (GBP), which is divided into 100 pence. ATMs are available in almost all towns and Visa, MasterCard and American Express are widely accepted. Foreign currency can be exchanged at bureaux de change and large hotels, however better exchange rates are likely to be found at banks.

Exchange rate for 1 GBP - U.K. Pound Sterling
1.44 BMD Bermudan Dollar	1.29 EUR Euro	1.44 USD U.S. Dollar	157.02 JPY Japanese Yen	1.89 CAD Canadian Dollar	1.43 CHF Swiss Franc
1.99 AUD Australian Dollar	36.20 UAH Ukrainian Hryvnia	486.92 KZT Kazakhstani Tenge	2,171.18 LBP Lebanese Pound	1.03 LYD Libyan Dinar	9.89 BOB Bolivian Boliviano
155.55 NPR Nepalese Rupee	0.55 OMR Omani Rial	5.25 QAR Qatari Rial	1.98 SGD Singapore Dollar	11.95 SEK Swedish Krona	9.56 TTD Trinidad Tobago Dollar
14.39 VEF Venezuelan Bolivar	66.08 DOP Dominican Peso	9.69 HRK Croatian Kuna	26.87 MXN Mexican Peso	845.36 XOF West African CFA Franc	4.56 PGK Papua New Guinean kina
1.44 BSD Bahamian Dollar	3.04 FJD Fiji Dollar	32.64 HNL Honduran Lempira	159.37 DZD Algerian Dinar	1,717.68 MMK Myanma Kyat	16.13 BWP Botswana Pula
4.86 PEN Peruvian Nuevo Sol	999.96 CLP Chilean Peso	689.35 AMD Armenia Dram	34.85 CZK Czech Koruna	28.81 MDL Moldova Lei	179.20 ISK Icelandic Krona
4,237.21 UZS Uzbekistan Sum	5.56 ILS Israeli New Sheqel	1.02 JOD Jordanian Dinar	0.44 KWD Kuwaiti Dinar	45.20 UYU Uruguayan Peso	51.21 MUR Mauritian Rupee
41.11 NIO Nicaraguan Córdoba	12.03 NOK Norwegian Krone	5.65 PLN Polish Zloty	5.41 SAR Saudi Riyal	210.53 LKR Sri Lanka Rupee	51.35 THB Thai Baht
5.30 AED U.A.E Dirham	5.18 BRL Brazilian Real	5.84 RON Romanian New Leu	11.20 HKD Hong Kong Dollar	847.28 XAF Central African CFA Franc	32,404.98 VND Vietnamese Dong
20.11 ARS Argentine Peso	3.89 XCD East Caribbean Dollar	11.29 GTQ Guatemalan Quetzal	14.09 MAD Moroccan Dirham	0.54 BHD Bahrain Dinar	1.44 PAB Panamanian Balboa
2.16 AZN Azerbaijan Manat	4,495.39 COP Colombian Peso	98.48 KGS Kyrgyzstan Som	403.37 HUF Hungarian Forint	11.35 TJS Tajikistan Ruble	19,728.88 IDR Indonesian Rupiah
12.80 EGP Egyptian Pound	1,717.38 KRW South Korean Won	8,174.41 PYG Paraguayan Guaraní	6.00 MYR Malaysian Ringgit	776.79 CRC Costa Rican Colón	2.11 NZD New Zealand Dollar
151.02 PKR Pakistani Rupee	96.31 RUB Russian Rouble	22.50 ZAR South African Rand	3.06 TND Tunisian Dinar	2.88 BBD Barbadian Dollar	2.52 BGN Bulgarian Lev
4.25 TRY Turkish Lira	67.22 PHP Philippine Peso	47.03 TWD New Taiwan Dollar	283.32 NGN Nigerian Naira	154.49 XPF CFP Franc	5.64 GHS Ghanaian Cedi
180.12 JMD Jamaican Dollar	2.60 ANG Neth. Antillean Guilder	1.98 BND Brunei Dollar	159.41 RSD Serbian Dinar	9.49 CNY Chinese Yuan	28,690.50 BYR Belarussian Ruble
9.59 DKK Danish Krone	4.95 TMT New Turkmenistan Manat	96.98 INR Indian Rupee

Airports in Channel Islands

Guernsey Airport (GCI)
Guernsey Airport
http://www.airport.gg

Location: Guernsey The airport is situated four miles (6km) from St Peter Port on the island of Guernsey.

Time: No GMT offset (in the summer months GMT+1).

Contacts: Tel: +44 (0)1481 237766.

Getting to the city: A bus service is available between the airport and St. Peter Port and throughout the island. Taxis are available from the airport forecourt and pre-booking is recommended.

Car rental: Avis, Europcar and Valu-Rent-a-Car have desks at the airport.

Airport Taxis:

Facilities: The airport has an ATM, bank, restaurant, cafeteria, bar, duty free shop, newsagent, gift shop, tourist help desk, children's lounge, and VIP lounge.

