It's no secret staycations have become a big deal over the past few years. It was all kickstarted by the pandemic when, let's be honest. we had no choice. But now add in the cost of living crisis and the extra complications - and queues - brought in by Brexit and you can see why staying on our shores has only increased in popularity ever since.
But is there a way of getting away without 'getting away'? Can you mix staycation convenience with the excitement of travelling to a different country. Well, the Channel Island could well offer just this. My family (mum, dad and two boys under six) headed to Jersey to see if it made for the perfect holiday hotspot for a family who wanted adventure without the headaches...
Crossing with Condor Ferries
Condor now runs services between France and England plus Guernsey and Jersey all-year round and last year some 200,000 passenger vehicles hopped on board, showing the popularity of the routes. Indeed, I hadn't realised I'd used the service before as we have grandparents over in western France so regularly navigate the Channel.
If you are heading to the Continent I can definitely recommend the St Malo and Cherbourg routes, especially if you are heading south or keeping west. Although it might be a little pricier than the Dover crossing or taking the Tunnel, once you factor in the savings your making on toll roads and fuel it does make a lot of sense. Also, I have never experienced the delays you often see in the southeast when travelling from Portsmouth or Poole even if we were on the move during the busiest times.
Condor runs high-speed trimaran/catamaran vessels and both certainly can shift and cuts down the traveling time considerably - you can get to St Malo from the UK in a little over six hours. For the journey out to Jersey we boarded the Conder Liberation. It offers airline-like seats that I have traveled in before, but this time we had been upgraded to the Horizon Lounge which offers panoramic views of the water.
You can buy wi-fi access which, again, I'd vouch for as you can risk your phone/tablet connecting to a sea-based service which will cost you a bomb for data. Meals and refreshments are aplenty, while there is also a duty-free shop where you can pick up a bargain.
Now, we were traveling just after a storm the previous day so it was a bit choppy but I think this is the perfect chance to see the staff in action and I'm happy to report they were excellent. One steward in particular called Gary is a bone fida saint who should be given a knighthood for the way he looked after everyone when things really did go all up-down-repeat. The rough crossing was just one of those things, and certainly our trip back was like floating on air.
Just a couple more things to note on the crossing. If you take one that does stop off at either of the Channel Islands on the way you will need to physically depart the boat to go through border control. You can do this by foot and you don't need to get back into your car. And once you dock get a shift on and get back to your vehicle quickly as no-one is hanging about and you don't want to risk holding everyone up!
For more info on Condor's ferry routes, click here.
During our couple of days in Jersey we stayed at the Hotel de Normandie, which was only a short drive from the ferry port (although to be honest everywhere is a short drive!). It's a family-run three-star hotel that is brilliantly located just a stone's throw from the beach and just down the road from the bustling centre of the island's capital, St Helier.
The hotel itself had a unique feel that made a nice change of the big chains. We stayed in a family room which came with one double bed, a bunk bed for the kids, and an ensuite bathroom. The food served up in the mornings is the usual mix of Continental or fry-up but done very well. We ended up using the in-hotel restaurant both nights as we found it was brilliant, the food outstanding and the price pretty reasonable. A big shout out to the fish and chips!
We got there in the late afternoon but we still had plenty of time to explore the beach. so we pulled on our t-shirts and shorts and off we went. The beach was marvelous, wide and open with the tide just coming in so the children could dip their toes in. Now it was early April and the sun was out so we thought it was relatively warm but we didn't half feel like tourists when the locals passed us walking their dogs, all wrapped up like Arctic explorers!
All in all, Hotel de Normandie made us feel very welcome. The one quibble was that the shower didn't have much 'oomph' but that was more than made up by the overall experience. It's also worth knowing that you'll need to prepare to hand over your car keys during your stay as the car park is tight and hotel staff might need to move your vehicle.
Jersey itself is, as you would expect, a real mix of the UK and France. It's the largest Channel Island but only homes a little over 30,000 people. To put that into context this figure is around a third of the population of Slough. But although you're driving on the left, the architecture and more strikingly the flora scream the Continent.
Thanks to the surrounding waters the island enjoys milder winters than the mainland, while often being protected from the worst of the summer heatwaves. A very happy balance. That's matched culturally as you have plenty of choice of things to do, be that enjoying the beaches or visiting one of the island's museums. There's also an opera house and an art centre.
One of the most eventful times in recent times was during the Second World War. The Channel Islands were occupied by Nazi forces for much of WWII, the only part of the British Empire to be taken over by Germany. There's a very complicated history to explore during this period - including one stretch when both the islanders and invaders almost starved - that can be discovered as the occupation has left a physical imprint on the island. For this reason, a trip to the Jersey War Tunnels - an underground tunnel complex built by the Germans using slave labour - is a real must.
But away from the island's rich history, our main mission was to see what the island had to offer for families. In this case two very tired adults and a pair of million-mph boys with enough energy combined to power a small town. After a good night's sleep at the hotel we drove inland for a day at the aMaizin! Adventure Park
It's the largest farm park in Jersey and offers indoor and outdoor fun with barnyard animals and dozens of family activities all included in the ticket. The indoor area is a purpose-built place designed to bring out the imagination in your little 'un - no electronics to be found anywhere! Both kids had a great time - with the pair especially loving the ball vacuum. Free wifi for the adults was also a nice added extra.
But if the weather's good (and it normally is), then get outdoors where you'll find an impressive selection of activities, including toboggan, go-karts and jumping pillow guaranteed to tire them out. And then to cap this off there are the rabble of adorable barnyard animals. We're talking goats, pigs, sheep and a cheeky Shetland pony called Dougal.
aMaizin! is a real must for a family day out if you're on the island come rain or shine, but at the very least one to keep in your back pocket just in case the rain clouds gather and all you're left with is another game of Monopoly!
To a whole generation the name of Gerald Durrell is synonymous with animals. But if, like we, you weren't aware he was the author and conservationist behind the iconic My Family and Other Animals. He was also a zookeeper - and that zoo is Jersey Zoo, which he established back in the late 1950s.
The zoo spans 32 acres of parklands in the centre of the island, where you can find 100 different species of animals, everything from gorillas and orangutans to poison dart frogs and giant tortoises. As you would expect, the children (and adults) loved it. You;re handed a map at the start so you have the freedom to plan your day.
While we saw many amazing animals, we deemed the winner on the day the fruit bats. I've been in bat enclosures before but have never had a good a view of these incredible mammals. They are huge with a wingspan of a fighter jet - and some flying skills you need to see to believe.
If your kids still have the energy after a day exploring the animals, there is also an indoor and outdoor play areas, plus a sandpit and other special sessions during the day designed just for kids. There is also a range of cafes and picnic spots across the site to great up and have a bite to eat. The zoo also puts on a series of special events throughout the year so it's worth checking what's going on when you are there. And, if you're really a big animal fan, you can even stay there at the on-site hostel or five-star glamping chalets.
Verdict
As you might have guessed, we had a great time and while our three-day stay only scratched the surface it was abundantly clear Jersey has a lot to offer the holidaymaker. And for families, it's a great option if you want to take them away without having to go through much of the hassle and stress of traveling abroad. It's an island that has something for everyone, and we were truly sad to bid it farewell as we left port.
