I have been to Jersey and Guernsey many years ago, stayed in Jersey and went to Guernsey for a trip, I want not enamoured with Guernsey I did however like Jersey, I stayed in St Helier I remember correctly in a little B & B

I've heard people say you like one or the other, that's what is putting me off Jersey 😁

Always heard it's a bit more like the UK and attracts more weekenders .... Guernsey was a bit quieter and laid back

Sark and Herm were nice day trips too

Hubby had a contract with work in Jersey many years ago so I went over to visit one weekend. What I do remember was the pubs didn't have drinking up time. Once the bell went you were out 🍺

We really should go back for a proper visit & include Guernsey 👍

Just a more laid back way of life I think and I'm not from a big city by any means!

Climate is usually nice in summer (been low to mid 20's most times we've been) and you have the benefit of spending £'s and speaking English*

*debatable in my case

Been to Jersey a few times , mainly for a 2 night stay and a couple of times just for a day trip , in terms of what it's like I generally think in a nutshell it's a bit like the mainland UK was like in the 80s , especially St. Helier , very relaxed and laid back , nice restaurants , lots of pubs , even in the main town most shops don't open on Sunday and the locals seem to enjoy relaxing and socialising . The last couple of visits we have stayed in St Brelade which is a very nice sandy bay with a few hotels and restaurants , the local restaurants do crab and lobster which is popular over there , the weekends are very busy everywhere because the locals are out alongside the tourists and the roads do become very busy with local cars , hire cars and taxis . Eating out is reasonable in cost as they have only a 5% GST and the currency is Sterling with the same banknotes as us, but with States of Jersey on it and also still have a £1 banknote , you can also buy duty free at the airport on the way back .

generally think in a nutshell it's a bit like the mainland UK was like in the 80s

Couldn't have put it better myself
As I said, I'm not from the busiest part of the UK, but even in Falkirk we've seen more and more houses being built ... Guernsey seems to maintain a control of population and it just seems to be a bit more relaxed and laid back for that reason .... the classic example of this are the 'Filter In Turn' road junctions, I can just imagine the carnage if we tried having these in the UK!! I love zipping around the narrow streets and have been told I drive like a local now!!

Language and currency are a big pull too, being able to spend your own currency (well, not technically for me ... but don't start me on that!)

Condor do daytrips from Guernsey to Jersey, might look into them this time around

Guernsey doesn't SEEM to maintain control of population - it most defintely does! If you're not a millionaire you can forget settling there because of the financial requirements and the tight housing laws which mean that unless you were born on the island you're chasing the relatively few homes for sale on the open housing market, which as a result are highly priced, as so many houses are restricted for sale and cannot be bought by incomers. This also means that they effectively control the market in 2nd homes too. The majority of visitors to the island would never stand any chance of moving there permanently.

Yeah, I'm aware of the regulations, I'd move there tomorrow but it's a dream that won't happen unless I win the lotto!

Working isn't really an option as it's all banking jobs, so not my field!

Understandable why they control it though ... Sark is my only option

Not all the jobs they need doing are in banking though and it does make it difficult for the public and charity sector (and on Jersey too) to recuit staff needed in other spheres. I've never visited any of the Channel islands but did look at applying for a youth worker job employed by one of the churches there when I was newly qualified but I withdrew my application for it because I'd have had to rent a flat (there was no way I'd ever be able to buy) and I simply wouldn't be able to afford even to rent on the salary being offered. They even phoned me to try and persuade me to keep my application 'live' and said they would be able to arrange for me to lodge with one of the parishioners but that's not what I wanted as a 20something graduate to do! It might be different now but at that time they had no sort of key worker system to enable someone like me to rent social housing.

I had friends who were both nurses who were offered jobs and they did take them but they only stayed 2 years but even with both of them working they weren't going to be able to afford to to rent the size of home they would need if they were going to start a family. So as soon as they were expecting their 1st child they left and came back to England. As with many islands, the problem is that young people born there, tend to go away off the island to University or for training and then few of them go back once they graduate and only return, if ever, later in life. It does mean that there's quite a high turnover of staff in things like the health service and teaching etc.

Funnily enough, the only other people I know who've worked there were nurses, but same as you they came back for similar reasons. Being just two of us, I could get away with it, so maybe if they built a new power station / chemical plant or discovered offshore oil I could get a start somewhere

I do think they will at some point have to have some (limited) immigration though as like you say, young people tend to move on. I noticed on Sark quite a few hotels closed, and their own tourist leaflet was advertising the 'come live here' side of things!

I went back in 2012 - stayed on the outskirts of St Helier. I met some friends over there and was shown around the Island, and I enjoyed it.
Thought about vistiing Guernsey from Jersey but at the time the ferry times where not that great

They seem to be subject to tides, often when i go the option just isn't there ... when they are, they tend to suit daytrips from Jersey to Guernsey, never vice versa

I didn't know about the tides but I went in March so probably the ferry might have been on the winter sailing timetable? If they do a winter sailing timetable even? Just a random thought.
Maybe one day I will get myself over to Guernsey. I flew to Jersey though.

Just back from another lovely week in Guernsey ... can't recommend it enough, great wee island

Glad to here you enjoyed your week 👍

How was the weather as been very mixed here?

Prices? Are they the same as on the mainland?

I wouldn't say it was any more expensive to live than here Glynis, using the £ makes for easy comparisons .... and the supermarkets are Co-Op and Waitrose so easy to compare

Weather was actually quite good, except for a rainy Tuesday and patchy Wednesday, the low pressure seemed to skirt just north of us so I was swimming outdoors on several days

That's good to hear, as I was visualising importing price hikes. 👍

So, do you drive down & take a ferry across?

Goods that are exported to the the Channel Islands have no VAT on them as they are outside the EU . There is a consumption tax in Jersey which is 5% GST , but no GST in Guernsey at the moment , so everyday prices appear to be reasonable in comparison to the UK which have VAT on certain products / services of 20% .
Of course shipping costs would add to the price of imported goods in C.I and running costs of the business may also be higher , so overall a similar cost to the consumer at the end .

Glad you had a lovely time