French visitor numbers had plummeted after Brexit, after which anyone entering the island from France had to present a passport. Jersey’s tourism industry has been given a boost. An agreement has been reached to allow French nationals to visit the island on day trips using only a national identity card.
It is to be hoped that the maritime link survives
French authorities have welcomed new arrangements that will allow their citizens to enter Jersey for day trips using only their national identity card – but they do not yet know whether Manche Iles Express will continue to sail to the France next year.
A pilot project
This project will last from April 22 to September 30 of this year.
In response yesterday, Manche department chairman Jean Morin said: “I was happy to welcome this news, it is something that we and the government of Jersey have been talking about for almost two years already.
Mr Morin says he is still awaiting a similar arrangement in Guernsey.
The liaison is supported by the local community
Manche Iles Express is financed by the local community which spends 2 million euros per year on the ships. At its current occupancy, Manche Iles Express receives €200 from the Department per passenger, in addition to the €70 paid for a round trip. Jean Morin also suggested that port taxes could be an avenue to save money
Ideas for a day in Jersey
As you only have a limited amount of time, we suggest that you book a rental car because if you use the buses, you will spend most of your time waiting for them.
If you are hiring a car we would just suggest going around the island rather than visiting attractions like Elizabeth Castle or Mount Orgueil in Gorey as you need to spend a few hours in each for the entrance fee to worth it.
A good route would be to leave town on the right and head towards Gorey. Spend maybe 30 minutes there looking around then head to Rozel and from there to the north of the island where a good stop is Devil’s Hole where you can walk (steep walk and takes about a hour in total). From there, head towards Portelet or Le Noirmont where the remains of the big guns of the Occupation are.
In this region, we would visit the Bay of St. Brelade. You can take a tour of the church and the fishermen’s chapel. Depending on your timing, you can have lunch in St Brelade at a place like the Crab Shack overlooking the beach. Then return to Saint-Hélier and the port,
It may be worth buying a few parking tickets, if you are renting a car and need to park. They might well sell them in the little shop in the main ferry terminal where you would probably get the rental car. If you don’t want to hire a car, you can take a bus tour of the island, but this may not fit your schedule.
As an alternative, just visit St. Helier for about an hour (a 5-10 minute walk from St. Helier ferry port) and stop for a drink in Place Royale. You can then visit Elizabeth Castle for around two hours depending on the tide and whether or not you have to walk or catch the little boat if the tide is high. If you go to Elizabeth Castle and walk, and check the tide
My next getaway.. Thanks for the advice and tips.
