Guernsey/St. Peter's Port DIY

We have a stop in Guernsey on our September cruise. It is a first stop and I'd like to make it a relaxing DIY day. It sounds like you can get a map at the tourist info centre close to the tender drop off and we will do that, probably seeing Cornet Castle, Candie Gardens, and the Tapestry a well as shopping a bit. We may start with a bus ride around the island for an overview. I am wondering if we should go to either the German Occupation Museum or Vallette Museum? Do anyone know which is more interesting and if either can be walked to? As well, are there any inexpensive fish and chips places in town? Any souvenirs that Guernsey is known for?

Thanks for any info!

Make sure to leave yourself some time to walk around the Old Quarter. One of the little shops we visited was a chocolate shop

http://www.benleprevostchocolatier.com/come-visit-us/

where we bought some yummy sweets.

Very cute picturesque town and very walkable.

Make sure you have a hat/sunscreen or maybe even an umbrella for shade. We waited in line for over an hour to get back on the ship's tender.

About what time were you able to get off the tender? Trying to figure out what kind of time we will have in both Guernsey and Edinburgh.

A few years ago my husband and son did the German Occupation museum and said it was great. We are heading back that way this Aug and will probably just walk around on our own.

We have a stop in Guernsey on our September cruise. It is a first stop and I'd like to make it a relaxing DIY day. It sounds like you can get a map at the tourist info centre close to the tender drop off and we will do that, probably seeing Cornet Castle, Candie Gardens, and the Tapestry a well as shopping a bit. We may start with a bus ride around the island for an overview. I am wondering if we should go to either the German Occupation Museum or Vallette Museum? Do anyone know which is more interesting and if either can be walked to? As well, are there any inexpensive fish and chips places in town? Any souvenirs that Guernsey is known for?

Thanks for any info!

We loved the German Occupation Museum, a must-see if you're a WWII buff. Take the bus which starts from across where you get off the tender, maybe after the visit you can continue on the bus to go round the island, its a lovely ride with some stunning views. Don't know about the Vallette museum but the other one is too far to walk.

On your return walk around the little town, go into the church and perhaps Victor Hugo's house. Be sure to drop into the chocolate shop, these make good gifts to take back too.

We loved Guernsey and its laid back ambience. And in September you should see masses of flowers everywhere, ablaze with colour...truly a sight for sore eyes!

We loved the German Occupation Museum, a must-see if you're a WWII buff. Take the bus which starts from across where you get off the tender, maybe after the visit you can continue on the bus to go round the island, its a lovely ride with some stunning views. Don't know about the Vallette museum but the other one is too far to walk.

 

 

 

On your return walk around the little town, go into the church and perhaps Victor Hugo's house. Be sure to drop into the chocolate shop, these make good gifts to take back too.

 

 

 

We loved Guernsey and its laid back ambience. And in September you should see masses of flowers everywhere, ablaze with colour...truly a sight for sore eyes!

Sorry to tell it, but, according to Victor Hugo-houses french website, Hauteville house is closed for renovations until spring 2019.

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About what time were you able to get off the tender? Trying to figure out what kind of time we will have in both Guernsey and Edinburgh.

We were on the Caribbean Princess last summer. We had plenty of time to walk around St. Peter Port and see all we wanted to see. Didn't go to any of the museums, but plenty of time to stroll about. Getting back on the tender is when we had the huge wait.

We had a terrible wait trying to get on the tender in Edinburgh (S. Queensferry). About 2 1/2 hours waiting in one of the dining rooms for our number to be called. It was a very choppy day, rainy, and they had mechanical problems with getting the lifeboats off the ship. I definitely need to go back to Edinburgh some day (preferably a land tour this time) and give it another chance as I think my view of it was colored by the long wait at the beginning just to get off the ship. The castle was jam-packed with tourists and so were the surrounding streets in town. We had a much better experience at Stirling Castle earlier in the trip.

Double post 7 minutes later???

We walked around town -- 2 favourite stops: http://www.benleprevostchocolatier.com/ for delicious chocolates and https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g551622-d3229179-Reviews-National_Trust_of_Guernsey_Victorian_Shop_and_Parlour-St_Peter_Port_Guernsey_Chan.html -- very cute & quaint -- lots of "old fashioned" candies for sale -- shop owner was lovely!

Following that, we had lunch and then took the public bus (very cheap) on the route that did the whole island. Much cheaper than a ship excursion, and it's basically the same route (minus a tour guide on a mic, of course).

I'm really glad that's our first stop (if we actually do get to stop.) After a week in London before cruise this sounds like a very relaxing way to spend the day,

We just walked around and saw so much. It’s a small area but a bit hilly in some places. See the park for sure. The view from the park to the harbor is great for photos.

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Yes you can do St Peter Port Guernsey on your own. Will you see everything you want/need to, probably not if you want to see the island rather than just St Peter Port itself. When deciding whether to do a port on my own, or with an independent tour (I gave up with the ships tours many years ago), I look at how far I have travelled to reach that port, and the likelihood of going again. If I have not travelled far, and will likely visit again, I will try to do as much as possible on my own. Whereas if I have travelled thousands of miles, I try to see as much as possible. Whilst the round the island bus is very good, it does not allow you to visit the Little Chapel which I would highly recommend. Also if you were to disembark that particular bus, then the next bus to come along will probably be full, and possibly the one after. My recommendation would be to take an independent tour for half a day, which would drive around the island visiting say the Little Chapel, The German Occupation Museum and perhaps one other stop such as Fort Grey or if open, the Fort Hommet underground bunker, and then take a half day walking around St Peter Port, to include Castle Cornet, the Tapestry and the German Naval Signal bunker, which unless you are organised, may be easier as a group with a guide.

