 The No-Fly Zone: Fast train from London to Poole, then Condor Ferries from Poole to Jersey & Guernsey...
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To the Channel Islands from £52
There's no need to fly. It's easy to reach Jersey or Guernsey by train & ferry, a more civilised, less stressful & more environmentally-friendly way to go, London to Jersey or Guernsey from as little as £43 each way by comfortable all-weather ship from Portsmouth or from £52 each way by fast ferry from Poole. First book the ferry from Portsmouth or Poole then add a train ticket from your local station to Poole or Portsmouth. This page explains train & ferry times, prices & how to buy tickets, and why the ferry is more fun than flying...
To Guernsey & Jersey by fast ferry from
Poole
To Guernsey & Jersey by
ship from Portsmouth
Ferries to Alderney, Sark & Herm
Ferries between Jersey & Guernsey
Ferries from
the Channel Islands to France
Visiting the Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are a great place for a holiday or short break, with sandy beaches, castles, history and lots to explore. "Great Britain is our oldest possession" is a long-standing Channel Islanders' joke. The Channel Islands, lying a few miles from the coast of France but over 70 miles from the UK, were part of Normandy when William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invaded and captured England in 1066. When the French king later invaded and captured Normandy in 1204, the Islanders chose to stay subject to the Crown of England. In return for their loyalty, the Islands were allowed to retain their own government (called the 'States') and even today they are not legally part of the UK or even the EU. The resulting favourable tax laws have made the Channel Islands a major financial centre and home to many wealthy Brits. It's also the reason you'll find 'duty-free' goods sold on the ferry to the Channel Islands, but not on a ferry to France! For tourist information see www.visitguernsey.com or www.jersey.com.
Option 1, by fast ferry from Poole
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The Condor Liberation |
This is the fastest ferry option to the Channel Islands, using Condor Ferries wave-piercing trimaran Condor Liberation from Poole. A very comfortable & relaxed way to travel, although the slower train & ship option via Portsmouth can be slightly cheaper.
London ► Jersey & Guernsey
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Step 1, take a fast air-conditioned electric train from London Waterloo to Poole. Trains leave every half hour through the day, journey time 2h01-2h08. Or travel from your local station - there's a direct route from Birmingham, Oxford & Reading to Poole without going via London, too.
In Poole, it's a 10-minute taxi ride or 25-minute 1.3 mile walk to the ferry terminal, click for map.
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Step 2, take the Condor Ferries fast trimaran Condor Liberation from Poole Ferry Terminal to St Peter Port on Guernsey in 3h00 or St Helier on Jersey in 4h30. What's the Condor Liberation like?
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How to plan your trip
First, check ferry times for your date of travel using the Direct Ferries website or at www.condorferries.co.uk. There is usually one sailing per day, this will determine your schedule.
Now check train times from London or from your local station to Poole at any train operator website such as tfw.wales, or use www.thetrainline.com, with arrival time at Poole station set to 90 minutes before the ferry sails, to allow for the taxi transfer & the 40-minute ferry check-in.
For example, if the ferry sails at 11:30, you'll be able to leave London around 07:00, arriving Guernsey 14:30 & Jersey 16:00. If the ferry sails any earlier, you may need to travel down to Poole the previous evening and stay overnight.
Jersey & Guernsey ► London
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Step 1, sail from St Helier (Jersey) to Poole in 4.5 hours or St Peter Port (Guernsey) to Poole on Condor Ferries wave-piercing trimaran Condor Liberation. What's the Condor Liberation like?
In Poole, it's a 10-minute taxi ride or 25-minute 1.3 mile walk from the ferry terminal to the station, click for map.
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Step 2, take a fast electric train from Poole to London Waterloo. Trains leave every half hour through the day, journey time around 2h09.
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How to plan your trip
First, check ferry times for your date of travel using the Direct Ferries website or at www.condorferries.co.uk. There is usually one sailing per day, this will determine your schedule.
Now check train times from Poole to London or your local station at any train operator website such as tfw.wales, or use www.thetrainline.com, with departure time from Poole set to around 60 minutes after the ferry arrives. The last train goes at around 21:50 most days, so if the ferry arrives after 20:50 you'll need to stay overnight in Poole and take a train next morning.
How much does it cost?
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London to Poole by train starts at £12.40 each way if you pre-book an Advance fare.
These are advance-purchase fares good for the specified train only, the price varies with limited availability at each price level.
If you buy on the day or want a flexible ticket it costs £60.90 one-way with a Super-Off-Peak ticket using off-peak trains or £74.00 with an Anytime ticket good for any train. A return journey costs £78.80 with an Off-Peak Return valid for a month or £148.00 return if you need to travel in the Monday-Friday morning peak hours.
No advance reservation is necessary with Off-Peak or Anytime tickets. Check prices at any train operator website such as tfw.wales or at www.thetrainline.com.
