Visiting the Channel Islands

Jersey is the busiest with good shops, marvellous seafood a good Marina. It also has an excellent zoo that is dedicated to conservation. It was started bu Gerald Durrell.
Guernsey is smaller, but has reasonable shops, good food, a small zoo. Gorey is picturesque with its castle, pottery, harbour.
Alderney is small. 5miles long. The only town is St Anne's which has one street of shops.
Sark is a different world! No motorised transport, only approached by boat and then a long walk up the hill. Nice walks and wild flowers.
You can hire bikes on all the islands and cars on Guernsey and Jersey

Been to Jersey several times and love it.
I'd recommend staying at a hotel which will have evening entertainment, whether you avail of it or not. It adds some atmosphere and encourages interaction - again, if you want to take advantage of it.

Howard Park (IIRC) is lovely, brass bands play some evenings and it is only 5 or 10 minutes walk from St Helier Centre.

We used the public transport to get to Gorey and on another day to Gerald Durrell Wild Life Park. I'm a member of GDWLP and so get free entry.

As we stayed half board we ate in our hotel each evening. Lunchtimes were varied, a lovely little restaurant on the front in Gorey, a nice open air coffee shop down in the Museum at Liberation Square. Sometimes got a take-away panini wrap and fruit.... dandered up to Howard Park to have a picnic. There is a nice coffee shop in the Rose Garden in Howard Park.

I like Jersey a lot- my ex worked there when we were married so I visited some weekends when I was not working. The town itself is very small-15 minutes if that to walk the length of it. The sea food is fabulous. I do not know what the hotels are like because my ex had rented a flat in a farmhouse. I found that buses were few and far between but that maybe just where we were living, about 3 miles outside the town centre, they may have improved with time. Lovely scenery and as others have said, places to visit.

I am not certain if one is allowed to drive in Guernsey and that maybe a consideration.

We have Jersey on our list of places to visit when OH retires in May. We love to explore but also to spend a day here and there on the beach , I'm assuming there are quiet beaches that we could walk to or maybe use a bus we won't have the car as we'll be travelling on the ferry and OH is in pain with his knees so won't want to walk too far.
Oh and can we visit any of the other Islands easily? I've been to Jersey but in the Winter months , OH has never been.

No problem. Boats run a regular service and to France if you want. Anybody can drive on any of th islands that allow cars.
I seem to remember the food at the Pomme d'or, St Helier, the main restaurant upstairs in the hotel, not the snack bar downstairs.being very good. Late DH and I used to sail our boat to the channel isles every year. Psalm of life was well known by all the harbour staff.

We have stayed on both Jersey and Guernsey, but prefer the former.We always hire a car.
We have had some lovely boat trips to the island of Sark (traffic free) and St Malo in France.

Well yet again GNetters have come up trumps. I think I'll settle for a Jersey as there are more places for me to visit, more shops and I'll go on a boat trip to Sark and possibly St Malo (been there years ago)

Good idea to see if hotel has entertainment, but I'm ok about going out to a restaurant alone.

Thank you all. I'm looking at a fly, stay and drive package.