Guernsey: Everything Travelers Need to Know

The island of Guernsey, together with its bigger sibling Jersey, are the two largest islands in the English Channel. Even though Guernsey is a charming island with a superb culinary tradition, stunning scenery and a fascinating history, it has never become a go-to destination for travelers. In my opinion, the reason isn’t just the island’s tiny size (71 square kilometers, including all its satellite islands) but also the fact that it isn’t the easiest place to reach. Still, if you can look past all that, you’ll find one of the most magical places you’ve ever visited. I know this because I lived there for almost three years (2016-2018).

The goal of this article is to gather the most relevant information for anyone planning a trip to Guernsey (I’ll write about Jersey another time), and to try to answer the most common questions about it. If you have more questions that this article doesn’t answer, feel free to leave a comment at the end and I’ll do my best to answer. So, let’s get going and sail off to this magical island with the short video below!

When should you visit Guernsey?

In my opinion, the best time to spend your vacation in Guernsey is summer (July and August). The reason is that while summer turns brutally hot in many places, and France can get hit by a heat wave, Guernsey’s weather stays sunny without getting too hot (around 25 degrees Celsius). The catch is that this is also peak season in Guernsey, so hotel prices hit their highest and the island can get crowded with tourists.

So, if you’d rather not visit in summer, try early fall (September and October) or late spring (May and June). During these periods, the weather isn’t as cold as winter, and there’s less rain and wind.

Whatever you do, try not to visit Guernsey between January and March, since the weather can get downright freezing, which can make it hard to get around (especially if you’re more sensitive to cold than heat).

How long should you plan to stay in Guernsey?

Since both getting to Guernsey and the trip back each take at least a full day, I don’t think it makes sense to plan less than 4-5 days for a trip to Guernsey. In my opinion, the ideal length is a week, since that gives you enough time to explore Guernsey’s many landscapes and attractions, as well as the two neighboring islands (more on what to do in Guernsey later in this article).

How do you get to Guernsey?

Guernsey is an island, so the only ways to get there are by plane or by ferry.

Flying to Guernsey via London or other English cities

This is the shorter and less complicated way. Guernsey’s official airline is called Aurigny, and it flies to Guernsey from Gatwick Airport in London (I’ve heard they recently started flights from Stansted too, so it’s worth checking). There are also usually flights from other English cities such as Southampton, Leeds, and Birmingham, so if there’s a direct flight to one of those from where you live, that’s an option too.

Since flights aren’t exactly cheap, I highly recommend comparing prices to find the route that works best for you. I previously wrote an article with all the sites I use to find cheap flights to France, and you’re welcome to check it out and use the same sites for your flights to England and Guernsey.

Ferry from Saint-Malo to Guernsey

This is a much more fun way to go, in my opinion, since it lets you kill two birds with one stone: explore both Guernsey and Brittany. So how do you do it?

• First, find a direct flight to Nantes (Transavia and Easy Jet both fly there). Since many of the direct flights arrive in Nantes late at night, you’ll need to sleep at the airport or in the city itself. In that case, check out the article hotels in Nantes and pick one of the recommended hotels there or at the airport.
• From Nantes, take a train to Saint-Malo, and from there catch the ferry to Guernsey. If you can’t make it in time for the ferry, or you’d like to stay a day or two in Saint-Malo before heading to Guernsey, check out the article Saint-Malo: recommended hotels and find a hotel.
• The company that runs the ferries to Guernsey is called Condor Ferries, and it operates the ferry several days a week (depending on weather conditions and the tides). The ferry ride is quite comfortable and takes about two hours.

Is Guernsey an expensive place?

Guernsey used to be considered a pricey place because of its high cost of living and because it’s an island, which reduces competition and drives up prices. However, Guernsey’s currency is the Guernsey pound, which is pegged in value to the British pound. Since the pound took a hard hit after Brexit, prices in Guernsey dropped along with it. Add to that the fact that Guernsey has no VAT, and you’ll find it’s actually worth doing some shopping there (it’s no coincidence that one of the island’s best-selling items is a Rolex watch 🙂 ).

Keep in mind that you can pay on the island with Guernsey pounds, Jersey pounds, British pounds, and most places will probably also accept euros. Since you can’t spend Guernsey pounds outside of Guernsey, I highly recommend asking sellers and waiters to give you change in British pounds. If you still end up with a bunch of Guernsey pounds, you can exchange them for regular pounds at banks in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey’s capital.