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Poole to Jersey or Guernsey by fast ferry stats at £45 each way for a foot passenger. Prices vary, check online at the Direct Ferries website or www.condorferries.co.uk. Return trips cost twice the one-way fare.
How to buy tickets
Integrated train & ferry tickets from any British station to the Channel Islands existed for over a century, but in recent times were not advertised, weren't made available online, and unsurprisingly were discontinued in 2014. So you now need to buy separate tickets as explained here.
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You can book Condor Ferries (and most other ferries) at www.directferries.co.uk. - select a route to Jersey or Guernsey, but it doesn't matter whether you select Poole or Portsmouth, in the search results you'll see departures from both UK ports to your chosen Channel Island. - Then buy a train ticket to Portsmouth or Poole at tfw.wales with no booking fee or card fees. |
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Step 1, book your ferry from Poole to Jersey or Guernsey at www.directferries.co.uk or www.condorferries.co.uk. This is easy, you book online and print out your booking reference. When you get to the ferry terminal, you simply quote your booking reference, there is no ticket involved.
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Step 2, buy a train ticket from your starting station to Poole at any train operator website such as tfw.wales (no booking fee) or use www.thetrainline.com (small booking fee).
Remember to allow at least half an hour to get from the station to the ferry terminal on foot or by taxi, and for the minimum 40-minute check-in for the ferry.
You usually print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. Or you collect hard-copy tickets from the self-service machines located at most National Rail stations.
Anytime & Off-Peak tickets can be bought at the station on the day, no need to reserve.
Children, luggage, dogs & bikes
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Children under 16 travel for half the adult fare on both trains & Condor Ferries. Children under 5 go free on all trains, under 3 go free on Condor Ferries.
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Luggage: Up to 15Kg of luggage travels free on Condor Ferries, you can take more but they may make an additional charge. Left luggage at London Waterloo.
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Bicycles go free on the ferry, and free or for a small charge on trains.
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Dogs & pets go on the ferry for £11 one-way, £22 return. Free on the train.
What's the journey like?
Step 1, London to Poole by train.
These 100mph electric trains are air-conditioned with power sockets at seats and free WiFi. There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink. In Poole, it's a 10-minute taxi ride or 25-minute 1.3 mile walk to the ferry terminal, click for map.
Step 2, Poole to Jersey or Guernsey with Condor Ferries
The Condor Liberation is a wave-piercing Trimaran, built in Australia in 2010 with a service speed of 35 knots (40 mph). She has regular seating, premium Ocean Plus seating with a 180-degree panoramic forward-facing view and premium Ocean Club seating with at-seat steward service and complimentary tea, coffee & soft drinks. There's a self-service cafe-restaurant, a bar and open observations decks at the stern from which to enjoy the sea views both leaving the UK and arriving in Guernsey and Jersey. You'll be treated to a departure past all the small boats in Poole Harbour, past the 16th century castle on Brownsea Island, past Sark and Herm before sailing into St Peter Port on Guernsey, then a trip right along the south-west coast of Jersey past Corbière lighthouse, St Brelade's Bay and Portlet Bay, then an entrance to St Helier Harbour passing right by Elizabeth Castle. Condor Ferries' Ocean Club Class is easily the most comfortable and civilised way to reach the Channel Islands, although you can't beat that panoramic view from Ocean Plus!
Ocean Club: The top class on board. A small premium lounge located on one side of the vessel, with steward service of complimentary tea, coffee, biscuits & soft drinks, orders for food, wine and beer taken and served at your seat. There are power sockets at all seats.
The Man in Seat 61 says, "On an evening crossing, the quiet environment and at-seat food & drink service was wonderful in Ocean Club. But on a daylight crossing I think I'd miss the panoramic views in Ocean Plus."
Ocean Plus: The middle of the three classes. A large lounge at the front of the vessel with a superb forward-facing panoramic 180-degree view. There are power sockets at all seats, and the lounge has its own bar service wine, beer, tea, coffee, soft drinks, cakes & snacks. The door to Ocean Plus has a digital lock, you'll be given the 4-digit code when you check in.
The Man in Seat 61 says, "Ocean Plus is my favourite class. More spacious and comfortable seats than the regular ones (almost as good as Club class seats), power sockets, its own bar, but best of all that wonderful panoramic forward view. Well worth the small premium over a regular ticket. I heartily recommend the Liberation Blonde craft beer, brewed on Guernsey"
The Man in Seat 61 says, "Our outward crossing on a late September morning was smooth and comfortable out of Poole Harbour. Wave height was about 1 metre, enough to cancel some fast ferries, but the slight up & down in mid-Channel was nothing to write home about as the Condor Liberation rode the waves. Once approaching Guernsey past Sark & Herm, it was all smooth again. Our return crossing was pretty smooth all the way. We were spot on time both ways..."
