Articles Display
Guide to the island of Jersey
Despite its geographical proximity to France and its distinct French feel, Jersey is English speaking and proud of it. French influence, however, remains strong. In many ways, Jersey is a fascinating fusion of the best of French and British culture, but with its own unique character and identity.
Once discovered, people return time and again to Jersey. The island has so much to offer the discerning visitor: less than one hour’s flying time from England, mild all-year-round climate, 32km (20 miles) of safe, sandy beaches, picturesque and tranquil countryside, decidedly up-market tourist facilities, numerous attractions that appeal to all age groups; family friendly accommodation; sophisticated spas and retreats, fine dining, cosmopolitan capital, St Helier, historic buildings, the list is endless …
JERSEY AT A GLANCE …
LOCATION & SIZE:
The largest and most southerly of the Channel Islands, Jersey lies in the Gulf of St Malo, approximately 160 km (100 miles) from the South Coast of Britain and 22 km (14 miles) from France. The island is 14km (9 miles) long and 8km (5 miles) wide and covers an area of around 72 square km (45 square miles).
TRAVELLING TO JERSEY:
By air – direct flights to Jersey from most major European airports and over 25 UK airports (try British Airways www.ba.com, British European Airways www.flybe.com and Bmibaby www.bmibaby.com by sea – www.condorferries.co.uk operates a high speed catamaran service to Jersey.
GETTING AROUND:
Getting around the island is easy. The local bus network departs from Weighbridge, St Helier. A hop-on-hop-off Easylink bus service links St Helier with the island’s main attractions. Car hire prices are amongst the cheapest in Europe; visitors hiring cars must be over 21. Motor cycles, mopeds and scooters are also available for hire.
ACCOMMODATION:
Jersey offers a wide selection of quality accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets, from sophisticated hotels and health spas to family oriented guest houses. Many hotels offer special family deals.
EATING & DRINKING:
Jersey has plenty to tantalise the taste-buds, from value- for-money cafés, fast food outlets and pubs, to world-class restaurants. Typical beachside café fare might include crab sandwiches and cream teas with homemade cakes. Look out for des bourdélos (apples baked in pastry) and des mèrvelles or Jersey Wonders (a cross between a cake and a doughnut). The Island also boasts several gastro pubs and gourmet restaurants that can rival some of France’s finest dining establishments. In fact, many French foodies make regular forays to Jersey merely for a meal out. Jersey is renowned for its seafood with crab, lobster, scallops, chancre, spider crabs, shrimps, commonly featuring on many restaurant menus.
WEATHER:
Warmed by the North Atlantic drift, Jersey enjoys approximately 1,900 hours of sunshine a year and is the warmest place in Britain.
SHOPPING:
Jersey is duty free; the best selection of chic boutiques, jewellers, perfumeries, antique and fine art shops, is concentrated along the winding streets of St Helier.
CRIME RATES:
Jersey has low crime rates. Drinking driving is considered an extremely serious offence; illegal drugs are banned in Jersey and sentences for drug-related crime are severe.
JERSEY CURRENCY:
British pound (GBP). Jersey also has its own currency and has retained the pound in note form; its value is identical to UK currency.
OUTDOOR PURSUITS:
Jersey is a walkers’ and cyclists’ paradise with miles of meandering country lanes where pedestrians and cyclists have priority over motor vehicles! Other popular outdoor pursuits include bird watching, swimming (over 30 clean, safe and sandy beaches), surfing (head for St Ouen’s Bay), diving, jet-skiing, sailing and golfing (five golf courses).
NIGHTLIFE:
St Helier has several lively bars, restaurants, nightclubs and other entertainment venues. Nightlife is fairly low key outside the capital, with cosy country pubs and restaurants providing the main form of entertainment.
MUST SEE & DO IN JERSEY
Eric Young Orchid Foundation (near Gorey, north east of St Helier) for an amazing collection of orchids and hybrids;
Jersey Zoo (Lles Augrès Manor, Trinity) – headquarters of the Gerald Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and breeding centre for endangered species;
The German Underground Hospital (La Vassalerie) – a tunnel and chambers carved out of rock and built by the occupying German forces during World War II;
Jersey Museum (St Helier) – tells the fascinating story of the island’s history;
The Jersey Lavender Farm (Rue du Pont Marquet, St Brelade) – a working lavender farm; watch the distillation of essential oils and perfume bottling;
Elizabeth Castle (St Aubin’s Bay) – an impressive edifice dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I and commissioned by Sir Walter Raleigh when he was Governor of Jersey.
DID YOU KNOW THAT …
Jersey is an offshore tax haven for the rich and famous attracted not only by the island’s pleasant lifestyle but also by its advantageously low tax rates; a great place for celebrity spotting!
Thanks to its excellent transport links with Europe, Jersey has established itself as a popular conference destination, in recent years. The island offers a range of top notch hotels that cater specifically for the conference industry.
Jersey is world famous for its export of flowers, tomatoes, cauliflowers, Jersey Royal new potatoes, dairy produce and knitwear.
Jersey’s modern economy is dominated by finance (55 percent), tourism (25 percent) and agriculture (5 percent).
Jersey is becoming an increasingly popular destination for de-stressing style short breaks; the short flight time from London or Southampton is a real bonus!
Throughout its history, the Island of Jersey has been subject to more than its fair share of turmoil and unrest: Viking pillagers, in the ninth century; French invaders during the thirteenth and fifteenth century; and, more recently, German Occupation during World War II.
