World Borders: Getting The Guernsey to Herm Ferry, Channel Islands (St. Peter Port to Herm Harbour)

World Borders: Getting the ferry from Guernsey to Herm – the Travel Trident

I have spoken about my time touring the Channel Islands before and the magic of it will never leave me. Islands like Herm and Sark are just truly remote travel gems that had me totally inspired. I talked about getting the Guernsey to Sark ferry before and about my time touring Sark, but I didn’t mention getting the Guernsey to Herm ferry which as you can tell I am going to recommend you all do – it’s epic!

Loving it – world borders crossing on the Travel Trident Ferry from Guernsey to Herm Island

What is Herm Island?
Herm is an island of 55 inhabitants, which attracts 100,000 tourists a year incredibly! It is 1.5 miles long and half a mile wide. Bicycles are banned on Herm. Playing radio in public is also banned. There are pubs, beaches and a village capital (called Manor Village). It is governed under the law of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and uses Guernsey and Jersey pounds in line with the UK’s sterling currency.

Tiny Herm Island.

Booking the Guernsey to Herm Ferry
The short answer is “don’t”. I didn’t, and I went there in summer, early September. It rarely fills up. Just turn up to the harbour front in St. Peter Port Guernsey (the capital of the island) and join the queue (if there is one).

The Travel Trident docked in St. Peter Port Guernsey.

The ferry leaves from a place called the Cambridge Steps in St. Peter Port and is run by Travel Trident. The earliest sailing time is usually the 8.30 am one. As well as being the best one to get (as you arrive on Herm before 9am), this is also a discounted fare! It’s the one I took – the “backpacker option” if there is one for Herm – the Channel Islands are notoriously not really a backpacking destination but I worked on the ferries at the time and got free transfers to Guernsey, France and England.

The Herm ferry leaves from the Cambridge Steps.

The timetable naturally changes depending on the season, with January and February being the least busy months, and much of the island’s tourist sights closed. Check the full timetable on Travel Trident’s website to keep up to date.

Timetable for the Travel Trident to Herm.

Occasionally the 8.30 am sailing actually leaves at 7.30 am as well – so keep tabs on it as that would be a cool time to get over to Herm.

Travel Trident docked in St. Peter Port Guernsey.

So to get on board all you need to do is hang around at the Cambridge Steps, harbour front of St. Peter Port Guernsey by the Travel Trident offices and get ready to board.

Waiting for the 8.30 am ferry on the Travel Trident from Guernsey to Herm Island

How much does the Guernsey to Herm ferry cost?
The backpackers option currently stands at £9.50 – the early ferry. Payment is in cash only, unless you ask specifically for a group booking. It was a bit cheaper when I was there in 2009, but the current prices are:

STANDARD FARES

Adults £12.00 Children £6.00 Infants £1.00

SPECIAL FARES*

Adults £9.50 Children £4.50 Infants £1.00

DINNER BOAT FARES

Adults £10.00 Children £6.00 Infants £1.00

My ticket from Guernsey to Herm.

Leaving St. Peter Port, Guernsey
The departure from Guernsey will involve paying for your ticket, getting on board and listening to the onboard safety announcements as you say goodbye to Guernsey. These photos show my departure – as you can see the ferry wasn’t full at all! I was there in September time. St. Peter Port is a small town despite being the capital of Guernsey – the town stretches up into hills and looks pretty on departure.

Leaving St. Peter Port Guernsey for Herm Island.

The Journey Across from St. Peter Port to Herm
The journey is smooth and calm. The interior of the boat is simple and basic. As you can tell there were not many people on board and this was the early boat, the cheaper boat in peak season. I was probably the only global backpacker. You can get out on deck and enjoy the views and the breeze – I chatted to the locals – they all loved the fact that a traveller/backpacker was visiting their little island – Herm.

The Steps up to the top deck.

Out to the deck on board the Travel Trident

The downstairs lounge on the Travel Trident

Crew only section.

Downstairs on the Travel Trident

Out on deck on the Travel Trident

Life buoy on the Travel Trident

Arriving into Herm Island – Immigration etc.
You’re kidding right? Yes – there is no immigration for Herm. Herm is not a country. It is one of the Channel Islands and is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. SO no passport checks, but the most interesting thing is that if you are staying at the hotel or heading to Manor Village (the “capital”), your bags will be transported by tractor!

On arrival at Herm, a tractor can take your bags to the “capital” or the hotel.

Arrival on Magical Herm Island

Arrival on Herm Island

Tractor is the only form of transport on the island – even bicycles are banned! How amazing is that?

A map of Herm Island in its entirety – you can backpack the lot in one day trip 😉

The Harbour and Rosaire Steps
There are two landing points on Herm Island, dependent on tide and weather. When I was there, we arrived and left from the harbour. This is the main harbour and it has a “Welcome to Herm Island” sign on your arrival.

I arrived at the main Harbour on Herm next to the Welcome to Herm Sign and island map.

The Rosaire Steps are also sometimes used.

The two ports on Herm – Harbour and the Rosaire Steps.

So just hop off the boat and explore! I’ve also written my top things to do on Herm Island for you. Just make sure you don’t miss the last boat of the day back to Guernsey – unless you plan to stay the night!