Option 2, by ship from Portsmouth, the all-weather option
This is the leisurely all-weather option, and the foot passenger fare is usually slightly cheaper than the fast ferry. The Condor Liberation can sail in anything up to 3.5m wave height, making her more reliable than most other lightweight fast ferries. But she can be cancelled if the weather is very bad, especially in winter. Condor Ferries also operate a daily all-year all-weather sailing using their conventional ship Commodore Clipper from Portsmouth to Jersey & Guernsey taking 9-10 hours. In the northbound direction she sails overnight with cosy cabins available, making it very time-effective.
London ► Jersey & Guernsey
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In this direction the Commodore Clipper sails by day, leaving Portsmouth International Ferry Port at 09:00 and arriving in Guernsey (St Peter Port at 16:30 & Jersey (St Helier) at 19:30.
Private cabins & reclining seats are available, as is a restaurant & bar - a private cabin gives you somewhere to rest, relax, freshen up with a shower or snooze. As she sails out of Portsmouth past the naval dockyard you get great views of all the modern warships, historic HMS Victory and HMS Warrior, and then Portsmouth's modern Spinnaker Tower, see the photos below. Check sailing times using the Direct Ferries website or at www.condorferries.co.uk. What's a crossing on the Commodore Clipper like?
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To catch the 09:00 ferry you'll need to leave London Waterloo at 05:00 (Mon-Sat only, check times and buy tickets at tfw.wales, or travel down to Portsmouth the night before. You want Portsmouth & Southsea station, not Portsmouth Harbour, as this is closest to the Continental Ferry Terminal.
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In Portsmouth, it's a 1.1 mile 23-minute walk or 8-minute taxi ride from Portsmouth & Southsea station to the International Ferry Terminal, see map.
Jersey & Guernsey ► London
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In this direction the Commodore Clipper sails overnight, leaving Guernsey at 17:30, Jersey at 21:30, and arriving Portsmouth at 06:30. Cabins and reclining seats are available, as is a restaurant & bar. Check sailing times using the Direct Ferries website or at www.condorferries.co.uk. What's a crossing on the Commodore Clipper like?
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On arrival in Portsmouth, take a taxi from the Continental Ferry Terminal to Portsmouth & Southsea station, a 1.1 mile 23-minute walk or 8-minute taxi ride, click for map.
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A train connection from Portsmouth & Southsea station will get you to London Waterloo at about 09:30, you can check times at tfw.wales and expect to be on a train around 60 minutes after the ferry arrives.
How much does it cost?
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London to Portsmouth by train starts at £9.70 each way if you pre-book an Advance ticket.
These are advance-purchase fares good for the specified train only, the price varies with limited availability at each price level.
If you buy on the day, a one-way ticket costs £39.90 Super Off-Peak or £47.40 Anytime.
A return ticket costs £52.60 Super Off-Peak Return valid for a month or £94.80 Anytime Return if you need to travel in the Monday-Friday morning peak hours. No advance reservation is necessary for Super Off-Peak, Off-Peak or Anytime fares.
Portsmouth & Southsea is the station closest to Portsmouth Continental Ferry Terminal, not Portsmouth Harbour.
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Portsmouth to Jersey or Guernsey by ferry starts at £45 each way for a foot passenger.
Prices vary so check online using the Direct Ferries website or at www.condorferries.co.uk. Return trips are twice the one-way fare.
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London to Guernsey or Jersey from £52
If you use the slightly slower Southern Railway route from London Victoria to Portsmouth & Southsea there are advance-purchase fares from just £7 each way. Just specify London Victoria as your starting point when booking online at any train operator website such as tfw.wales - it helps to click More options, look for Journey options and select Direct services only. As you'd expect, these fares are only valid on the specific train you book, no refunds. When added to the cheapest ferry one-way or return fare, it's possible to get from central London to the Channel Islands in comfort from as little as £52 each way.
How to buy tickets
Integrated train & ferry tickets from any British station to the Channel Islands existed for over a century, but in recent times were not advertised, weren't made available online, and unsurprisingly were discontinued in 2014. So you now need to buy separate tickets as explained here.
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- select a route to your chosen Channel Island, Jersey or Guernsey. It doesn't matter whether you select Poole or Portsmouth, in the search results you'll see departures from both UK ports to your chosen Channel Island. - After booking the ferry, buy a train ticket from any British station to Portsmouth or Poole at tfw.wales |
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Step 1, book your ferry from Portsmouth to Jersey or Guernsey using the Direct Ferries website or at www.condorferries.co.uk. This is easy, you book online and print out your booking reference. When you get to the ferry terminal, you simply quote your booking reference, there is no ticket involved.
