Jersey, Guernsey or Isle of Wight for a short break?

[T & P]

We’re thinking of using some of our remaining holiday days on a short UK break in early October, and fancy visiting one of the above islands.

We love exploring small towns and go on random countryside drives hugging the coastline, but my other half is not so keen on hiking or long walks, so things to do would trump amazing nature and wildlife that involved long countryside walks for us. We are happy to either go on our motorcycle to the Isle or Wight, or fly to the Channel Islands and hire a car.

Any obvious winner in people’s minds, or would any of them do us just fine?

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Channel Islands have restrictions on people arriving from the mainland, testing and stuff. No restrictions on Isle of Wight. The western side of the island is very nice, perhaps base yourself in Yarmouth...

 

[DJWrongspeed]

great idea, hadn't thought of this

 

[T & P]

Channel Islands have restrictions on people arriving from the mainland, testing and stuff. No restrictions on Isle of Wight. The western side of the island is very nice, perhaps base yourself in Yarmouth...

Shit, that hadn’t even entered my mind. That’s a deal breaker if it remains like that then...

 

[smmudge]

I think it's really unlikely that Guernsey is going to lift their restrictions before October or while the virus is still in general circulation. They haven't had a case in months and would probably like to keep it that way. Not sure about Jersey but would assume it's a similar story.

They recently fined a guy £10000 for breaking the self-isolation rules so not something you can get around (and you have to get permission to fly there anyway).

 

[Dead Cat Bounce]

Went to the Isle of Wight a couple of years ago, got the ferrry from Southampton to Cowes.

Stayed in a really nice AirB&B place in east Cowes, west Cowes has the better places for eating out and touristy things. If you get the ferry from east Cowes to west or vice versa then it was a return journey for the price of the ticket (at the time of 2018) we thought it was for a single trip.

Got fond memories of Shanklin Chine as a kid, not sure what it's like now.

The Needles near Alum bay are nice to visit.

 

[RubyToogood]

I think it's really unlikely that Guernsey is going to lift their restrictions before October or while the virus is still in general circulation. They haven't had a case in months and would probably like to keep it that way. Not sure about Jersey but would assume it's a similar story.

They recently fined a guy £10000 for breaking the self-isolation rules so not something you can get around (and you have to get permission to fly there anyway).

Jersey are not virus-free and totally out of lockdown like Guernsey but they have very, very low numbers. When you fly in you have to get tested, and if the test is negative you don't have to quarantine. My sister and family flew over here recently and back with no problems (but that was in the other direction of course).

 

[hash tag]

Expanding things slightly and avoiding the need to fly, why not a hat trick of Islands, though you wouldnt need much time for 2 of them, Isle of Wight, Brownsea Island and St Michaels. Mount

 

[T & P]

Went to the Isle of Wight a couple of years ago, got the ferrry from Southampton to Cowes.

Stayed in a really nice AirB&B place in east Cowes, west Cowes has the better places for eating out and touristy things. If you get the ferry from east Cowes to west or vice versa then it was a return journey for the price of the ticket (at the time of 2018) we thought it was for a single trip.

Got fond memories of Shanklin Chine as a kid, not sure what it's like now.

The Needles near Alum bay are nice to visit.

I am aware of the ferry being outrageously expensive (perhaps even the most expensive in the world per mile travelled IIRC). But I’ve just checked their fares for motorcycles on a random date in October and it was a mere £48 return, which is fairly reasonable.

 

[StoneRoad]

Isle of Wight would be the easiest before a vaccine ...

I want to visit the Isle of Man, but their locked borders are very tight, so no chance.

 

[RubyToogood]

Scilly Isles?

 

[T & P]

Scilly Isles?

Don’t know much about them but without googling anything there’s more things to do in IoW for a 4-day break.

Would totally want to do the helicopter trip to Scilly though

 

[lancslad89]

Isle of Wight is very nice, I agree on the south of the island I think the others would be classed as international travel so won't be allowed at the moment, but never been to the Channel Islands so couldn't say for definite

 

[StoneRoad]

Isle of Wight would be the easiest before a vaccine ...

I want to visit the Isle of Man, but their locked borders are very tight, so no chance.

bah, still waiting to be able to do this trip ...

although the prospect of vaccination is much closer.

 

[smmudge]

Guernsey is a good shout now if you want to go away as long as you're double vaccinated. Just have to buy £25 LFT box when you get there and do them alternate days, and you set up some tracker account. No PCR and nothing when you get back to the UK.