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The Charms of the Channel Islands

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Discover turbulent histories and incredible scenery of Guernsey and Jersey

You are viewing the 2021 itinerary. Select your departure year
20212022
9 days From £1,895 per person

2021 Tour code: CAS21

About the tour

The stunning Channel Islands dot the sea between England's south coast and France, boasting gorgeous scenery and beautiful beaches. We discover the history and incredible natural beauty of Guernsey, Jersey and Herm, visiting secluded beaches and ancient coastal castles.

Highlights

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What’s included

Itinerary

Days 1-2 - London and Bournemouth

We meet at London Waterloo today, where we board the train to Bournemouth, a vibrant Victorian seaside resort town. Our base here for 2 nights is the 4-Star Ocean Beach Hotel, boasting a lovely seafront location.

On Day 2, we transfer by coach to Norden where we join a train for the short journey to Corfe Castle, a quaint Dorset village famous for its striking castle ruins of the same name. Enjoy some time to explore this charming, quintessentially English village at your own pace, before a short journey on the Swanage Railway. This heritage steam railway travels through the pretty scenery of Dorset, as well as the impressive ruins of Corfe Castle, on a picturesque line that first opened in 1885.

Arriving in the coastal town of Swanage, we have some time to soak up the scenic surroundings. With a lovely sandy beach, independent boutiques and delightful cafés, there's plenty to discover here Afterwards, we transfer back to the hotel for dinner

Includes
  • Day 1 - Dinner
  • Day 2 - Breakfast, Dinner
Swanage Railway
Days 3-4 - Guernsey

After breakfast this morning, we transfer by coach to Southampton airport for our flight to the beautiful island of Guernsey, where there have been human settlements since 5000 BC. Our hotel is the 3-Star Peninsula Hotel, which has excellent views across Grand Havre Bay, a particularly scenic bay whose name aptly means 'haven'.

On Day 4 we discover the delights of Guernsey with a half day tour. The island once belonged to France, but was put in control of the Normans, who then took over England, thus the island changed hands. One of the most famous sights on Guernsey is Castle Cornet, which was once a tidal island before its natural bridge was cut off from the mainland. The castle has been used as an important fortification throughout history, becoming a Royalist stronghold in the Civil War, despite Guernsey itself supporting Parliament.

Your afternoon is free to explore Guernsey at leisure, or relax at our hotel.

Includes
  • Day 3 - Breakfast, Dinner
  • Day 4 - Breakfast, Dinner
Castle Cornet
Day 5 - Herm

We board the ferry this morning which takes us to Herm, a tiny, car-free island east of Guernsey. We have a day at leisure to soak up its nostalgic charms and relaxed atmosphere. With amazing sandy coves, a rugged coastline, attractive shell beach, rich history and abundance of beautiful natural scenery, this is a truly wonderful place to spend the day.

We take a ferry back to Guernsey, arriving back at our hotel in time for dinner together this evening.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Herm
Days 6-7 - Jersey

After a morning at leisure, we transfer to the port for the ferry to Jersey, an island with a long and, at times tumultuous, history. Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands, and is surrounded by blue waters and fringed with pristine, golden beaches.

We transfer by coach to our hotel on the island, the 4-Star Pomme D'or Hotel in St Helier, Jersey's capital, located just a few minutes' walk from a lovely beach and overlooking handsome Liberation Square.

On Day 7, we discover Jersey today with a full-day tour of the island, travelling by coach to uncover its many highlights. Our tour takes in a number of alluring bays, including St Aubin's Bay, St Ouen's Bay, and St Brelade's Bay, home to perhaps the island's most popular beach. We visit the iconic La Corbière Lighthouse, purportedly the most photographed spot on the island, and the gorgeous Grève de Lecq beach, where we have free time to grab lunch. This afternoon, we make a visit to Gorey harbour, where we see an amazing collection of marvellous pearl jewellery, made of pearls sourced from local pearl farmers.

Includes
  • Day 6 - Breakfast, Dinner
  • Day 7 - Breakfast, Dinner
Jersey
Day 8 - Jersey War Tunnels

We step back in time to the sombre days of World War II today, paying a visit to the underground war tunnel complex built when Jersey was under Nazi occupation. The occupation lasted from 1940 until the very end of the war, and the tunnels were built using slave labour from prisoners of war from all around the world. They were used by the German infantry to protect themselves from Allied air raids, and in 1943 was converted into an emergency hospital.

On our fascinating visit, we have the chance to learn all about the history of the island under the rule of the Nazis, and the brave resistance shown by the Jersey nationals at the time.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Jersey War Tunnels
Day 9 - London

Enjoy a morning at leisure after breakfast today, before we transfer to the airport for our flight to Southampton. From here we travel by rail to London, where our tour concludes.

Includes
  • Breakfast
London

Additional information

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotels

Ocean Beach Hotel, Bournemouth

Ocean Beach Hotel, Bournemouth

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The Peninsula Hotel

The Peninsula Hotel, Guernsey

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Pomme D'or Hotel

Pomme D'or Hotel, St Helier

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Train

The Swanage Railway

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Reviews

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Mr A Varley

4 stars

Submitted 14 Jul 2019

Everything was good except the poor breakfast arrangements at the Hallmark East Cliff Hotel in Bournemouth

Collected by Great Rail Journeys

Europe & UK by Rail 2021

Europe & UK by Rail 2021

The definitive guide to our 2021 summer & winter rail holidays to a wide range of destinations in Europe.

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The Charms of the Channel Islands

Discover turbulent histories and incredible scenery of Guernsey and Jersey

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Luke Simpson
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Helen Laverack
Helen
Lynne Broadley
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