Parking: The public car park is open during Airport hours and operates on a pay station system.

Departure Tax: None.

Jersey Airport (JER)
Jersey Airport
http://www.jerseyairport.com

Location: Jersey 4.6 miles (7.4km) northwest of Saint Helier.

Time: No GMT offset (in the summer months GMT+1).

Contacts: Tel: +44 (0)1534 446000

Getting to the city: There is a regular bus service (bus 15) from Jersey Airport to St Helier, via Red Houses and St Aubin's Village, which takes approximately 30 mins. The airport bus stop is situated in front of the arrivals hall and passengers travelling to the airport disembark in front of the departure hall. Private coaches operating at the airport include Signature Coaches, Tantivy Blue Coach and Waverley Coaches. There are also chauffeur driven luxury and executive vehicles for hire.

Car rental: Car rental companies at the airport include Avis, Europcar, and Hertz.

Airport Taxis: There is a taxi rank adjacent to the arrivals hall. Public taxis are metered and different tariffs apply for day and night. It costs about £12 for a taxi into St Helier from the airport and it is possible to pre-book a cab. This option is more expensive than ranked taxis.

Facilities: There is a Bureau de Change at the information desk in the departure hall, as well as ATM facilities. There is free wifi at the airport, postal services and executive/business lounges. There is also first-aid and special assistance available at the airport.

Parking: There is short- and long-term parking available at the airport.

Jersey

Jersey is both the largest of the British Channel Islands and the most southerly. It is most well-renowned for its mild winters and long hot summer days, which is why it is arguably the most popular of the Channel Islands. This tiny island in the English Channel, measuring 45 square miles (118km²), was once part of mainland France.

As small as it may be, it has had a great influence over the ages, giving the world the Jersey dairy cow and the ubiquitous knitted sweaters known globally as 'jerseys'.

Today it offers a wealth of history and sheer scenic beauty. It's famous for sporting well-kept fields and an unspoilt coastline of majestic cliffs, exposed bays, sandy beaches and rocky coves. Inland the island is criss-crossed by a network of 'green lanes' where walkers, horse-riders and cyclists have precedence over cars.

Norman farmhouses, narrow winding lanes, French street names, gourmet cuisine and tidy fields reflect the island's French connections. Yet, in all other respects it remains resoundingly British. The capital, St Helier, is a pleasant town of squares and pedestrianised streets. Here, the Channel Islands' low rates of duty and absent V.A.T make shopping a popular pastime.

As you stroll the streets, listen for the noonday gun fired from picturesque Elizabeth Castle overlooking St Aubin's Bay, and call at the fascinating Maritime Museum. Other not-to-be-missed sightseeing attractions on Jersey are the poignant German Underground Hospital at St Lawrence, and the Jersey Zoo, founded by Gerald Durrell, which is more a haven for endangered species than a regular zoo.

Those lucky enough to visit in August will catch the world-famous Battle of the Flowers parade, held regularly since 1902. It's great fun when everyone good-naturedly pelts each other with flowers in the streets, while fantastic floats decorated with millions of flowers pass by.

Climate in Jersey

The Channel Islands' climate is a maritime one, with moderate temperatures experienced throughout the year. Sheltered by England and France, the islands are spared the strong winds of most offshore locations. Winters tend to be damp and cloudy, while summers are warm and sunny. Jersey is well known for experiencing the most annual sunshine in the whole of the British Isles.

The summer months, between May and September, are the best time to visit Jersey, when sun is plentiful and temperatures comfortably warm. July and August are the hottest months, when temperatures have been known to exceed more than 72°F (22°C).

Although rain is possible at any time of year, summer is also the driest season in Jersey. The driest months are between June and August, while the wettest months are between October and January, in winter.

Winters in Jersey are relatively mild and the average temperature during January, the coldest month, hovers around the 48°F (9°C) mark. However, it is not unheard of for temperatures to drop below freezing during the winter. Snowfall on Jersey is rare, and some years pass with no snowfall on the island at all.

Airports in Jersey

Jersey Airport (JER)
Jersey Airport
http://www.jerseyairport.com

Location: Jersey 4.6 miles (7.4km) northwest of Saint Helier.

Time: No GMT offset (in the summer months GMT+1).

Contacts:

Getting to the city:

Car rental:

Airport Taxis:

Facilities:

Parking:

Guernsey

Guernsey is the most cosmopolitan and second largest island of the territory. Perhaps its worldly image stems partly from the internationally-acclaimed artists who have called it home, including French novelist Victor Hugo and artist Renoir.

Today Guernsey is a magnet for beach and watersports enthusiasts. The island has 27 fine beaches varying from rocky coves in the south to long sandy beaches on the west coast. Here the sunsets over the Atlantic are superb. The Portelet, L'Eree, Port Soif and Pembroke beaches are all excellent options to while away a sunny day.

