New day-trip ferry service starts from France to Jersey
Travellers can spend up to five hours on island before returning to mainland
The operator was recently awarded the contract to offer ferry services to and from the Channel Island
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Residents in Brittany can now benefit from an excursion-style ferry service that offers day trips to Jersey.
The service from Danish operator DFDS departs Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine) at 07:30 and takes just over an hour to reach the Channel Island.
Depending on the day, visitors can spend between four and five hours on the island before the ferry returns to France in the late afternoon.
The day-return service runs from Friday - Sunday, as well as every other Thursday, and tickets for dates up to September can now be purchased online through the official DFDS website.
Day-return tickets start from €34 one-way without a vehicle, or €82 including a car.
A ticket in the opposite direction is also available.
The new format will not replace traditional tickets with a different date of return, which allows holidaymakers to spend several days on the island.
DFDS is a new operator for services to the island, replacing Condor Ferries (an affiliate of Brittany Ferries).
However, the latter has maintained the contract to offer services to nearby Guernsey.
French citizens taking a day trip to any of the islands can benefit from a scheme that allows them to use their national ID cards rather than their passports to enter.
The scheme, which makes it easier to maintain the vital tourist links between the islands and the mainland, was recently extended in Jersey after a unanimous vote by politicians. However, it faces opposition from the UK.
It means French visitors to the island do not have to obtain an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation), the new visa waiver for non-Britons/non-Irish people entering the UK.
