Guernsey, how do I get to the Isle???
 

We are tentatively planning a short trip to Guernsey, when we arrive in Southampton next June.

Are there any Channel Isle experts out there in Fodorland, who can tell me if we can fly from Souithampton?

Would we then be able to fly to London, and/or Paris??

Are there other better ways to arrive?

Many thanks.

Oh, am I embarrassed! I put up the "ask" before I looked for earlier posts. Now I've found lots more than I could ever imagine.

Looks like we should probably go to Jersey, doesn't it?

I'll read the old posts, but I still wonder about flying. It may be covered in some reports I haven't gotten to as yet.

I've certainly enjoyed the Channel-Islands-posts-repartee, tho! I recommend it to anyone looking for some fun!

Well if you are in Southampton, you're in the right place! There are frequent flights from Southampton airport to Guernsey on FlyBe and Blue Islands. It's a short 35 minute hop.

http://www.flybe.com/
http://www.blueislands.com/

You can fly from Guernsey direct to London on FlyBe, but no direct flight to Paris AFAIK.

Oh, thank you Gordon R. You are just the person I was hoping would see this. This sounds exactly like the info we needed.

We will be traveling with our friends on the QM2, for the second time, landing at Southampton. They want to visit Guernsey as some of his ancestors came from that island.

It will be fun working out our plan to spend a weekend there. It is all in the beginning stages at the moment, but I have enjoyed reading your responses to other requests for info on these islands.

To avoid flying, use www.condorferries.co.uk

They sail from Poole & Portsmouth, using a fast ferry from Poole or a conventional ship from Portsmouth.

@Man_in_seat_61: I realise you are something of a evangelist for the railways (and your advice is almost always spot-on)... but the OP is only planning a weekend in Guernsey. You'd have to <i>really</i> hate flying (or be subject to some of the occasional fog banks that shut down the Channel Island airports) to justify the huge penalty in travelling time incurred by the ferry alternative:

1h in a train to Poole + 3h on the "fast" ferry to Guernsey
or
1h in train to Portmsouth + 7h on the conventional ferry
vs
35-40 minute flight out of one of the easiest to use airports in the UK

(I leave out check-in/transfer times as these will be broadly similar in both cases)

I've flown from Southampton airport to Guernsey, so easy. At that time, KLM flew over. We found a great 3-night package with Thomas Cook, flight, choice of hotel and rental car. Can't remember the price but remember we thought it was a deal..

There was a choice of many hotels at different price points. I remember some wonderful restaurants on the island, didn't note names but it was about 12 years ago so not sure they would still apply. The island is so small, it hardly matters where you stay. St. Peter Port has a good park and ride service.

Just a quick book recommendation for the plane. Since you are going to Guernsey, you might enjoy reading The Guernesy Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Fictional account of the island during WW2.

We've flown to Guernsey with Flybe and with Aurigny (although not from Southampton), and Aurigny was both cheaper and more pleasant all round.

The bus service there is comprehensive and cheap - really no need for a car. The lanes are really, really, really narrow.

Thanks, all. Really, really good information!

Go to Guernsey more rugged that Jersey and if you get bored the trip to Sark is dead easy from St Peter Port

(or be subject to some of the occasional fog banks that shut down the Channel Island airports)>

and can stop ferries too - redolent of the infamous (but thought to be apocryphal) headline in a London paper years ago before the Chunnel trains were running and only boats or planes crossed the Channel:

"Fog in Channel Continent Cut Off"

Hi Taconictraveler,

To get in the mood for anyone visiting the Channel Islands, I would suggest reading (crazy title) THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows and watching the video ISLAND AT WAR (British TV).

Both are great stories about these islands during the Nazi occupation of WWII.

Enjoy your trip…

Late day traveler: i have read that book, which was delightful, and also watched a TV series by that name (I think!)

Both were great and make the Channel Islands enticing.