There are a few independent tour operators, however many of the larger mini-buses and buses are booked up by the cruise lines many months in advance. You could hire a mini-bus or "van" with a driver, or with a driver and accredited guide, so that you can agree the itinerary that you want. There is so much to see that you can not see everything in one day, the advantage of a small group is that you can go down lanes that the larger buses cannot, and you can also beat the cruise line buses to the places of interest. You could also hire a car which allows you complete flexibility, however I would not recommend this unless you are used to driving on small roads.

I list below some websites which may help when visiting Guernsey

https://www.visitguernsey.com/

http://www.buses.gg/

www.guernseyguidedtours.com

Please feel free to post any questions and I will try to help,

We walked around when we were there last August. It is picturesque. We went to the Candie Gardens and to the base of the Victoria Tower. (It's possible to get the key to climb the tower, but we were there too early.) We then toured Castle Coronet before heading back to catch a tender. We were lucky that we did not have too long of a wait to tender back to the ship. The people who waited until later in the day had to wait up to two hours due to the rough seas that slowed down the tendering process. Those rough seas, unfortunately, also make it a port that is frequently missed.

Yes you can do St Peter Port Guernsey on your own. Will you see everything you want/need to, probably not if you want to see the island rather than just St Peter Port itself. When deciding whether to do a port on my own, or with an independent tour (I gave up with the ships tours many years ago), I look at how far I have travelled to reach that port, and the likelihood of going again. If I have not travelled far, and will likely visit again, I will try to do as much as possible on my own. Whereas if I have travelled thousands of miles, I try to see as much as possible. Whilst the round the island bus is very good, it does not allow you to visit the Little Chapel which I would highly recommend. Also if you were to disembark that particular bus, then the next bus to come along will probably be full, and possibly the one after. My recommendation would be to take an independent tour for half a day, which would drive around the island visiting say the Little Chapel, The German Occupation Museum and perhaps one other stop such as Fort Grey or if open, the Fort Hommet underground bunker, and then take a half day walking around St Peter Port, to include Castle Cornet, the Tapestry and the German Naval Signal bunker, which unless you are organised, may be easier as a group with a guide.

 

There are a few independent tour operators, however many of the larger mini-buses and buses are booked up by the cruise lines many months in advance. You could hire a mini-bus or "van" with a driver, or with a driver and accredited guide, so that you can agree the itinerary that you want. There is so much to see that you can not see everything in one day, the advantage of a small group is that you can go down lanes that the larger buses cannot, and you can also beat the cruise line buses to the places of interest. You could also hire a car which allows you complete flexibility, however I would not recommend this unless you are used to driving on small roads.

 

I list below some websites which may help when visiting Guernsey

https://www.visitguernsey.com/

http://www.buses.gg/

www.guernseyguidedtours.com

 

Please feel free to post any questions and I will try to help,

We will be in St. Peter Port in July and our #1 priority is to see the little chapel and to have time to walk around the town and explore on our own. We will only be in port from 8 AM to 1 PM so that does not allow a lot of time. I am wondering if it would be possible to catch a taxi that would take us out to the Little Chapel or is that something that should be booked in advance. Also, I have read that there are long lines to get inside the chapel now because of some ongoing renovations. Is this still true. We are OK with not being able to get inside but really want to see the outside and get some photos.

We will be in St. Peter Port in July and our #1 priority is to see the little chapel and to have time to walk around the town and explore on our own. We will only be in port from 8 AM to 1 PM so that does not allow a lot of time. I am wondering if it would be possible to catch a taxi that would take us out to the Little Chapel or is that something that should be booked in advance. Also, I have read that there are long lines to get inside the chapel now because of some ongoing renovations. Is this still true. We are OK with not being able to get inside but really want to see the outside and get some photos.

Yes it is possible to catch a taxi to the Little Chapel, there may be some taxis waiting on the pier, otherwise you could ask one of the "meters and greeters" to point you in the direction of the nearest taxi rank. You could book a taxi in advance, the clock will run from when you have booked to start so you need to make sure you are off the tender in plenty of time. If you arrive at the same time as the tour buses, then there are likely to be long lines. I think the renovations have now been completed, however I intend to visit over the Easter weekend so can report back then. As you don't have a lot of time, you need to try to be off on one of the early tenders. At 8am taxis can be busy doing airport and commuter runs, so it may be better to book one in advance. If you are ok walking, ask to be dropped back in St Peter Port at Candie Gardens, where you can visit the museums (if you wish) and statues of Queen Victoria and Victor Hugo. Also some beautiful views, before making your way downhill back to the pier (make sure you have a map in hand so you don't get lost).

We have a stop in Guernsey on our September cruise. It is a first stop and I'd like to make it a relaxing DIY day. It sounds like you can get a map at the tourist info centre close to the tender drop off and we will do that, probably seeing Cornet Castle, Candie Gardens, and the Tapestry a well as shopping a bit. We may start with a bus ride around the island for an overview. I am wondering if we should go to either the German Occupation Museum or Vallette Museum? Do anyone know which is more interesting and if either can be walked to? As well, are there any inexpensive fish and chips places in town? Any souvenirs that Guernsey is known for?

Thanks for any info!

The Victor Hugo house is a must see. It's walkable from the pier. There is a tourist center across the street to the left of the pier. There are lots of neat gifts in there, as well as maps and information. It is on the way to the Victor Hugo house. Also there is a great outdoor fish and chips place right at the end of the pier.

The Victor Hugo house is a must see. It's walkable from the pier. There is a tourist center across the street to the left of the pier. There are lots of neat gifts in there, as well as maps and information. It is on the way to the Victor Hugo house. Also there is a great outdoor fish and chips place right at the end of the pier.

Unfortunately, Victor Hugo house is closed until spring 2019.

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