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English is the everyday language. Guernésiais is an old Norman-French language of the island. Only a small share of people speak it fluently. You will see it in some place names and on a few signs. Many street and parish names are French, for example the lanes called Rue or Ruette.

Visitors do not need any other language.

Guernsey is outside the UK and the EU. Phone roaming charges may apply, including for UK phone plans. Check with your provider before you travel.

Tap water is safe to drink.

Healthcare for visitors is not free. Guernsey has its own health system. It is separate from the UK's NHS. Visitors normally pay for GP visits, hospital care, prescriptions and ambulance transport. The UK has a reciprocal health arrangement with Guernsey, but it helps with only part of the cost of essential treatment. Take travel insurance that covers medical care and return travel.

Guernsey is not part of the UK or the EU, but it is part of the Common Travel Area with the UK, Ireland, Jersey and the Isle of Man. It sets its own entry rules, which follow the UK system closely.

• Arriving from within the Common Travel Area (UK, Ireland, Jersey, Isle of Man): recognised photo ID is enough for British and Irish citizens. Other nationalities from Ireland need a valid passport.
• Arriving from anywhere else: you need a valid passport, whatever your nationality.
• Visa-free nationalities: from 23 April 2026, visitors who do not need a visa but arrive from outside the Common Travel Area need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). You apply online through the UK ETA service. British and Irish citizens do not need an ETA. Dual British or Irish citizens cannot get one, so use a British or Irish passport or a certificate of entitlement.
• Visa nationals: you must get a visa before you travel.
• French day visitors: only French nationals on day trips by scheduled ferry from France may use a valid French identity card instead of a passport.

Details are on the official site: States of Guernsey immigration.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

Many shops, banks and offices close on public holidays. Ferry and flight timetables may also be reduced. Liberation Day on 9 May marks the end of the German occupation in 1945. It is celebrated with events across the island.

• By air: Aurigny, the island airline, flies between Guernsey and the UK. It also flies to Alderney and Jersey all year.
• By sea from the UK and France: Condor Ferries sails from Poole (about 3 hours, fast ferry) and Portsmouth (about 7 hours). Cars can be taken on board. Sailings are not daily in every season, so book early in summer. Ferries also link Guernsey with Jersey and St Malo in France.
• To Herm: a small boat leaves St Peter Port harbour all year and takes about 20 minutes.
• To Sark: the Isle of Sark Shipping Company runs ferries all year. The crossing takes 35 to 50 minutes.
• To Alderney: fly with Aurigny. A ferry service runs from March to October.
• Buses on Guernsey: buses cover the island all year. Only contactless payment is accepted on board, and cash is not taken. Cash passes can be bought at the Town Terminus shop and the airport. Fares start from about £1.70. See Guernsey scheduled buses.
• Car-free islands: cars are not allowed on Sark or Herm. Use bikes, walking and, on Sark, tractor buses and horse-drawn carriages.

Bring your own car only if you want to explore Guernsey's country lanes at your own speed. Islands such as Sark and Alderney are visited without one.

Seafood is the local speciality. Look for crab, lobster and scallops, often served simply. Fish and chips from a beach kiosk is a favourite. Guernsey is also known for its dairy cows and for rich milk, cream and butter.

Traditional dishes include the bean jar, a slow-cooked stew of beans and pork, and gâche, a fruit bread eaten with butter. The ormer is a local shellfish, and collecting it is strictly regulated. Tea rooms and beach cafés are common, and many restaurants are in and around St Peter Port.

Guernsey

• Castle Cornet is a medieval castle at the harbour entrance of St Peter Port.
• Hauteville House was the home of the French writer Victor Hugo during his exile from 1856 to 1870. It is now a museum.
• German Occupation Museum World War II tells the story of the German occupation in World War II.
• Little Chapel is a very small chapel decorated with pieces of china, pebbles and shells.
• Sausmarez Manor is a historic manor house with gardens.
• Fort Grey is a small coastal fort on the west coast.
• Fermain Bay and Cobo Bay are two well-known beaches.

Other islands

• Sark has no cars and no street lights. Visitors walk, cycle or ride a carriage. See the cliff walkway of La Coupée, and the gardens at La Seigneurie Gardens. Sark was named an International Dark Sky Community in 2011, the first in Europe.
• Alderney is a quiet island with old forts, sandy beaches and a small museum. It is a short flight from Guernsey.
• Herm is a small car-free island, about 20 minutes by boat from St Peter Port. It is known for Shell Beach, a hotel, cottages and a campsite.