Recommended hotels in Guernsey

Guernsey isn’t a cheap place, but these days, thanks to the weak pound, it’s not that expensive either. So I wouldn’t recommend being cheap and staying in some run-down guesthouse (and yes, there are some) when you could splurge a little and book a 3-star hotel or better in the town of Saint Peter Port. I chose this town because it’s Guernsey’s capital, and as such it has plenty of restaurants, shops and decent public transportation. It’s also where the ferries to Sark and Herm depart from, which I’ll talk about later.

So here are a few of my favorite hotels:

The Duke Of Normandie

This is, without a doubt, my favorite hotel whenever I visit Guernsey (my boss likes staying there too). It’s located right in the heart of Guernsey’s capital, Saint Peter Port, a short walk from the town’s shops and restaurants. The hotel is clean, the rooms are relatively spacious, and the service is excellent. In my opinion, you don’t need anything more than that.

Find me a hotel

Duke of Richmond

If you want to upgrade your stay in Guernsey, or there are no rooms left at the Duke of Normandie, you’re welcome to try another duke.

This hotel is near Cambridge Park and the Guernsey Museum, and it’s about a 5-minute walk to the town center. The rooms here are luxurious, and it even has a pool, which makes it one of the most beloved hotels in Guernsey. It’s a bit farther from the center than the previous hotel, but it’s still highly recommended.

Find me a hotel

The Old Government House Hotel & Spa

If your bank account allows it (or you snagged a hotel deal), this is without a doubt the best hotel in Guernsey (and also the only 5-star one). The hotel is located in the building where Guernsey’s governors lived for many years, and the interior design reflects that. It’s right in the center of Saint Peter Port, and it has luxurious rooms, an excellent spa, two high-end restaurants, and of course, a pool. If you can afford this hotel, I’d recommend not thinking twice and booking it.

Find me a hotel

All the hotels I recommended are booked?

Don’t worry. You can find more hotels in Saint Peter Port at this link. If you’ve decided to stay outside Saint Peter Port, I recommend the picturesque town of St. Martin, and you can find recommended hotels there at this link.

Getting around Guernsey

There are two ways to get around the island: public transportation and a rental car. Each has its pros and cons.

Public transportation (buses and taxis)

The main bus station is in Guernsey’s capital, Saint Peter Port, and buses depart from there to every part of the island. Prices are cheap (one pound per ticket), and buses run at a reasonably frequent rate (you can check out the different routes here). Buses will get you to almost every interesting spot on the island, and the only downside, in my opinion, is that sometimes you’ll have to wait a while for the bus that takes you back from an attraction to Saint Peter Port.

In Saint Peter Port there are two taxi stands (one near the town’s main church and one near Le Petit Bistro restaurant), but the prices are fairly steep. Also, you can’t hail a taxi in the street (only at a taxi stand or by phone booking), and Uber-style apps haven’t made it to this island yet.

Car rental

If you rent a car, you’ll be able to explore Guernsey far more freely and reach places most tourists usually don’t, since they’re not on any bus route. But if you decide to do this, keep in mind that people drive on the left in Guernsey, and the roads there are extremely narrow and winding (luckily the drivers are super polite and courteous).

Personally, I never dared to drive in Guernsey for these reasons, but if that doesn’t scare you and you want as much flexibility and freedom as possible, you can find recommendations for car rental sites in the article car rental in France (the sites, of course, are relevant no matter where you’re traveling).

What do you eat in Guernsey?

Guernsey’s cuisine is an interesting mix of French and British cooking. So what shouldn’t you miss during your visit to the island?

• Guernsey butter: rightly considered one of the best butters in the world. That’s thanks to the milk from Guernsey cows, which has a higher fat content than average.
• Fish and seafood: Guernsey is an island, so it’s no surprise that a large part of its residents’ diet is made up of seafood. If you love seafood, you’ll be happy to know that the fish and shellfish here are very fresh, and alongside the famous fish and chips (the island does belong to the British Crown, after all), you’ll find mussels, octopus and shrimp whose flavors will remind you of those from Brittany and Normandy. As the saying goes, the sea is the same sea everywhere.
• Island-raised beef: Guernsey’s cows aren’t just known for their famous milk, but also for their excellent meat. So if you’re a steak lover, I promise you won’t go hungry.

Recommended restaurants in Guernsey

Here are a few restaurants where I used to eat quite often, and that were excellent during the time I lived on the island (I believe they’re still just as good now, but if not, my apologies).

