Visiting Alderney: getting there, where to stay and what's changing

The quick answer

Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands: about 3.5 miles long, with one small town, St Anne, and a population of a little over 2,000. It suits people who like seabirds, forts, cliff walks and empty beaches, and who don't mind travel plans that depend on the weather.

Most visitors fly from Guernsey or Southampton. In summer there are also passenger boats from Guernsey. Allow two or three nights, and a spare day at the end of your trip if you have a connection to catch.

Getting there

By air

Aurigny flies direct to Alderney from Guernsey and Southampton, and sells connections through Guernsey from airports including Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, East Midlands and Dublin. Guernsey to Alderney takes about 25 minutes. Last summer's schedule had up to four return flights a day from Guernsey and two from Southampton.

The aircraft are small Twin Otters with about 16 seats on sale per flight on average, so flights can sell out, and weight limits can restrict bags. Alderney has had no aviation fuel since February 2024, which can reduce what an aircraft carries, especially from Southampton in poor weather. Check your baggage allowance with Aurigny before you pack.

Fares aren't cheap for the distance. In November 2026 Skyscanner estimated Guernsey to Alderney returns from about €183. Treat that as a guide and check Aurigny for your dates.

From June to September, Finistair has also listed a Jersey to Alderney service on Fridays and Sundays. Confirm that it's running before you plan around it.

By sea

Boats to Alderney are seasonal, and the operators and timetables have changed from year to year. In 2026:

• Alderney Ferry Services planned sailings to Guernsey and Cherbourg from late March to early October. It added a £15 per person charge each way on the Guernsey route after the subsidy for that route wasn't renewed. It didn't run in winter 2025–26.
• Islands Unlimited ran a subsidised trial of Friday and Sunday sailings to Guernsey from late July.
• Manche Iles Express scheduled several day-trip stops from Diélette in France, and Water Taxi CI listed trips from Jersey between May and September.

No 2027 timetables had been published when we checked, so look at the operators' own sites before you book anything that relies on a boat. If you're bringing a vehicle, the only option is Channel Seaways, a freight operator sailing from Guernsey or Poole.

What's changing: the runway rebuild

Alderney's 877m asphalt runway is due to be rebuilt, in a project with a budget of up to £24m. The plan approved in February 2026 had construction running from April to December 2027, with the airport closed for up to five months. That has now slipped. In September 2026 it was reported that the work will start in spring 2028 at the earliest, with a tender expected in early 2027. Patching will continue so that flights can keep running in the meantime.

If you see an older page saying the airport closes in 2027, it's out of date. How long the airport might close in 2028, and what transport will replace flights, hadn't been confirmed when we checked.

Getting around

The island is small enough to see without a car, if you're happy to walk. The coastal path is about 10 miles and takes around five hours at a good pace. Visit Alderney's transport pages don't mention a public bus.

• Hire: Braye Hire Cars can deliver to the airport or harbour, and Cycle & Surf hires pedal and electric bikes.
• Taxis: there are three firms, including at the airport, but it's best to book ahead.
• Driving: the limit is 35mph and public parking is free. Most of St Anne uses parking discs, which you can get from the Island Hall General Office or the Police Station.

Wildlife and birdwatching

The west coast and the Burhou islands are a Ramsar wetland of international importance, designated in 2005. The gannet colonies on the rock stacks of Les Etacs and Ortac hold more than 1% of the world's population, and the birds return from February.

Puffins breed on Burhou from March to July, and you can only see them from the sea. The initial estimate for 2025 was about 190 breeding pairs. The Alderney Wildlife Trust runs boat trips on Sula of Braye, listed on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2pm for £30 an adult and £22 a child. Its own page says March to October and Visit Alderney says April to September, so April onwards is the safer plan. Longer round-island trips are £38 and £30.

The Alderney Bird Observatory focuses on spring and autumn migration and runs ringing courses. Alderney is also known for its blonde hedgehogs, which hibernate from about mid-December, and grey seals can be seen in winter.

Forts and wartime history

Alderney was heavily fortified twice, by the Victorians and by the occupying German forces. Fort Clonque, designed in 1847 and reached by a causeway that's cut off at high tide, now belongs to the Landmark Trust and sleeps 13 as a holiday let. The Roman Fort, known as The Nunnery, is free to visit, as are sites such as Fort Tourgis and Fort Doyle. Take a torch to the Tourgis Batteries, and take care: some of the old forts can be hazardous.

