Travel Information
Travel Advice
Choosing to holiday in the Channel Islands means you not only get to escape the hustle and bustle of life back home and enjoy a “taste of the continent”; but because the Channel Islands are part of the UK, you avoid the hassle of travelling abroad – the currency is the same, the people speak English and driving is on the left
As with any destination worldwide (including back home) it is sensible to take basic precautions such as:
- Avoid walking home alone at night
- If you need directions, ask the reception staff or concierge
- Use licensed taxis only
- Make sure your room is secure when you go out – lock all doors and windows
- Make use of safety deposit boxes if provided or deposit cash and valuables at the hotel reception
- Don’t carry expensive personal items with you when you go out and keep jewellery to a minimum
- Avoid carrying a lot of cash.
- Use credit cards where possible and if you have more than one, keep them in separate places.
Travel Documentation
Whilst passports are not required for entry to the Channel Islands, increased security is such that most airlines now require that you produce valid photo identification at check in. The following forms of ID are acceptable:
- Valid Passport
- Valid Photographic driving licence
- Citizen Card
Hotel Grading
All properties are regularly inspected to ensure that standards are maintained. The star ratings are awarded by independent grading authorities, who inspect properties annually. Where available, we publish the official ratings as a guideline, but this is not an exact science and you should remember that even within one category, there will be differences between properties. Descriptions and prices should also be taken into account when considering the type of accommodation you can expect.
In general, accommodation is divided in to three main categories: hotel (usually offering a wider range of facilities and services, which will be detailed within the brochure description), guest accommodation (typically smaller guest houses – often family run - possibly only offering bed and breakfast, where quality is more important than facilities and services) and self-catering. Grades are awarded within each category and even where the number of symbols is the same the actual standards will differ as the grading criteria vary according to the accommodation type, so it is important to be aware of the accommodation category. We offer accommodation of all types from the simplest at the lower end of the scale to the more comfortable with a more extensive range of services and facilities at the higher end. Please read the descriptions in our brochure (and ask our staff for more information if you need it) to enable you to choose the one which is right for you.
Jersey – In Jersey, there is no compulsory grading system. Most accommodation is graded either under the Jersey Quality Assured (JQA) system or by the AA. Hotel grades range from 1 star to 5 star and the grading criteria are similar regardless of the grading organisation. Guest accommodation is also graded using stars from 1 to 5. However, it should be noted that you should not expect the same standards and service from 3 star guest accommodation as in a 3 star hotel, as the grading criteria are completely different. Some properties are given red stars, which indicates a superior property within the category and grade. Because the grading system has recently been changed in Jersey, some properties may be shown as “awaiting grading” or with a provisional grading. This is simply because they are awaiting final inspections and should not be taken to indicate any shortcomings in that particular property. We will be happy to provide confirmed details as soon as they are available to us. Some properties have opted out of any grading scheme, although all accommodation must meet minimum health and safety and fire regulations. In this case, no grade is shown in the brochure.
Guernsey - Hotel grades use the Visit Britain scheme and range from one star to five star being the highest. Guest accommodation grades range from one diamond to five diamond being the highest. Self catering grades range from one star to five star being the highest. Some properties have also opted to be graded by the AA.
Herm, Alderney and Sark - Alderney, Sark and Herm do not use an accommodation grading system.
Financial Protection
The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 require us to provide security for the monies that you pay for the package holidays booked from this brochure and for your repatriation in the event of our insolvency. For air holidays, we provide this security by way of a bond held by the Civil Aviation Authority under ATOL number 2713. For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk. For sea travel and accommodation only bookings, your monies are protected under the bond held with ABTA. We are a member of ABTA with membership number V0762. As such we abide by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. In order to ensure that the monies you pay for your holiday are protected, we will issue a confirmation invoice showing details of the services you have booked including the price and amount of money paid by you.
Useful links
Jersey Tourism – The official website of Jersey Tourism
Visit Guernsey; the official tourism website for Guernsey
Herm Island – the official tourism website for the island of Herm