Train Travel

Travelling to Jersey or Guernsey

Regular ferries travel from Portsmouth, Poole and Weymouth to Jersey and Guernsey. Visit www.condorferries.co.uk for more details.

For trains within UK, visit www.nationalrail.co.uk for timetables to Portsmouth, Poole and Weymouth. For buses on the Channel Islands, Jersey: www.mybus.je Guernsey: www.buses.gg

The Channel Islands

Over 70 miles from the UK, but just a few from the Coast of France, the Channel Islands were part of France, Normandy to be exact, when William the Conquerer who was the Duke of Normandy invaded and captured England in 1066. Then in 1204, the King invaded and captured Normandy but the Islanders chose to stay as subjects of the Crown of England. For their loyalty, the Channel Islands were given their own government and legally today, they are not part of the UK or the EU.

As a result, favourable tax laws have made the Channel Islands a major financial centre and home to many rich Britains. This is also the reason you will still find 'duty free' on ferries to the Islands but not on ferries to France.

The Channel Islands are a great place to spend a holiday or just a weekend. They hold loads of history, castles, sandy beaches and many places to explore. You can fly, but it's just as eas to get there by train and ferry.

Train + ferry to Jersey & Guernsey

Option 1: London to Poole or Weymouth to Guernsey & Jersey - by fast ferry.

Hop on a train from your local station to Poole or Weymouth in Dorset. Comfortable catamarans operated by Condor Ferries, are available from Weymouth and Poole to St Helier in Jersey and St Peter Port in Guernsey in just 2-4 hours. Visit www.condorferries.co.uk for sailing timetables and fares. Make sure you allow for a 1 hour check in at the port and another half an hour to get from the station to the ferry terminal and then click on to www.nationalrail.co.uk to check train timetables and fares. Bikes are carried for free - animals are carried for a charge of £10 one way, £20 return.

A sample journey shows a 12.05 train from London Waterloo to Poole, a taxi ride to the ferry terminal and a 16:10 fast ferry crossing from Poole Harbour to St Peter Port in Guernsey at 18:40 and St Helier in Jersey at 19:55.

A sample return leg leaves Jersey at 11:15 and Guernsey at 12:30 arriving in Poole at 15:10. A taxi to Poole train station and you will be back at London Waterloo by around 18:45.

The catamarans/ships have plenty of seating, self service cafe, a bar and open observation decks where you can enjoy the sea views both leaving the UK and arriving in Guernsey and Jersey. When leaving the UK, you'll sail past all the small boats in Poole Harbour, stop off at St Peter Port in Guernsey and then travel right along the south west coast of Jersey past Corbière lighthouse, St Brelade's Bay and Portlet Bay. Your entrance in St Helier Harbour sails by Elizabeth Castle. Club Class seats are available in an exclusive lounge, for a supplement. You are provided with complimentary tea, coffee and pastries, and a stewardess service of wine, spirits, snacks and meals.

Combined train+ferry fares

There are combined train and ferry fares available to buy from any UK rail station to Jersey and Guernsey using Condor Ferries. The fare from London to Jersey or Guernsey is around £99 excursion return (allows up to 5 days on the Islands), £110 one month return or £75 one-way. Using these combined fares allows you to travel the previous day to Weymouth, Poole or Portsmouth to connect, and to travel on any suitable connecting train service. To check fares and timetables from your local station to the Channel Islands, go to www.condorferries.co.uk select 'timetable & fares' and look for the 'rail & sea fares' link.

Buy tickets - Combined train+ferry fares

The combined train and ferry tickets can be purchased at most rail stations in the UK or by telephoning Condor Ferries on 0845 345 2000 or online at www.condorferries.co.uk. You can also purchase tickets at www.nationalrail.co.uk too. You won't be given a ticket for the ferry, just a booking reference which you need to quote on arrival at the termina.