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Step 2, buy a train ticket from your starting station to Portsmouth at any train operator website such as tfw.wales. You usually collect your tickets from the self-service machines installed at most National Rail stations. Remember to allow at least half an hour to get from the station to the ferry terminal on foot or by taxi, and for the minimum 40-minute check-in for the ferry. Anytime & Off-Peak tickets can be bought at the station on the day, no need to reserve.
Children, luggage, dogs & bikes
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Children under 16 travel for half the adult fare on both trains & Condor Ferries. Children under 5 go free on all trains, under 3 go free on Condor Ferries.
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Luggage: Up to 15Kg of luggage travels free on Condor Ferries, you can take more but they may make an additional charge. Left luggage at London Waterloo.
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Bicycles go free on the ferry, and free or for a small charge on trains.
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Dogs & pets go on the ferry for £11 one-way, £22 return. Free on the train.
What's the journey like?
Step 1, London to Portsmouth by train.
These 100mph air-conditioned electric trains have power sockets & free WiFi. There's no catering so bring your own food & drink. There are also direct trains to Portsmouth from Cardiff, Bristol, Reading, Salisbury, Southampton, Brighton. Get off at Portsmouth & Southsea (not Portsmouth Harbour), it's a 1.1 mile 26-minute walk or 8-minute £7 taxi ride to the International Ferry Port, see walking map.
On board the train. Below, Portsmouth & Southsea station.
Step 2, Portsmouth to Jersey or Guernsey by Commodore Clipper
The Commodore Clipper is designed to carry passengers, cars & freight at 18.5 knots. Her passenger accommodation isn't as extensive as some ships, but she's clean, comfortable and well-run. Private cabins are available, and there's a self-service brasserie, a lounge-bar with panoramic views, a duty free shop, and Club class seating available for a supplement. You'll be treated to a departure from Portsmouth Continental Ferry port past the Royal Navy frigates and even the odd aircraft carrier in the naval dockyard, past Nelson's HMS Victory and ironclad HMS Warrior in the dockyard museum, a call at St Peter Port on Guernsey, then a trip along the coast of Jersey from Corbière lighthouse, past St Brelade's Bay, then an entrance to St Helier Harbour with great views passing right by Elizabeth Castle.
Portsmouth International Ferry Port.
Inside the ferry terminal. The Condor Ferries check-in desk is in the centre. When boarding starts, you go into departures via the doorway in the far corner, after a ticket check and X-ray baggage scan a shuttle bus takes you onto the ferry.
The all-weather Commodore Clipper. Courtesy of Portsmouth's Tugmaster Lloyd.
Sailing out of Portsmouth is a highlight, past the naval dockyard with Nelson's HMS Victory and (visible above) the first iron-clad warship HMS Warrior. You can also see Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower in this shot, on a misty morning.
A day at leisure at sea (above left) before arriving off the coast of Jersey (above right)
Route map
Buses on Jersey & Guernsey
There are good bus services between all major points on Jersey and Guernsey.
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Bus services on Jersey: www.libertybus.je.
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Bus services on Guernsey: www.buses.gg.
Bicycles are also a great way to see the Islands, with well-marked low-traffic cycle routes across the Islands and several bike hire agencies available. Jersey is only 10 miles across, so bikes are an easy way to get around.
Ferries between the islands
Mont Orgeuil Castle, Jersey
Guernsey to Sark
The Isle of Sark Shipping Co provides 1 to 5 sailings daily between St Peter Port (Guernsey) and Sark, taking 45 minutes. See www.sarkshipping.gg.
Guernsey to Herm
Travel Trident provides regular daily sailings between St Peter Port (Guernsey) and Herm island, taking 20 minutes. See www.traveltrident.com.
Guernsey to Alderney
Alderney Ferry Services sails from Guernsey to Alderney by ferry, usually twice a day, see alderneyferryservices.co.uk.
Jersey to Sark
www.manche-iles-express.com provides occasional sailings to Sark ('Serq' in French) by fast ferry.
Ferries between Jersey & Guernsey
www.condorferries.co.uk offer fast ferries between St Helier (Jersey) and St Peter Port (Guernsey) in about 55 minutes, with day trips possible, plus a daily sailing by ship. www.manche-iles-express.com also offer sailings by fast ferry.
Ferries between the Channel Islands & France
Jersey & Guernsey ► St Malo
www.condorferries.co.uk operates fast ferries from Jersey to St Malo.
For onwards train connections from St Malo to Rennes & Paris, see www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com.
Jersey & Guernsey ► Normandy
See www.manche-iles-express.com for fast ferries from Jersey/Guernsey to Diélette, Barneville-Carteret and Granville in Normandy.
For onwards train connections in France, see www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com
Hotels & accommodation
Suggested hotel on Guernsey
In St\ Peter Port on Guernsey, easily the best hotel in town is the Old Government House Hotel, formerly the residence of the Governor.
