Discover the Channel Islands Fly-drive

The island of Jersey is easily accessed by air and this holiday includes flights from Southampton. Should you wish to depart from an alternative airport, we’ll be happy to tailor-make the journey that’s most convenient for you. Upon arrival, collect your rental car and it’s just a short drive to your base for the next three nights.

Your Hotel on Jersey

Whether your aim is for total relaxation or intrepid exploration, your accommodation on Jersey is a fine, family-owned property just right for either of these. Nothing here is too much trouble, with friendly and attentive owners and staff all keen to share their obvious enthusiasm for the island.

What to see and do

As the largest of all of the Channel Islands, you’ll find rich contrasts at every turn on Jersey. Some of the best beaches in Europe are a good place to start, with the island doubling in size during the Spring low tides. With this comes fine seafood, especially at the beachside bistros of St. Aubin and St. Brelade. History lovers couldn’t be more spoiled, with Neolithic standing stones and burial chambers found here; relics of the Hundred-Year War with France and the extensively-documented Nazi occupation during World War Two are just a small selection of highlights.

Take your time over a relaxed breakfast, before setting off on the easy drive to La Rocque at the island’s south-eastern tip. The ever-changing beaches provide the perfect location for the private guided walk alongside a local expert, as you make your way towards Seymour Tower. At the lowest tide, you can walk all the way out there, and while this largest of Europe’s rocky intertidal coastlines may appear desolate, a closer look reveals the life that teems here, as well as the British Isles’ largest oyster bed. On selected days – tide dependent – the three-hour walk takes place in the afternoon, giving you time to discover more of the island at leisure in the morning. 

A leisurely day to take your time over breakfast and to enjoy more of the island at your own pace. We’ll provide all the information you need to make the most of your time.

Just twenty minutes over the water by small aircraft takes you to Jersey’s Channel Island cousin, Guernsey. Again, collect your car at the airport and a twenty-minute drive will find you at your accommodation.

Your Accommodation on Guernsey

As ever, we’ve taken great care to choose the best independent accommodation the island has to offer. Your family-owned hotel on Guernsey combines unfussy, stylish bedrooms, tempting dining and an ideal location from which to discover the island.

What to see and do

On such a compact island—just twenty-seven square miles—Guernsey crams in a vast array of sights and attractions. The capital of St. Peter Port seems never to stop, with a constant to-and-fro of ferry passengers for the outlying islands and ancient Castle Cornet overlooking the entire scene; clambering its ramparts and gardens is a fine way to spend a morning. Away from the town, evidence of hundreds of years of conflict right up to World War Two is dotted all around the coastline, with intimidating cliffs and rocky stretches perfectly complimenting the inviting beaches.

Enjoy a hearty island breakfast before setting off on the short drive to St. Peter Port. Here, you will meet a friendly and informative local guide for a private guided walk of the island’s capital. In our experience, there’s no better way to bring a location to life or to discover the details you’d most likely miss without some expert pointers. If you have an area of special interest, your guide will be only too eager to incorporate, if possible.

Back to St. Peter Port this morning to catch the ferry for the fifty-minute sailing to the sublime island of Sark. Is it a cliché to say a visit to Sark is like stepping back in time? Probably. It couldn’t be more fitting, though. There are no cars on Sark, only a carefully administered collection of tractors and no finished roads. Transport is by bicycle or horse-drawn carriage, all of which contributes to a quite overwhelming peace. Rent a bike or don the walking boots, take to the clifftop walks from La Coupée to Little Sark, and enjoy a superb lunch overlooking the pool and garden of an island hotel. 

Only twenty minutes away by ferry, the Island of Herm presents yet another string to Guernsey’s bow. Again, there’s no traffic here, and its compact size is perfect for the amateur hiker; the coastal path encircling the island can be easily completed in a couple of hours. Take in the beautiful Shell Beach and Belvoir Bay and, in Spring, you might be lucky enough to spot a puffin or two from Europe’s southernmost colony. Having worked up your appetite, enjoy lunch and a cold beer before the return ferry-crossing to Guernsey.

Is this saving the best until last? Perhaps, but don’t tell the other islands we suggested so! Head to Guernsey Airport, drop your rental car and board the short flight to Alderney. Keep your camera handy to capture superb views of each of the Channel islands and the north coast of France. Upon arrival, you‘ll be met by a friendly local driver and transferred to your accommodation in St. Anne, or as it’s known by locals, ‘Town’.

Your Accommodation on Alderney

At the centre of life here in this tight-knit community, your accommodation in Town is a swish, family-owned property featuring unpretentious en-suite bedrooms, a cheerful bar and a restaurant serving island-sourced delights. 

What to see and do

Despite its mere three square-mile area, Alderney punches well above its weight in delivering an intriguing place to spend time in. Evidence of Neolithic habitation remains, though many megaliths were destroyed over centuries as the island became one of the world’s most heavily fortified, from Roman, through Norman, Victorian and German World War Two activity. Though vehicles have their place here, it’s a superb island for walkers or cyclists, with bikes available for rent and a raggedy coastal track easily navigable. Perhaps take yourself to the beach for the day, whether the golden sandy stretch at Braye, or more rocky areas with endless pools filled with life.

Feast on a fine local breakfast, before meeting your guide from Alderney Wildlife Trust. Before you set off, you’ll have the chance to make any special requests you may have, perhaps an area of special interest, which your guide will be happy to incorporate if possible. Setting off, you’ll explore some of the hidden corners you might not have found by yourself, taking in coastal fortifications, a watermill and some of the island’s wintering birds. 

Another fine guided-experience today as you set off with the skipper from the island’s Wildlife Trust. On its quite superb coastline, Alderney positively teems with seabirds, including puffins (on the island of Burhou during the months of March to July) and a large proportion of the world’s northern gannet population. Together with the rugged coastal backdrop and strong tides, this can be a wonderfully dramatic trip.

An easy transfer Alderney airport to catch your homeward flight to Southampton. Again, should you wish to take an alternative route, we can easily tailor-make the journey for you.