• Le Petit Bistro: a French restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere and really good food (try the frog legs and the bouillabaisse).
• Octopus: an excellent fish and seafood restaurant that isn’t too pricey, right on the waterfront in Saint Peter Port.
• Red: a simply wonderful steakhouse. Every time the big boss came to Guernsey, we’d book a table there, and we were never disappointed.
• Tinto: a tapas restaurant owned by the same people behind Red. A great, young vibe and excellent food that changes from time to time.
• China Red : without a doubt the best Chinese restaurant in Guernsey, and one of the best I’ve ever eaten at. A great choice if you’re in the mood for something a bit different.

One more thing: if you visit Guernsey during October, you’ll find that Tennerfast is happening at exactly that time. It originally was a month-long event during which restaurants offered 2-3 course menus for 10 pounds. Prices have gone up since then, but you can still find plenty of great-value business lunches during this period.

A one-week itinerary for Guernsey

Now that we’ve covered all the logistical details, it’s time to get to the most important part. What is there to do in Guernsey? To answer that question, I put together a rough one-week itinerary that you can use as a starting point for planning your own trip.

Day one: arriving in Guernsey

Chances are you’ll be flying into London first and then on to Guernsey (you can usually make the last flight to Guernsey if you take an early morning flight out), so this first day is pretty much a write-off. If that’s the case, use it to drop your bags at the hotel, take an early look around Saint Peter Port, and have dinner at one of the restaurants I recommended.

Day two: visiting Saint Peter Port

I’d spend this day exploring Saint Peter Port. I put together a special walking route in the footsteps of Victor Hugo that will help you discover most of the interesting spots in town. Whatever you do, don’t miss Victor Hugo’s house: unlike the Victor Hugo museum in Paris, this house was decorated entirely by the writer himself, who turned out to be a very talented interior designer.

Once you’re done exploring the town, you can spend the rest of your time shopping or visiting Castle Cornet. This is a castle built in the 13th century to defend Guernsey from the French, and it sits at the end of the breakwater in Saint Peter Port.

Day three: a trip to the island of Herm

Herm is the closest island to Guernsey (a 20-minute ferry ride). It’s a small island with striking natural scenery, and you can easily spend at least half a day there (if you come in the summer and love swimming, you could easily spend a whole day). To learn more about the island, I recommend reading the article Herm: the joy of exploring a tiny island.

Day four: the literary society and potato peel pie, or exploring Guernsey’s German occupation

The German occupation of Guernsey left behind plenty of remnants and fascinating stories (the ones that inspired the novel and movie “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”). So on this day, I recommend visiting a few spots on the island connected to that period:

• A German bunker that now houses a museum about the occupation period
• An underground German hospital (a little creepy, if you ask me)
• The German Occupation Museum (a private museum run by someone who devoted his life to researching the German occupation of Guernsey).
• A German watchtower at Pleinmont
• A drive along the coast to see the German bunkers and gun emplacements (they’re everywhere).

If the German occupation interests you a bit less but you don’t want to skip the topic entirely, you can visit just a few of the places I mentioned and spend more time on nature instead (see day five).

Day five: the island of Sark

Sark is about a 40-minute ferry ride away, and it’s worth spending a full day there. It’s a car-free island (people get around on horses and carts) with no street lighting (if you love stargazing, this is the place for you). If you have enough time, I’d consider staying there for a night.

You can find plenty of information about the island in the article Sark: Guernsey’s magical island that takes you back in time.

Day six: discovering Guernsey’s landscapes

I’d dedicate this day to visiting some of the most beautiful spots on Guernsey. It’s worth setting aside two days for this part of the trip, since, as you’ll see, there’s a lot to see and do.

• Visit Saumarez Manor, an estate that once belonged to one of Nelson’s officers. It has interesting gardens and furniture, most of it from the 18th century.
• Visit the town of Saint Martin and the Icart lookout point
• Visit Guernsey’s reservoir (an artificial lake surrounded by a park with walking trails)
• Le Gouffre: a stunning area of cliffs and incredible views in the southeast of the island
• Visit Cup and Saucer, a small fort built by the English to defend against French invasion. If the tide happens to be low, you can walk over to Lihou Island.
• Visit the town of Saint Saviour and take a walk around it (it’s a real pleasure to walk there among the farms and trees. It feels like Switzerland.).
• Visit the museum in Saint Peter Port and the lovely park around it.

Day seven: leaving the island

Whether you’re taking a ferry to France or flying to England and on from there, you probably won’t have much time left on this day. If you do have a little time before heading to the airport or the ferry terminal, use it for some last-minute shopping or one final stroll around Saint Peter Port.