Today, the island is administered by an independent government known as Les Etats or the States of Jersey. Jersey is also an associate member of the EU, a special status which excludes it from taking part in UK parliamentary elections.
Guide to the island of jersey
Once discovered, people return time and again to Jersey. The island has so much to offer the discerning visitor: less than one hour’s flying time from England, mild all-year-round climate, 32km (20 miles) of safe, sandy beaches, picturesque and tranquil countryside, decidedly up-market tourist facilities, numerous attractions that appeal to all age groups; family friendly accommodation; sophisticated spas and retreats, fine dining, cosmopolitan capital, St Helier, historic buildings, the list is endless …
JERSEY AT A GLANCE …
LOCATION & SIZE:
The largest and most southerly of the Channel Islands, Jersey lies in the Gulf of St Malo, approximately 160 km (100 miles) from the South Coast of Britain and 22 km (14 miles) from France. The island is 14km (9 miles) long and 8km (5 miles) wide and covers an area of around 72 square km (45 square miles).
TRAVELLING TO JERSEY:
By air – direct flights to Jersey from most major European airports and over 25 UK airports (try British Airways www.ba.com, British European Airways www.flybe.com and Bmibaby www.bmibaby.com by sea – www.condorferries.co.uk operates a high speed catamaran service to Jersey.
GETTING AROUND:
Getting around the island is easy. The local bus network departs from Weighbridge, St Helier. A hop-on-hop-off Easylink bus service links St Helier with the island’s main attractions. Car hire prices are amongst the cheapest in Europe; visitors hiring cars must be over 21. Motor cycles, mopeds and scooters are also available for hire.
ACCOMMODATION:
Jersey offers a wide selection of quality accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets, from sophisticated hotels and health spas to family oriented guest houses. Many hotels offer special family deals.
EATING & DRINKING:
Jersey has plenty to tantalise the taste-buds, from value- for-money cafés, fast food outlets and pubs, to world-class restaurants. Typical beachside café fare might include crab sandwiches and cream teas with homemade cakes. Look out for des bourdélos (apples baked in pastry) and des mèrvelles or Jersey Wonders (a cross between a cake and a doughnut). The Island also boasts several gastro pubs and gourmet restaurants that can rival some of France’s finest dining establishments. In fact, many French foodies make regular forays to Jersey merely for a meal out. Jersey is renowned for its seafood with crab, lobster, scallops, chancre, spider crabs, shrimps, commonly featuring on many restaurant menus.
WEATHER:
Warmed by the North Atlantic drift, Jersey enjoys approximately 1,900 hours of sunshine a year and is the warmest place in Britain.
SHOPPING:
Jersey is duty free; the best selection of chic boutiques, jewellers, perfumeries, antique and fine art shops, is concentrated along the winding streets of St Helier.
CRIME RATES:
Jersey has low crime rates. Drinking driving is considered an extremely serious offence; illegal drugs are banned in Jersey and sentences for drug-related crime are severe.
JERSEY CURRENCY:
British pound (GBP). Jersey also has its own currency and has retained the pound in note form; its value is identical to UK currency.
OUTDOOR PURSUITS:
Jersey is a walkers’ and cyclists’ paradise with miles of meandering country lanes where pedestrians and cyclists have priority over motor vehicles! Other popular outdoor pursuits include bird watching, swimming (over 30 clean, safe and sandy beaches), surfing (head for St Ouen’s Bay), diving, jet-skiing, sailing and golfing (five golf courses).
NIGHTLIFE:
St Helier has several lively bars, restaurants, nightclubs and other entertainment venues. Nightlife is fairly low key outside the capital, with cosy country pubs and restaurants providing the main form of entertainment.
MUST SEE & DO IN JERSEY
Eric Young Orchid Foundation (near Gorey, north east of St Helier) for an amazing collection of orchids and hybrids;
Jersey Zoo (Lles Augrès Manor, Trinity) – headquarters of the Gerald Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and breeding centre for endangered species;
The German Underground Hospital (La Vassalerie) – a tunnel and chambers carved out of rock and built by the occupying German forces during World War II;
Jersey Museum (St Helier) – tells the fascinating story of the island’s history;
The Jersey Lavender Farm (Rue du Pont Marquet, St Brelade) – a working lavender farm; watch the distillation of essential oils and perfume bottling;
Elizabeth Castle (St Aubin’s Bay) – an impressive edifice dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I and commissioned by Sir Walter Raleigh when he was Governor of Jersey.
DID YOU KNOW THAT …
Jersey is an offshore tax haven for the rich and famous attracted not only by the island’s pleasant lifestyle but also by its advantageously low tax rates; a great place for celebrity spotting!
Thanks to its excellent transport links with Europe, Jersey has established itself as a popular conference destination, in recent years. The island offers a range of top notch hotels that cater specifically for the conference industry.
Jersey is world famous for its export of flowers, tomatoes, cauliflowers, Jersey Royal new potatoes, dairy produce and knitwear.
Jersey’s modern economy is dominated by finance (55 percent), tourism (25 percent) and agriculture (5 percent).
Jersey is becoming an increasingly popular destination for de-stressing style short breaks; the short flight time from London or Southampton is a real bonus!
Throughout its history, the Island of Jersey has been subject to more than its fair share of turmoil and unrest: Viking pillagers, in the ninth century; French invaders during the thirteenth and fifteenth century; and, more recently, German Occupation during World War II.
Today, the island is administered by an independent government known as Les Etats or the States of Jersey. Jersey is also an associate member of the EU, a special status which excludes it from taking part in UK parliamentary elections.
Guide to the island of jersey
