Holiday to jersey uk

[Freespirit44]

Hi. Shamelessly posting for traffic.
Has anyone been to Jersey Island in the UK?

I saw it last night on the apprentice and am intrigued. I'm hoping it would be cheaper than going abroad.

Would you recommend it for a family of six?

Also, what would be the best way to travel there from the midlands please?

Thankyou in advance!

@Freespirit44 Visit Jersey, the tourist board, will be delighted you've been inspired! I work for a tour operator and contract hotels in Jersey so have been quite a few times. It's a lovely island, I've always found people to be friendly and welcoming.

Most of the hotels are independent, many family-run especially the 3*. The arrival of Premier Inn and Covid unfortunately has caused the closure of several hotels. They tend not to be purpose-built hotels though, so don't expect air-conditioning, but the warm welcome and attentive service beats a faceless brand IMO.

May-October hotel prices are high, these months are busy with tourists and hotels make most of their money. But if you're not after a beach-break and are happy to get out and explore, a long weekend in the spring or autumn will be a lot cheaper.

@Freespirit44 We're very lucky to be here and it's an amazing place but as PP's have said it's not the cheapest place to live unfortunately. We own a tiny property but have a baby on the way and the next couple of years are going to be crunch time as to whether we can afford to stay and upsize or have to sell up and move on. Our original plan to sell before baby arrives was scuppered by Storm Ciaran as our flat is undergoing lengthy and extensive repairs so is currently uninhabitable, never mind saleable! 🤦🏼‍♀️

Unfortunately neither DH nor I work in finance which is where the money needed to be really comfortable raising a family here is.

If we move on the challenge will be finding the same sense of community, natural beauty and relative safety that we enjoy here but with average family homes at less than £800k!

Try the Isle of Man - average property around £300K short hop to the UK great natural beauty - very safe and in some ways old fashioned.

We went with our then 4 month old and it was lovely and very easy. It was not, however, cheap. The flights were fairly cheap but hotels, restaurants, car hire etc were very expensive

That's really interesting to know, Thanks. I do some business in the Isle of Man but had just assumed living costs would be similar to Jersey.

I'm from the North of England so if we moved back we'd be looking at sort of Yorkshire level and upwards, Isle of Man wouldn't be too much of a stretch!

Would anyone say the CI are dog friendly? We went to Guernsey pre-pup and loved it but would very much like to visit Jersey with the dog.

In general (although I'm not a dog owner!) I'd say yes! I know there are quite a few hotels and apartments that accept dogs, as well as pubs, cafes and restaurants.

Between May & September or thereabouts dogs have to be on a lead on the beach between 10am and 6pm and in several places on cliff paths and around reservoir walks too to prevent spooking seabirds and other wildlife.

I'm so sorry to hear that @FoleyHuck I hope that you find a solution that works for you and one that your happy with. I have been in a similar situation to yours many years ago. We had to decide between buying a small house in a not so desirable area or continue renting where we were even though weren't entirely happy with the house we were in. We couldn't afford to buy in that area because house prices were through the roof. In the end we decided to stay put and continued to rent because like yourself, we felt safe and there was a nice community feel to the town. Plus the rent was more affordable at the time than having a mortgage. Also, it would mean that the children could attend good schools. We didn't become home owners till much later than our circle of friends and family and we were looked "down" upon but I really didn't care. The amount of times I got the " but your literally throwing money down the drain" or the "well it's not really your home is it?'" I felt like replying " well, if you give me a £40k deposit and £3000 a month for a mortgage we will no longer be having this conversation"🙄best of luck 🤞😊

@WhatsitWiggle I'm looking at July August time since the kids are off school. Your right, it's quite expensive! But I have been saving for a holiday for a while now and I'm hoping it will be enough for perhaps four nights. I'm looking on Airbnb at the moment because most hotels are booked throughout summer and the ones available are priced at 7k plus which is too much I think. It will mean we may not have a holiday next year but at least it will be a nice one this year!!

@Freespirit44 when we were looking at Jersey when DS was younger, there were a few independent companies that did self catering, but it did seem as if people booked up the most suitable and less expensive places very quickly.

I enjoyed Jersey but I really don't think it's worth paying over the odds for it, so maybe look at getting something booked up for 2025 before they get taken and go somewhere else for this summer ?

For self catering, look at Freedom Holidays and Macoles.
But they do book up quickly.

