Was there in May for 5 days and there's enough to keep you busy!
I stayed close to St Helier and hired a car for 2 days. Although the island is small, the roads are very windy with a max speed limit of 60km/h so it takes time to get from one place to another! There are also several tourist bus routes which criss-cross the island and stop at most of the attractions.
The Jersey Tourism Website (
www.jersey.com) is very useful, and the tourist office in St Helier (near Liberation Square) is very helpful - I recommend the Jersey Pass which gets you free entry into many attractions for a set fee - I bought a 4 day pass, paid £45 and got about £70 worth of admissions for it.
Several attractions are based on their War experiences so if you're a history fan, you'll love it.
What I saw and enjoyed....
- The War Tapestry in St Helier, near the harbour. Well worth a visit.
- The War Tunnels. Dug by prisoners and hired labour during the war for use by the Germans.
- Le Mare Wine estate
- Durrell zoo and animal sanctuary
- Elizabeth Castle, St Helier - best bit about this site is the trip to it by amphibious vehicle, especially when the driver puts on the James Bond theme!!
- Gorey Castle (Mont Orgueil)
- Corbiere Lighthouse
I didn't get to Jersey Lavender or Jersey Pearl, and there were some gardens and a stately home I didn't get to either due to lack of time.
The attractions open around 9.30 or 10am and they almost all close at 5 (one or two stay open till 6), so it's not possible to see more than 2 (or 3 at a push) per day.
There are some lovely beaches and coves all around the island.
There is an Irish pub near Liberation Square which sounded lively enough though I didn't go in. Can't remember the names of the restaurants I ate in, but there are plenty (especially seafood and Italian). The restaurants in St Helier get very busy on Sat nights so you might want to book somewhere to be certain - and some close on Sundays.
Shops close on Sundays too.
PS if you're hiring a car, a small one is ideal because of the size of the roads - I hired a ford ka (just for myself) which was perfect! Unlike other places, you don't have to return the car full of petrol, because of the small mileage you'll do. I prepaid for £5 of petrol when I booked the car, and although it ran with the low fuel light for most of the weekend, there was still some left when I returned the car!