Channel Islands Holiday Accommodation in Jersey

The Balliwick of Jersey, the island's official title, is a popular holiday destination, especially for British tourists with main hotels and holiday accommodation located in St Helier, (its capital), St Aubin and St Brelade. Located just a few miles off the coast of France, the official language is English, yet the streets are named in French. So, one way or another, Jersey feels reassuringly familiar to visitors from either side of the Channel. A local Jersey saying has it that "England is one of our oldest possessions"!

Getting around is fairly easy - you can bring your own car from mainland Britain by catamaran car ferry, arrange a fly-drive pickup from the island's airport, take one of the island's buses or hire a bicycle from one of several bike hire shops found on the island. Also, as Jersey is only 9 miles long and 5 miles wide, it's fairly easy and safe cycling (on several miles of dedicated cycleways) or a pleasant day's walking for the more adventurous hiker. In a nutshell, even the remotest corners of Jersey are easily accessible, however, with just 450 miles of road covering the Island. While St Helier and the main arterial routes can be busy, most are much quieter, with 45 miles of inland country roads designated as 'Green Lanes'. Jersey's rural environment consists largely of open fields, woodland, cliffs and headland, trees and hedgerows. Fields tend to be small with granite walls or hedgerows. Steep south-facing slopes, or cotils, can be seen all around the Island and are used extensively for farming of the Jersey Royal potato and other crops.

Jersey Hotels & Accommodation

Jersey also claims to have some of the finest hotels in Europe, as well as value for money guest accommodation and B&Bs. There are currently some 150 registered properties on offer, from luxury hotels, great value guest houses and super self catering. Jersey campsites are open from May to September and visiting caravans and motorhomes can be driven on the roads subject to obtaining a permit. Popular resorts are the picturesque harbour town of St Aubin, and the long family friendly white sandy beach at St Brelade's Bay.

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The Harbour at St Aubin, Jersey © 2011 John Moss, Papillon Graphics

Jersey Health & Currency Matters

The States of Jersey are not a member of the European Union, though it does have existing trade agreements in place. Therefore, British citizens are not actually covered by the National Health or by European E111 reciprocal health facilities, so visitors from the UK are advised to take out travel and medical insurance.

United Kingdom currency is legal tender in Jersey, though they also issue their own, characterised expecially by the one pound note (long since gone in mainland Britain to be replaced by a pound coin).

The States of Jersey One Pound Note

In fact, Jersey, Guernsey and British Pounds (and in most places the European Euro) are commonly accepted. It also means that British visitors can use Channel Islands ATM cash machines from all the usual familiar banks without incurring conversion or other bank charges. Beware however, if you use an ATM in Jersey, it will issue cash in its own currency, which is not legal tender back in the UK, though British banks will exchange notes over the counter. Therefore it is not unusal to find banknotes of three different nationalities in your pocket, wallet or purse. Jersey coins, however, cannot be exchanged back in the UK so spend them before you leave.

• See Hotels in Jersey & St Helier (LateRooms) >>
• More Hotels in Jersey (Booking.Com) >>
• Accommodation - all Channel Islands (Booking.Com) >>