Walking on Guernsey. Paddy Dillon
perceive the driving skills of visitors! Guernsey’s roads are narrow and the maximum speed limit is 35mph, dropping to 15mph on ruettes tranquilles. Roads can be very congested, especially at peak times around St Peter Port, and parking is very limited in some areas. The bottom line is, you won’t be going anywhere fast!
A designated ruette tranquille gives priority to walkers and cyclists and has a 15mph speed limit.
A car is essential if you choose accommodation away from a regular bus route, but if you are based in St Peter Port, or on a regular bus route, then it is best to use buses to travel round the island. Drivers who do not understand the ‘filter in turn’ rule that applies in Guernsey should think twice before driving there.
By bus
Guernsey has an excellent bus network provided by CT Plus – possibly one of the best networks in the entire world! It is worth visiting the kiosk at the town terminus for timetables and information about tickets at the earliest opportunity. All the routes on Guernsey in this guidebook were researched using buses, and the author heartily recommends this mode of travel. The timetables come in summer and winter versions, although there are only minor differences between them.
The bus routes are numbered and generally fan outwards from St Peter Port, running from early until late. They reach various far‐flung parts of Guernsey, where they turn round and come back to town. Some bus routes run in clockwise and anti‐clockwise circuits, with different numbers. For instance, the ‘Guernsey Vaeux’ route 91 runs clockwise around the coast of Guernsey, while route 92 runs anti‐clockwise, and both are exceedingly popular. Almost all bus routes touch the coast at some point, and have sections that overlap or run concurrent with other routes. St George’s Esplanade, running north from St Peter Port, features several bus routes.
Flat‐fare tickets can be bought on the bus for single journeys, and transfer tickets are available if another service needs to be used. Bus passes can be bought, offering unlimited travel for one, two or seven days, for individuals or family groups. A ‘Puffin Pass’ can be topped up with multiple journeys, and the more journeys that are added, the cheaper each journey becomes.
Full details of all bus services on Guernsey, including timetables, an online Journey Planner, and fare information, are available at www.buses.gg. Telephone enquiries can be made on 01481 700456. Bus stops are available in both urban and rural locations. In rural locations, it is possible to stop a bus almost anywhere that’s safe for the driver to stop, but in urban locations, bus stops must be used. Live bus times can be checked on mobile devices.
Travel to Alderney, Sark and Herm
The small islands of Alderney, Sark and Herm are usually reached from Guernsey. Bumblebee Boat Cruises, www.bumblebee.gg, operate between Guernsey and Alderney, while Manche Îles Express, www.manche-iles-express.com, serves Alderney from Diélette in France, and serves Sark from Jersey. Flights between Guernsey and Alderney are operated by Aurigny, www.aurigny.com. Ferries from Guernsey to Sark are provided by the Isle of Sark Shipping Company, tel 01481 724059, www.sarkshippingcompany.com. Ferries from Guernsey to Herm are provided by Travel Trident, tel 01481 721379, www.traveltrident.com.
Alderney, Sark and Herm do not have bus services. There are tour buses and taxis on Alderney, while Sark has a limited tractor and trailer service, along with horse-drawn carriages. On Herm visitors are expected to walk everywhere, but the island is tiny and all who visit the place expect to walk.
Guernsey probably has one of the best bus networks in the world, and proves remarkably good value
Tourist information
The first point of contact for all tourism-related enquiries is Guernsey Information Centre, North Esplanade, St Peter Port, GY1 3AN, tel 01481 723552, email [email protected], website www.visitguernsey.com.
The information centre can provide plenty of free printed materials, including accommodation brochures and leaflets about attractions, events and ‘what’s on’ guides. There are also books, maps and gifts on sale. The website includes plenty of information about walking opportunities, including the popular Guernsey Walking Weeks that are a feature of spring and autumn each year. These events offer visiting walkers the chance to explore the island in the company of Guernsey people, led by knowledgeable local guides.
There are also tourism bodies on the smaller islands. For Alderney, check with Visit Alderney, States of Alderney, PO Box 1001, Alderney, GY9 3AA, tel 01481 822333, www.visitalderney.com. For Sark check with Sark Tourism Office, The Avenue, Sark, GY10 1SA, tel 01481 832345, www.sark.co.uk. For Herm check with Administration Office, Herm, Guernsey, GY1 3HR, tel 01481 750000, www.herm.com.
Emergencies
The police, ambulance, fire and coastguard services are all alerted by dialling 999, free of charge, from any telephone. Alternatively, the European emergency number of 112 can be used.
The emergency services sometimes call on the assistance of the Channel Islands Air Search, a voluntary organisation that maintains a light aircraft, available on stand-by 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, offering an ‘eyes in the sky’ capability around the islands. See www.ci-airsearch.com.
Using this guide
The walks in this guidebook start with a town trail around St Peter Port, allowing visitors to become acquainted with some of the heritage features and services of the second largest town in the Channel Islands. Walks 2 to 14 are arranged clockwise round the coast of Guernsey, and most of them are circular, made up of a coastal stretch and an inland stretch. They are all fairly short and easy, with the most rugged being along the south coast. As all the walks are arranged side-by-side they can be linked to form longer walks. Walk 8 includes an optional extension that is entirely dependent on a favourable tide; therefore, it might not be possible to attempt while you are on the island. Walks 15 to 19 explore the inland parts of Guernsey, although as has already been observed, no part of the island is more than 3km (2 miles) from the sea.
Quiet reflection – an early morning scene on the harbour at St Peter Port
Some walkers visit Guernsey simply to walk all the way round the coast, and this is an admirable plan. Walk 20 explains in very brief detail how to do it, by referring readers back to Walks 2 to 14. Each of these walks includes a stretch of coast, but at the point where these routes head inland, it is possible to link directly with the next walk in the book and the next stretch of coast. An annual sponsored walk aims to cover the coast in one long day, while average walkers would take three days to walk round the island.
All the walking routes on Guernsey are accessible by bus services, and if any other bus services cross them, these are mentioned. Places offering food and drink are mentioned, but as opening times vary, it is wise to carry something to eat and drink. If there are any visitor attractions on the routes a brief description is given; if contact details are provided, opening times can be checked. Bear in mind that some attractions take an hour or two to explore properly, and this eats into the time spent walking. A very short walking route with two or three major attractions and a good restaurant can take all day to complete if walkers really want to make the most of these opportunities!
Walks