Thank you! I shall now do my hotel searching. Two other questions: is the zoo still in operation? And would it be best to bring our rental car on the ferry or rent another one there? Nukesafe, for some odd reason (late here, wine with dinner) I read "Practice Wife" as a literary title, followed by jumping ship which I took literally. For a few seconds I was deep into this very strange mystery on the Island of Guernsey.

Yet another question: how to make ferry reservations? What company?

Yes - the zoo is still going http://www.durrell.org

I'd rent on the island - many of the roads are quite narrow and getting a RHD car would be a big help IMO. IME rental rates on the island are very reasonable.

A long story, but no mystery, maile. Many years ago my British "Practice Wife" (Isn't everyone allowed at least one?) and I bought a 45 foot ketch in Jersey. Put our four little kids aboard and trotted through the French inland waterways to the Med, and on as far as Lebanon. The money ran out and so did she. She took the kids and jumped ship in Kyrenia. Cyprus, and I took the boat by myself back across the Med and up the Rhone to Lyon and then, with crew, to Amsterdam where I starved until I sold her. (The boat, not the PW.) I worked in London to be near the kids, but she then moved to Guernsey.

Wow! You have led one exciting/interesting life :)

Maile - did you decide on Jersey then?

If you want a car to get around on Jersey, it's much better/cheaper to hire one on the island (you can pick up/have it delivered straight to the harbour). Rates are quite reasonable due to Jersey's low tax and plenty of competition.

With a car you've got the whole island at your feet and it's very easy to get around (though getting a bit lost on a few Green Lanes is part of the fun). You might also want to look into accommodation outside St Helier (I limited my hotel above as I presumed you'd be car-less). There are some <i>very</i> nice hotels in and around the villages of St Aubin and St Brelade which have wonderful seaside locations:-

http://www.dolanhotels.com/somerville-hotel/
http://www.stbreladesbayhotel.com/
http://www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/hotels/lhorizon/

The Durrell Wildlife Trust (they never refer to it a a zoo BTW) is well worth seeing, though it's quite small-scale. The centre-piece is the apes, and my sister tells me they've got two baby gorillas at the moment.

As I understand this is only a short side-trip, you'll have to ration yourself on what to see. There is so much to choose from: the extensive remains of the WW2 German occupation, two historic castles, the wonderful sandy beaches and coastal walks, and sampling the local seafood (the crab and lobster are worth travelling there on their own).

We've had 2 trips to Jersey/Guernsey in the last 2 years, but didn't like St Helier - it could have been any large soul-less commercial town anywhere and I wouldn't want to stay there. Both times we stayed in St Brelade's Bay, at the Golden Sands Hotel. We thought it had the best position of any hotel on the bay, right on the beautiful sandy beach and the seafront rooms all have balconies. It was also one of the friendliest places I've stayed in, lovely staff. The bay isn't a place for rowdy nightlife, but there are several hotels, bars and restaurants on the beach, so no need to travel further afield in the evenings (I recommend the Crab Shack for excellent seafood).

We felt we needed a car on Jersey (hire a ubiquitous Ford Fiesta, but remember your number plate as the car parks are full of identical ones). Staying in St Peter Port in Guernsey, we took advantage of the excellent bus service and didn't think a car was necessary at all.

Of the two islands, we thought Jersey had more to do if staying for a longer time, but Guernsey had more charm.

nukesafe - Being that I am a musician and so are many of my friends, we consider Led Zeppelin to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time. To have spent time drinking with one of the Gods of rock would be the equivalent of reaching nirvana to us. BTW, great story about the boat and the practice wife.

Maile, You might want to get in the mood for your Island adventure by watching Masterpiece Theater’s ISLAND AT WAR. The series “focuses on three local families: the upper class Dorrs, the middle class Mahys and the working class Jonases, and four German officers. The fictional island of St. Gregory serves as a stand-in for the real-life islands Jersey and Guernsey, and the story is compiled from the events on both islands.”

And let’s not forget the best- selling account of Guernsey during WWII with the crazy title – THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows. Both the film and book record the pain inflicted on the island residents because of Hitler’s determination not to lose his “little bit of Britain.”

Have a great time…

Condor ferries