Depends on what you want.
Jersey & Guernsey are ‘bigger’ in that you need transport to see them all. They have a bus service, and for a weekend it’s probably not worth hiring a car. But you won’t see all of either island without a car.
Alderney on the other hand is quite small. Before I took up flying I was staying with a friend in Guernsey. I took a day trip from Guernsey and hired a bike and cycled around all of Alderney before my return flight home that evening. It’s quite small.
Plenty of character, but it is quiet. If you want relaxing (in a nothing much to do sort of way) then Alderney is the way to go.
If you want shops and lots of restaurants to choose from, and some things to see and do, then choose Guernsey or Jersey.
ps. Pretty much everything is closed on a Sunday from memory.
I have been to Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney the last few years. Coming from the Netherlands the distance to the channel islands is not too far for a weekend trip in a SEP. For me, coming from Berlin it is, I would spend some more days in the region.
Alderney is really a quiet little island, beautiful landscape as well, by bike you can see the whole island at one day. To find accomodation is difficult in the high season without reservation, with the last free room available we were not satisfied.
Guernsey: from the air the landscape appears disturbed by strong development, but on the ground it is a lovely scenery. The most beautiful cliffs and beaches did we found in the south east. In St. Martin I can strongly recommend the Blue Horizon Hotel. If you have a bike, you can easily reach the hotel in twenty minutes. We will come back !
Jersey is the most diverse Channel Island, convenient by bike. More distant destinations on the island are accessible by island bus.
“Harbour View” and “Seeworld Guest House” are cheap and good B&Bs in St. Brelade. The islands capital St. Helier you can save yourself.
If you’re still serious about visiting the Channel Islands, then maybe do so with the Guernsey Air Rally? 17-19 Jun
http://guernseyaeroclub.com/air-rally/
Otherwise I’m happy to help out with the organisation at this end if you message me directly. I am Guernsey based so have to declare a vested interest!
ATC are excellent, the circuit is welcoming, and although you might have to orbit or delay if the commercial traffic is busy, ATC are experienced in managing it. It’s never bad.
Would suggest an arrival into Guernsey. Fill in and deposit Guernsey GAR on arrival with ASG (Handling). Or search google for “Guernsey GAR” if you want one beforehand. This is what I got:
http://theoldsite.gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=90475&p=0
I have been met by Police on arrival, but the meeting was both courteous and also brief.
Buses leave for “Town” every 15 minutes or so during the day and cost £1. St Peter Port is called “Town” as it’s the only town on the island. It’s a mystery to me why people use taxis. Stay in Guernsey, maybe visiting the local islands of Herm or Sark?
Fly to Alderney for a day trip or overnight. The pleasure of the islands is that they all have their own distinctive feel and atmosphere. The 10 minute hop is done by a “mini flight plan”. A 5 minute form that is faxed or e-mailed as a smartphone photo to ATC and way more easy to do than I have made it sound.
Alderney is politically part of Guernsey so no GAR admin required. If you fly from Guernsey / Alderney to Jersey, you are leaving the Bailiwick (country) and GAR admin is required as I recall.
Fly home from Alderney after submitting relevant paperwork online or at the airport. The walk from the airport into town is a very pleasant 12 minutes stroll depending how many people you pass and chat with. A taxi ride with a local can be much more interesting and you may be asked whether you wish to wear your seatbelt or not. I chose “not” until we were 50 yards into the journey and I realised that was the wrong answer.
PM me if you want more…
Thanks a lot for the feedback everyone!
Looks like we will go to Guernsey as it has more to offer for the wife (shops/restaurants/etc) and we could spend the day hiking or cycling.
dublinpilot wrote:
But you won’t see all of either island without a car.
A bicycle I’d wager would suffice though.
lenthamen wrote:
we could spend the day hiking or cycling.
We cycle a lot in Guernsey its about 50km around the island and fairly easy to do in 1 day, unfortunately its not flat like Holland and not many cycleways.
The walk heading east from Le Gouffre restaurant (20 mins walk south of the airfield) is stunning.
Friday morning rush hour to the Channel islands :
