Practical Motorhome

TOUR ESSENTIALS

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WHEN TO GO

We visited in May and enjoyed beautiful sunshine all week. e best times for good weather and fewer crowds are May, June and September, but even during the busier summer months, the island is not too packed with tourists.

WAY TO GO

We travelled via ferry from Poole, Dorset, with Condor Ferries. e Poole to Jersey sailing costs £200 each way for a 7m campervan with two passengers (booked as a medium-sized motorhome).

An upgrade to the Horizon Lounge costs £13.45 per person each way.

We’ve just been told about a new

Super Saver fare, which would reduce the costs for travel to £160 each way for a campervan. Note that these have restrictiv­e T&Cs of a 50% cancellati­on fee up to 48 hours before departure, and a £10 amendment fee online or a £15 amendment fee by telephone, and require a return crossing within five days.

e current schedule is for Poole-Jersey services to operate via Guernsey and the total travel time is 4.5 hours (including the stop in Guernsey).

e Liberation high-speed trimaran from Poole travels at 34 knots, as opposed to the Commodore Clipper and Condor Islander convention­al ferries from Portsmouth, which sail at 18 knots and take 10 hours.

condorferr­ies.co.uk

DRIVING

Driving in Jersey is easy, with good roads that are well signposted. As in the UK, you drive on the left.

You might come across signs indicating ‘Filter in turn’, which means that as you approach the junction or roundabout, priority is given to traffic on your right and then it’s your turn and so on. It keeps traffic flowing and you’ll soon get used to it – just take your time.

ere’s a good bus service throughout the island and you’ll find more informatio­n on timings and routes at libertybus.je. e Jersey Buses app is also useful. We found plenty of parking, with some bays for larger vehicles, at the prominent tourist sites. It can get busy in St Helier, but it is relatively easy to park.

Please note that visitors are allowed to bring a motorhome to Jersey (maximum length 9.3 metres) but you must stay on a registered campsite and return to the site each night. For more details and a list of registered sites go to gov.je/Travel/ Informatio­nAdvice/Travellers/pages/ caravan.aspx.

WHERE WE STAYED

e Palms Campsite and Oasis Café La Route de Vinchelez,

St Ouen, Jersey JE3 2DB

Tel +44 1534 481700 thepalms.je what3words ///handrail.sacrificed.item

Opens at Easter, closes the first week in October. Medium-sized pitch for two, £29 per night with electric hook-up (’vans up to 6.2m long) and £39 per night (vehicles over 6.2m long). A quiet, well-maintained park on the north side of the island, with outdoor pool open from mid-May until the end of the season and a short drive or 20-minute walk to the beach.

FOOD AND DRINK

Custom House Poole customhous­epoole.co.uk Colleens Café

Tel 01534 481 420

Jersey Crab Shack

jerseycrab­shack.com

Le Braye Café

lebraye.com

Plemont Beach Café Tel 01534 482 005

FIND OUT MORE

Visit Jersey

jersey.com

Jersey War Tunnels

jerseywart­unnels.com

Mont Orgueil Castle

jerseyheri­tage.org

 ?? ?? 16 e Hot Fish Plate at Colleens Café
16 e Hot Fish Plate at Colleens Café

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