I went with XH in Sep 2007, we went by ferry from Weymouth. Stayed at the Merton Hotel for 5 nights which was great.

I loved it, we went to the War Tunnels (they are amazing), the Zoo, Jersey Pearl. I think there is a lot more there now though. Some of the things we saw have closed such as the Shell House and the Flower Floats museum (can't remember the name of it).

We drove over the whole island. Some of the roads are narrow and there are a few tight bends but some low speed limits which is good.

There are some fantastic beaches and fantastic views so I recommend hiring a small car if you fly over.

My sister lives in Jersey. The whole island is small enough to drive all around it's coast in about 4-5 hours. Fabulous beaches all around it's coast. Accommodation is expensive, much more expensive than Spain. Eating out is expensive. Even buying a loaf of bread is expensive. You won't find villas to rent so you can cook for yourself. It is mainly hotel or guest houses. Fort Regent has swimming, bowling, climbing things for DC and much more but again it's expensive to get into. If you have a sunny week you can go to the various beaches everyday and the kids will love it but if it rains it cost a fortune to take them to places indoors like cinemas all cost more than UK mainland.

That’s great, thank you! Being allowed on the beach during summer, albeit on a lead, is better than a lot of mainland UK.

Jersey here we come!

I live in Jersey! The apprentice made it look very very nice but failed to show to horrific blight on the landscape that is the waterfront apartments or the middle of st Helier with its boarded up shops and lack of actual shoppers! Most people who live here can’t wait to get away but I guess it’s lovely to visit, my father in law loves it!
the beaches are nice if it’s sunny (Plemont and Greve de Lecq are the best with children). We have a zoo which is ok, a place called Amaizin Maize which is good for younger kids, Creepy Valley is good for older kids.
Reataurants are expensive! Central London is cheaper sadly and there aren’t really any amazing ones but I’d recommend Crab Shack and the beach club with children, Sumas, Awabi and Oyster Box without.
hotel wise the Merton is great with kids but is very old fashioned, it has a great pool though and nightly entertainment, the premier inns are in the middle of the town in the worst areas (not sure how safe I’d feel walking back to them) and I don’t think they are cheap. I’d go for something like the De Normandie or Westhill.
buses are your best bet to get around, you can buy passes and they have an app so you can plan journeys. Taxis are expensive as is car hire.
we have electric bikes available at loads of places around and you can also hire electric cars by the hour which might work.

Just to correct you a little @caringcarer; it's more like 45 minutes to circumnavigate the coast by car, not 4-5 hours!

There are plenty of private cottages & houses etc to rent, albeit not 'villas' as such.

Fort Regent is largely closed now sadly, all that remains there is a big indoor soft play and some sports clubs. There is swimming, climbing, bowling and trampoline facilities elsewhere, and the UK's largest outdoor skate park opened last year.

Personally I don't think indoor attractions are more expensive than similar in the UK or elsewhere. Expensive for islanders looking to go regularly yes unless they join as members, but for visitors on holiday comparable to one off entry to Museums / NT sites etc elsewhere. Our Cineworld AFAIK is the same price as mainland Cineworld.

the premier inns are in the middle of the town in the worst areas (not sure how safe I’d feel walking back to them)

Each to their own opinion @jersey2021 but either you must live in a different Jersey to me or you've led a pretty sheltered life

Charing Cross and Bath Street aren't exactly the ghetto, and the entire of St. Helier is very safe in comparison to town centres elsewhere.

Agree though that the Westhill is a good choice, I'd take the Westhill or either Premier Inn over the De Normandie. The Merton is fab for families (in fact it's where my parents stay when they visit because they like the entertainment).

Our flight was lovely - smooth and very quick.

Landings at Jersey are generally fine, way better than Lanzarote!

Went last August for the first time in 35 years (worked there when I was 20!)

• short flight, reasonable price
• great weather , but was August
• uses the buses to get round - cheap and easy
• stayed inPomme d’or hotel - very expensive but wanted a treat as lived in horrible bedsits when I worked there
• went to Elizabeth Castle, wine tasting and War tunnels - all good
• eating out was expensive- we went to Bella Italia twice to keep costs down.
• Jersey ice cream is divine.
• id forgotten how French the island is
• the history is very interesting

One of the best short breaks I’ve ever done, especially with the nostalgia factor, but not cheap.