Channel Islands, UK Hotels - Best prices, best places

The Channel Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Normandy, France, in the English Channel. They comprise two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey.

Situated just off the coast of France on the edge of the English Channel, the beautiful Channel Islands, a British Crown dependency since 1066, are fiercely independent and justifiably proud of their history and traditions.

They're in fact famous for stoic resistance during the German occupation in World War II, with remnants of that war still dotting the landscape.

This popular tourist destination is also an attractive offshore tax haven (for many companies), and as a result the islands have a thriving financial industry. In addition, they're known worldwide for locally grown flowers and for their prized purebred Guernsey cows.

The local language and pubs may be English, but the islands were once a part of Normandy, so many of the place names and roads, as well as the food are decidedly French.

Tourism is the major industry in the smaller islands (with some agriculture). Jersey and Guernsey have, since the 1960s, relied on financial services. Guernsey's horticultural and glasshouse activities have been more significant than in Jersey, and Guernsey has maintained light industry as a higher proportion of its economy than Jersey. Jersey's economy since the 1980s has been substantially more reliant on finance.