The camps

Alderney was the site of four main camps during the Occupation, and it's a part of the island's history that deserves a careful visit. Forced and slave labourers from some 30 countries were brought here. Lager Sylt, built in 1942, was taken over by the SS in March 1943. Its gateposts remain, with a plaque and, since 2023, an information sign.

A UK government-commissioned review led by Lord Pickles, published in May 2024, concluded that at least 7,608 to 7,812 prisoners and labourers were sent to Alderney and that between 641 and 1,027 likely died, while noting that the exact toll can't be determined. The Hammond Memorial has plaques in Russian, Hebrew, Polish, French and Spanish.

The Alderney Museum in St Anne opens from April to October (weekdays 10am–12pm and 2.30–4.30pm, weekends 10am–12pm; £5 adults, £2 under-16s).

Beaches and days out

• Braye: sheltered by the breakwater, beside the harbour.
• Longis: about half a mile of sand, the longest beach on the island.
• Corblets: the best for surfing.
• Clonque: rock pools and sunsets.
• Platte Saline: don't swim here. There's a severe undercurrent.

The Alderney Railway runs on Saturdays between Braye and Mannez Quarry from May to mid-September (£12 adult return, £6 child return). The 9-hole golf course has a £25 green fee. For the full list, see things to do in Alderney.

Plan around the island's hours: shops close early on Wednesdays and Saturdays, only food shops open on Sundays, and most places stop serving lunch by 2.30pm.

When to go

• February to April: gannets return, then bluebells and spring migrants.
• April to July: the best months for a puffin boat trip.
• Early May: Milk-a-Punch Sunday, when pubs and clubs give out free punch. In 2026 it fell on 3 May; the 2027 date hasn't been published.
• May half-term: Wildlife Week.
• 2 to 7 August 2027: Alderney Week, themed “Medieval Mayhem” for the European Year of the Normans, with the Daft Raft Race, Manpowered Flight and Torchlight Procession. Book well ahead.
• Autumn: migrating birds, and fewer people from the end of September.
• Winter: very quiet. Outdoor sites stay open and the museum opens by arrangement, but check that your hotel's restaurant is serving. Braye Beach Hotel's listing, for example, says it doesn't serve food in January.

Where to stay

We list 4 hotels, 6 guest houses and 12 self-catering places on Alderney. There's more detail on our Alderney page.

• St Anne puts you among the pubs, restaurants and shops. The Georgian House and La Ville are on Victoria Street, and The Blonde Hedgehog, a boutique hotel with a Michelin Key, is in the town too.
• Braye is the place for sea views: Braye Beach Hotel is on the sand beside the harbour.
• Something different: Fort Clonque, or a campsite at Saye Beach. See self-catering and camping.

Practical information

• ID: British and Irish citizens don't need a passport but do need photo ID. EU visitors need a passport. Take a passport if you're going on to France.
• Electronic Travel Authorisation: since 23 April 2026, some non-British and non-Irish visitors arriving from outside the Common Travel Area need a UK ETA.
• Money: sterling, and there's no VAT. Guernsey notes work locally but aren't accepted in the UK. There's a cash machine on Victoria Street.
• Health: UK visitors get medically necessary care free under a reciprocal agreement, but travel insurance is still strongly advised.

Compare prices on the map

Places to stay on Alderney with live prices from the big booking sites. Add your dates for exact rates; you book directly with them and we never add a fee.

Questions

Sources

• Visit Alderney: getting here
• Visit Alderney: useful information
• Visit Alderney: getting around
• Visit Alderney: top tips for a day trip
• Visit Alderney: beaches
• Visit Alderney: Lager Sylt
• Visit Alderney: Alderney Museum
• Visit Alderney: Alderney Railway
• Visit Guernsey: Alderney Week 2027
• Visit Guernsey: history and heritage sites in Alderney
• The Quarry: runway reconstruction delayed until 2028 (11 Sep 2026)
• ITV: £24m airport upgrade plans approved (25 Feb 2026)
• Guernsey Press: Aurigny seats to Alderney (30 Dec 2025)
• Guernsey Press: Aurigny reliability on Alderney routes (27 Aug 2026)
• Guernsey Press: ferry subsidy (24 Dec 2025)
• Bailiwick Express: ferry bids rejected (5 Jun 2026)
• Channel Eye: summer ferry trial (6 Jul 2026)
• Skyscanner: Alderney to Guernsey fares
• Alderney Wildlife Trust: boat trips
• Alderney Wildlife Trust: Ramsar site
• Alderney Bird Observatory
• Cambridge: Alderney report summary (22 May 2024)
• Guernsey Press: Blonde Hedgehog Michelin Key (23 Sep 2026)
• States of Alderney: population data