other maps of Jersey, including free maps suitable for general touring, which often highlight attractions so boldly that they obscure other details in the vicinity. By all means amass a collection of free maps, picking them up from Jersey Tourism or from hotels and visitor attractions around the island.
Getting around Jersey
By car
Cars can be taken on the Condor ferries to Jersey, and it is possible to hire cars on Jersey, either pre-booked or on arrival. Jersey cars carry a ‘J’ before the number on their registration plates, but hire cars are also stamped with a prominent ‘H’ for ‘hire’ or, according to local drivers, ‘horror’, because of the way they perceive the driving skills of visitors! Jersey’s roads are narrow and the maximum speed limit is 40mph, dropping to 15mph on ‘green lanes’. Roads can be very congested, especially at peak times around St Helier, and parking is very limited in some areas. The bottom line is, you won’t be going anywhere fast!
An extreme form of transport, a DUKW trundles off the beach and into the sea
A car is essential if you choose accommodation away from a regular bus route, but if you are based in St Helier, or on a regular bus route, then it is best to use buses to travel round the island. Drivers should obtain and study the free leaflet ‘Parking and Driving in Jersey’. If you do not understand the ‘filter in turn’ rule that applies in Jersey, then think twice before driving there.
By bus
Jersey has an excellent bus network provided by LibertyBus, and it is worth visiting the bus station, Liberation Station, to pick up timetables and enquire about tickets at the earliest opportunity. All the routes in this guidebook were researched using buses, and the author heartily recommends this mode of travel. The timetables come in summer and winter versions, although there are only minor differences between them.
The bus routes are numbered and generally fan outwards from St Helier, running from early until late. They reach various far-flung parts of Jersey, where they turn round and come back to town. A few of the bus routes cross over each other. Tickets can be bought on the bus for single journeys and there are two prices, depending on whether the journey is short or long. Save money by buying tickets at the bus station, for unlimited travel spanning periods of one, three or seven days, offering progressively better value. In general, you need to make three or four long bus journeys per day for these tickets to pay for themselves, otherwise singles work out cheaper. Alternatively, invest in an ‘AvanchiCard’, which works more or less the same way that an ‘Oyster’ card works in London.
Full details of all bus services on Jersey, including timetables, an online Journey Planner, and fare information, are available at www.libertybus.je. Telephone enquiries can be made on 01534 828555. Bus stops around Jersey have unique numbers, either on the bus stop or painted on the road. Simply text one of these numbers to 66556 to receive details of the next available bus service. Live bus times can also be checked on mobile devices.
Tourist information
The first point of contact for all tourism-related enquiries is Jersey Tourism, Liberation Place, St Helier, JE1 1BB. Tel. 01534 448800, email [email protected], website www.jersey.com.
Jersey Tourism provides plenty of free printed materials, including accommodation brochures and leaflets about attractions and events and ‘what’s on’ guides. There are also books, maps and gifts on sale. Its website includes plenty of information about walking opportunities, including the popular Jersey Walking Weeks that are a feature of spring and autumn each year. These events offer visiting walkers the chance to explore the island in the company of Jersey people, led by knowledgeable local guides.
The black and white Noirmont Tower off Noirmont Point dates from around 1810 (Walk 3)
Emergencies
The police, ambulance, fire and coastguard services are all alerted by dialling 999, free of charge, from any telephone. Alternatively, the European emergency number of 112 can be used. Jersey has two police forces, having retained an ‘honorary’ police force dating from the 15th century, whose officers are attached to the island parishes, www.jerseyhonorarypolice.org.
The emergency services sometimes call for the assistance of the Channel Islands Air Search, a voluntary organisation that maintains a light aircraft, available on stand-by 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, offering an ‘eyes in the sky’ capability around the islands. See www.ci-airsearch.com.
Using this guide
The walks in this guidebook start with a town trail around St Helier, allowing visitors to become acquainted with some of the heritage features and services of the largest town in the Channel Islands. Walks 2 to 16 are arranged clockwise round the coast of Jersey, and most of them are circular, made up of a coastal stretch and an inland stretch. They are all fairly short and easy, with the most rugged being along the north coast. As all the walks are arranged side-by-side they can be linked to form longer walks. Walk 17 is different, and is entirely dependent on a favourable tide; therefore it might not be possible to attempt while you are on the island. Walks 18 to 24 explore the inland parts of Jersey, though as has already been observed, no part of the island is more than 3.5km (2 miles) from the sea.
All the walking routes are accessible by bus services, and if any other bus services cross them, these are mentioned. Places offering food and drink are mentioned, but as opening times vary it is wise to carry something to eat and drink. If there are any visitor attractions on the routes, these are given a brief description, and if contact details are provided, opening times can be checked. Bear in mind that some attractions take an hour or two to explore properly, and this eats into the time spent walking. A very short walking route with two or three major attractions and a good restaurant can take all day to complete if walkers really want to make the most of these opportunities!
Some walkers visit Jersey simply to walk all the way round the coast, and this is an admirable plan. Walk 25 explains in very brief detail how to do it, by referring readers back to Walks 2 to 16. Each of these walks includes a stretch of coast, but at the point where these routes head inland, it is possible to link directly with the next walk in the book and the next stretch of coast. An annual sponsored walk aims to cover the coast in one long day, while average walkers would take three or four days to walk round the island. During the Jersey Walking Weeks, a guided five-day circuit is offered.
Walkers who have also obtained a copy of the Cicerone guide Walking on Guernsey can combine coastal walks around Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm with a coastal walk around Jersey, thereby completing the ‘Channel Island Way’ (see Appendix A). The full distance is around 178km (110 miles).
WALK 1
St Helier Town Trail
| Start/Finish | Liberation Square, St Helier |
| Distance | Variable |
| Terrain | Urban roads and pavements, as well as parks. |
| Refreshments | Plenty of choice around St Helier. |
| Transport | All bus services on Jersey operate to and from Liberation Station. |
St Helier is the largest town in Jersey and the Channel Islands, with several features of note. A rigid route description is hardly appropriate, and in fact there is no need to dedicate a whole day to a tour.