Away from the sea (but not too far away, because it is difficult to ignore the ocean on this tiny island) there are several attractions to explore. Most notable among them is the historic capital of St Peter Port. It is the oldest settlement in the Channel Islands and this is obvious from its architecture. Visitors can wander around the town's Roman archways and coloured granite buildings set along its narrow medieval alleyways, with a patchwork of roofs rising all the way from the harbour. It is truly amazing that such a small town has so much to offer.

If the fact that the £1 note is still in circulation in Guernsey does not take you back in time, then one of the guided 'medieval' walks around St Peter Port undoubtedly will. Low-duty shopping is also a fun occupation in the town, and wining and dining in the cafés, bistros and restaurants is pure gastronomic pleasure.

The most popular event of the year is the annual week-long St Peter Port Carnival, held in July. At this event the town's quayside becomes the backdrop for musicians and street entertainers and the wharf turns into an alfresco party. However, remember that this is just one of many events, gleaned from a full calendar of fun and frolics ranging from tennis tournaments to dragon boat races.

Additionally, the island of Herm is a short boat ride away and an ideal place for a day trip away from St Peter Port. After all the excitement at Guernsey, take time out from the 21st century at this little isle's tranquil beaches and in its tiny village. It is certainly worth a visit before returning to have some more fun on Guernsey.

Climate in Guernsey

The Channel Islands' climate is a maritime one, with moderate temperatures experienced throughout the year. Sheltered by England and France, the islands are spared the strong winds of most offshore locations. Winters tend to be damp and cloudy, while summers are warm and sunny. In summer, between June and September, temperatures average around 68°F (20°C), but often reach 75°F (24°C).

In winter, between December and March, temperatures average about 42.8°F (6°C), and seldom drop below freezing. However, the wind-chill from arctic winds can make it very cold. Snow is rare, but is most likely to fall in February, which is the coldest month. Rain is possible at any time of year, but the wettest months are between October and January. June, July, and August are the driest months.

The best time to visit Guernsey is in the summer, between June and September, when it is warm, dry, and most likely to be sunny. May and October are also good months to visit.

Airports in Guernsey

Guernsey Airport (GCI)
Guernsey Airport
http://www.airport.gg

Location: Guernsey The airport is situated four miles (6km) from St Peter Port on the island of Guernsey.

Time: No GMT offset (in the summer months GMT+1).

Contacts:

Getting to the city:

Car rental:

Airport Taxis:

Facilities:

Parking:

Departure Tax: None.

Sark

The smallest of the four main Channel Islands at only three miles (5km) long and barely a mile and a half (2.5km) wide, Sark nevertheless boasts 22 miles (35km) of picturesque coastline. The island is festooned with coves, bays, caves, deep crystal pools, and deserted beaches, and it certainly does not lack for accommodation options.

It is also the smallest independent feudal state in Europe, with its own set of laws and its own parliament. Visiting is like taking a step back in time in the most delightful way possible. The great novelty of Sark is that there are absolutely no tourist frills.

It can only be reached by ferry and there are not even cars on the island. People get around on foot, by bicycle or by horse-drawn carriage. The lack of motorised transport adds significantly to the peaceful, old-fashioned charm of a holiday on the island.

Just arriving at Sark is an unrivalled experience: ferries moor at Maseline Jetty and visitors walk through the tunnel at the end of the quay to board the 'toast rack', a tractor-drawn bus, which travels up and down harbour hill.

Sark is a Dark-Sky Community, meaning that it is sufficiently clear of light pollution to allow for naked-eye astronomy. Its night sky is truly beautiful. The old harbour of Creux is one of the world's smallest, used by the local fishermen, and is also a swimming spot at high tide.

Alderney

The little island of Alderney, with its picturesque capital, St Anne's, is the most British in flavour of all the Channel Islands. Yet, it is still only 10 miles (15km) off of the French coast. St Anne's is a delightful town of cobbled streets and colourful cottages, and its main street, Victoria, is lined with inviting shops, pubs, and restaurants.

The island was once home to a British fleet guarding the Channel. Even today its harbour, Braye Harbour, is still protected by its famed, huge Victorian breakwater. To find out more about the island's fascinating military history and its coastal forts, visit the town museum. Here, the guides embellish Alderney's captivating history by adding their own dramatic flair.

Alderney also has another uniquely English feature: retired London Underground train carriages. Today, these carriages not only transport passengers back in time, but form part of the Channel Island's only working standard gauge railway line. This rail trail encircles the island, offering the chance to view the lovely passing scenery in high comfort and at leisurely speeds. This service operates on weekends and bank holidays from April to September.

Many visitors cross to Alderney by ferry from Guernsey, Sark, and Helm. There is also an airport on Alderney, with regular scheduled connections to the UK. Once settled on the tiny, one-and-a-half-mile by three-mile (2.5km by 5km) island, holidaymakers receive a warm welcome from the tiny population of locals (about 2,000 people). Extend a friendly hand and these hospitable few will be more than happy to direct visitors to the islanders' favourite spots, starting with the beautiful bays of the north coast, like Corblets, Arch, and Saye.

Channel Islands Attractions

Overview