Jersey with Kids
Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands and is located in the Channel sea off the coast of northern France. Is it a British crown dependency and has an English feel to it with a slight twist. The capital is St Helier located on the southern side of the island within close proximity to the airport.
It’s quite common to hire a car whilst in Jersey (they drive on the left hand side so the same as the UK) we considered this option but decided that having done extensive research in to the bus system that this would be adequate for us and save us the hassle of having to take a car seat or arrange for one in Jersey.
This proved to be a very easy option, and the bus system was fantastic for seeing Jersey with kids. We got it from the airport into the city centre and used it throughout our trip to visit different parts of the island. Single tickets are available for £2.50 for an adult and £1.20 for a child (under 5s travel free) they also do ‘Discover Jersey’ travel passes for a specified number of days (between one and seven days) where you can purchase a family travel pass for one day. £18 for 2 adults and up to 3 children and at the other end of the scale is a 7 day pass for £65 for a family. This gives you a week’s travel for you and your family. The buses were lovely, clean and modern and cover the whole island. (Liberty bus) https://www.libertybus.je/
We stayed at the Best Western Royal Hotel in St Helier. It was a great location being so close to the city centre and beaches! The rooms were extremely spacious, though they didn’t provide travel cots so we took our own which was fine with us. The hotel had a lovely terrace to sit out on and also had a great, spacious conservatory style room where you could relax with a drink. https://booking.tp.st/Qg2lPTTT this page will let you view accommodations available in Jersey.
St Helier beach is a great area to explore. It was very close to our hotel via a walk through the city centre. We also spent time around the St Helier harbour which our hotel was also located close to. That was a wonderful area, and you can also get a great view from of the Elizabeth Castle which is located in St Aubins Bay and you are able to walk over to it when the tide is out or there is a ferry to take you if walking isn’t manageable.
There are some lovely little grassy areas just set back from the harbour next to the cinema and restaurant complex where you can let your kids have a good run around and enjoy just chilling out on the grass.
Walking along the promenade from St Helier towards St Lawrence is a great walk with a pram or walking with your kids if they are a bit older, and there were a few little bars along the way to stop off for a drink and enjoy the sunset over the sea and Elizabeth castle.
Jersey Zoo is probably the top attraction to visit when exploring Jersey with kids.
This is a conservation trust working to save animal species from extinction. It is a beautiful place, with some amazing bird aviaries to walk through and it was probably the most scenic zoo I have ever visited! It is a brilliant place for children with so much to see and do but also so much for them to learn with it being a conservation centre. https://www.durrell.org/visit-jersey-zoo/
In the afternoon we caught the bus to Rozel bay on the north side of the island, this wasn’t a big place, but it was a cute little harbour village. There was a small pebble beach which is nice for kids to play on.
For a drink, stop off at ‘The Grand Jersey Hotel’ which was a hotel with stunning views of St Aubins Bay. It certainly wasn’t cheap but with Teddy asleep it was a lovely place to stop for a drink.
Having a walk across St Aubins Bay with the tide out, you could really walk for a long time across the beach with great views of Elizabeth Castle. We didn’t swim in the sea at that time but it’s reportedly one of the most popular swimming spots on the island.
Two nights in Jersey with kids was perfect. I think with a younger child it is best to go during the summer months as you can enjoy all the outdoor activities in the fantastic weather. The zoo was wonderful for younger children and there are plenty of beaches to enjoy with them and the bus system is very easy and affordable to get around the small island so you do not have to rent a car if that’s not something you want to do. It’s very pram accessible and the long promenades make for great walks both during the day and in the evening when the little bars open up along the beach front.
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