A new daily inter-island foot passenger ferry service between Jersey and Guernsey is set to launch this summer, with operator Islands Unlimited outlining its intended schedule for 2025.
The service, which is expected to start in June, will offer daily sailings between the islands, aimed at residents, commuters, and tourists looking for easier travel options.
The company has confirmed that a standard adult return fare will be priced at approximately £67.00.
Islands Unlimited Managing Director Chad Murray, Guernsey’s former Harbour Master, had previously expressed frustration over slow progress made in getting the service off the ground, despite having engaged with Jersey and Guernsey’s governments over many months.
However, today he said he was “delighted to be able to share our intended schedule for this coming summer”.
Still some “hoops to jump through”
“This is still subject to some final discussions with Ports of Jersey, but we are excited that we will be offering a daily inter-island foot passenger service this summer,” he said.
According to Mr Murray, the ferry schedule has been shaped with the help of the whole community.
“We want to meet the needs of islanders, as well as visitors,” Mr Murray explained. “Following stakeholder engagement, this offers the best fit for the communities, commuters, local business, sport and events, as well as offering great day-trips for visitors to support tourism.”
Before the service can officially launch, Islands Unlimited must finalise the ship’s certification, compliance, and release date from its current owners.
“We still have a few hoops to jump through,” said Mr Murray. “We hope to be able to firm things up in the coming weeks and set our online booking system live.”
What’s in the schedule?
While Islands Unlimited initially considered wider routes, the company said it has had to scale back its services for 2025, choosing to focus solely on Jersey and Guernsey.
However, Mr Murray confirmed they are keen to explore partnerships to help travellers connect to the smaller Channel Islands of Alderney and Sark in the future.
The current proposed ferry schedule includes:
- Morning and evening sailings most days of the week
- A mid-afternoon service on Tuesdays to cater to the two-centre holiday market
- Increased frequency on weekends, providing more flexibility for visitors and islanders
Will any other ferries run the route?
Previously, the inter-island route was operated by Condor.
Following the recent ferry tender saga, Jersey and Guernsey have separate key ferry providers, DFDS and Condor parent Brittany Ferries respectively, who will have to work together on their own inter-island plans.
Jean-Marc Roué, President of Brittany Ferries’ governance board, said in a recent interview that his company would work with Manche Iles Express and DFDS on an inter-island service “when things will have calmed down”.
This would be split “in an equitable fashion”, he said.
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