Option 2: London to Portsmouth to Guernsey & Jersey by conventional ship

If weather conditions are particularly bad, sometimes, the fast catamarans can be cancelled. Condor Ferries also operate a daily year round, all weather sailing by conventional ship from Portsmouth to Jersey & Guernsey taking 9-10 hours.

The ship sails from Portsmouth Continental Ferry Port at 09:00 and arrives in St Peter Port (Guernsey) at 16:30, St Helier (Jersey) at 19:30. Private cabins and reclining seats are available. To arrive in time to catch this ship, you'll need to leave London Waterloo at 05:00 (Mon-Sat only, check times at www.nationalrail.co.uk), or travel down to Portsmouth the night before.

Returning, the ship sails overnight. It leaves Guernsey at 17:30, Jersey at 21:30 and arrives in Portsmouth at 06:30. Cabins and reclining seats are available. A train connection from Portsmouth & Southsea station will get you to London Waterloo at about 09:30 - check times at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Visit www.condorferries.co.uk for sailing timetables and fares. Make sure you allow for a 1 hour check in at the port and another half an hour to get from the station to the ferry terminal and then click on to www.nationalrail.co.uk to check train timetables and fares. Bikes are carried for free - animals are carried for a charge of £10 one way, £20 return.

The Commodore Clipper (conventional ship) is designed to carry passengers, cars and freight, so her passenger accommodation isn't as luxurious as on some ships, but it's clean, very comfortable and well-run. Cabins are available, and there's a self-service café-restaurant, a bar with panoramic views, a duty free shop, and Club class seating is available for a supplement. You'll be treated to a departure from Portsmouth Continental Ferry port past the Royal Navy frigates and even the odd aircraft carrier in the naval dockyard, past Nelson's 'Victory' and ironclad HMS Warrior in the dockyard museum, a stop off at Guernsey, then sail past the coast of Jersey from Corbière lighthouse, past St Brelade's Bay, then an entrance to St Helier Harbour passing right by Elizabeth Castle.

Fares & how to buy tickets

Combined train+ferry tickets can be purchased from any UK rail station to Guernsey & Jersey or or by telephone from Condor Ferries on 0845 345 2000. Alternatively, simply book the ferry online at www.condorferries.co.uk and buy train tickets to Portsmouth separately, either at the station or via www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Jersey to Guernsey - Condor Ferries provide fast ferries between St Helier (Jersey) and St Peter Port (Guernsey) in about 55 minutes with day trips possible, plus a daily sailing by ship. French company online - www.manche-iles-express.com also offer sailings by fast ferry.

Jersey to Sark - French company www.manche-iles-express.com provide occasional sailings to Sark ('Serq' in French) by fast ferry.

Guernsey to Sark - The Isle of Sark Shipping Co provides up to 5 sailings daily between St Peter Port (Guernsey) and Sark, taking 45 minutes. See www.sarkshipping.guernsey.net.

Guernsey to Alderney - www.manche-iles-express.com provides occasional sailings to Alderney ('Aurigny' in French) by fast ferry.

Bus services on Jersey & Guernsey

There are good bus services between all major points on Jersey and Guernsey. Visit www.mybus.je for services on Jersey or www.buses.gg for Guernsey.

Bikes are a great way to see the Islands, with excellent cycle routes across the Islands and several bike hire agencies available. Jersey is only 10 miles across, so bikes are an easy way to get around.

Ferries from the Channel Islands to France

Jersey & Guernsey to St Malo - www.condorferries.co.uk operate fast ferries from Jersey to St Malo. For onwards train connections from St Malo to Paris, see www.voyages-sncf.com (the English button is a UK flag at bottom left, leave 'France' selected to pick up tickets at the station in France).

Jersey & Guernsey to Normandy - visit www.itferries.com

Alderney to Cherbourg - Visit www.manche-iles-express.com for fast ferries from Jersey/Guernsey to Diélette, Barneville-Carteret and Granville in Normandy.