Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands, has been a popular holiday destination for decades. Sitting in the English Channel, 100 miles south of the British coast and 14 miles north of Normandy in France, the island is home to beautiful beaches, historic castles and plenty of great restaurants serving locally-caught seafood. Book a flight to and hotel on Jersey, and you can enjoy all that this unique destination has to offer visitors.
Flights to Jersey arrive from across Europe, and flights from Chicago to Jersey and New York to Jersey depart regularly, usually via UK airports. Jersey Airport is located in the village of St Peter, a few miles drive from the main island town of St Helier. You can take taxis around the island quite cheaply, or take the public bus service to start your weekend on Jersey.
The official language on Jersey is English, though many people also speak French. Some older residents still speak the local Jerriais dialect. The currency is the pound, and the time zone on the island is the same as the rest of the UK.
While Jersey enjoys plenty of sunshine in the summer months, it can also be quite windy and even cool throughout the year because of its exposed location in the middle of the English Channel. If you decide to book vacation packages in Jersey during the autumn or winter months, you should expect a fair bit of rain and even a few storms.
Regardless of what time of year you enjoy weekend getaways in Jersey, you should spend some time exploring the island's beautiful beaches. In the summer you can sit back, relax and enjoy the sunshine, and in the winter, you can enjoy the dramatic and windswept scenery while taking a coastal hike.
St Brelade's Bay, on the island's south coast, is popular with summer visitors on getaways in Jersey. This pretty and sheltered beach is also ideal for those who want to try surfing. If you want more peace and quiet, head to Portelet Bay which is accessed by a steep climb down from the cliffs. Explore the caves eroded into the cliffs at Plemont Bay on the northern coast of Jersey if lying on the beach is not your cup of tea.
The quieter roads on Jersey are ideal for cyclists, and there are plenty of places across the island where you can hire a bike. Jersey is only eight miles in length and five miles across, so you can easily cover most of the island on two wheels with vacation packages in Jersey.
Don't spend all your time relaxing on the beach on weekend getaways in Jersey; there are lots of interesting historical and cultural visitor attractions to enjoy too.
As you might expect for an island surrounded by the bounty of the sea, fish and seafood are popular in Jersey's restaurants. Enjoy a relaxed crab sandwich sitting by the quayside in St Helier, or hit one of the town's high-end restaurants serving lobster, oysters and other seafood specialities. Buy your own supplies in the Central Market or the Fish Market on Beresford Street in St Helier.
Fish isn't the only thing on the menu, however. The island is also famous for its Jersey cows, which are dairy cattle and produce the milk for the islands excellent butter and cheeses. Everyone has heard of Jersey Royals, a delicious type of new potato which is a staple accompaniment on Jersey itself.
Local produce makes a great souvenir of your visit to Jersey; the island produces its own wine, along with delicious cheeses and is famous for its Jersey Sea Salt, ideal for use in cooking. Take home a Jersey flag or pennant to remind you of the island's proud heritage, or invest in a painting by a local artist as a memento of Jersey's stunning natural beauty.
Jersey cow gifts can be found in souvenir shops across the island; everything from t-shirts and fridge magnets to stuffed toys and inventive milk jugs in the shape of a cow!