You could say the Channel Islands were neither here nor there ... in some ways they are distinctly French. The roads seem either rues' or routes' and even the local lingo is based on Norman French.

Author Victor Hugo, of Les Miserables fame, lived on Guernsey where Renoir also went to paint. Yet what could be more British then a pint of bitter and fresh fish and chips - all paid for in sterling.

Big, bouncing surfing beaches, like St Ouen's Bay, Jersey, or the quiet curvaceous coves of Guernsey also cater for traditional family holiday fare, but with a slice of French bread on the side.

The weather? Ask a long time Jersey resident and they'll say the island has one of the best sunshine records in Britain.

The same question to a local on Guernsey is - may be it's even better!

Rivalry, however, between the two remains friendly - though Jerseymen do call their Guernsey colleagues ânes', or donkeys, and those on Guernsey call Jerseymen crapauds', or toads!

Jersey is arguably the liveliest and most commercial of the Channel Islands.

Fine then for the bucket and spade brigade, with some 36 miles of Europe's best beaches with scattered rock pools full of childhood secrets.

They're hotspots, too, for surfing, windsurfing, sailing and sea kayaking, also for blo-karting, the latest in adrenaline rush sport.

And 96 miles of 15mph Green Lanes, give priority to cyclists, horses and walkers, a nod towards the island's green credentials. These include Durrell Wildlife, set in 31 acres of parkland and water gardens. started by famous wildlife author Gerald Durrell in 1963 as a sanctuary for animals threatened by extinction.

There's more family fun at the recently-refurbished Mont Orgueil, a 13th century castle with a string of activities from archery to dressing up in Medieval clothes.

Guernsey is a quieter, more cream tea, sort of island, a mere 25 square miles, with a craggy, coastline boasting gorgeous broom fringed coves.

This is picture postcard country, full of narrow lanes, and gently undulating farmland - and unmanned stalls selling everything from courgettes to carnations.

Ruettes Tranquilles, once again, give priority to cyclists, walkers and horses.

Both have an appetite for eating. No one who has ever dined out on fresh caught lobster served with ice-cold Chablis can deny this, especially when eaten on a hotel balcony, the sea a shimmering Mediterranean blue below.

Nor need it be costly. Chains give way to more owner-run restaurants, country pubs, coffee shops and highly sought after beach cafes; equally you can dine in style with Jersey boasting the Michelin-starred Bohemia and Guernsey's La Barberie Hotel praised by Rick Stein for its lobster "covered in the wonderful yellow Guernsey butter."

Both islands, incidentally, now ban smoking in public places, If all you want is peace and quiet - of which the main islands still have plenty - who not try the others which make up the Bailiwick Of Guernsey? Like car-free Sark, 45 minutes by boat from Guernsey, where travel is by horse and cart, on foot or by bike.

Visitors, it's said, soon turn into avid botanists and bird-watchers - though the biggest wow factor is reckoned to be at night when the island is completely dark.

Meantime, Alderney, just eight miles from the Normandy Coast, had always attracted the curious.

The late cricket commentator, John Arlott, who lived here, admitted you either loved it or hated it.

This is no candy floss sort of a place, but more the simple joys of walking, a game of bowls or cricket and experiencing generally empty beaches.

It also has the Channel Islands' only railway, two miles long, made up of ex-London Underground coaches, lighthouse cottages to rent - the diversity throughout all the islands is enormous, including a barge in Jersey - and almost 300 species of birds. St Anne, with its cobbled streets, is capital of an island about three miles by one.

Highlight of Herm, 20 minutes by boat from Guernsey, is a couple of hours lazing on Shell Beach, watching the water lap the white sand of an island bristling with dunes, long beaches and hidden bays.

Stay overnight if you can.

  • Getting there...

AIR: Low cost airlines offer highly competitive rates from a wide selection of London and regional airports, including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands and Manchester. Inter-connecting or direct flights to Alderney on light aircraft. Websites: Flybe www.flybe.com; Aurigny Air Services www.aurigny.com and Blue Islands www.blueislands.com. Also regular scheduled flights to Jersey and Guernsey from Gatwick and Stansted airports, plus a reinstated BMI one from Heathrow to Jersey.

SEA: Condor Ferries www.condorferries.com operate car and passenger services from Portsmouth; also fast car-carrying catamaran from Weymouth (Guernsey: two hours ten minutes; Jersey: three hours 25 minutes) and Poole, which is seasonal (Guernsey: two hours 30 minutes; Jersey: three hours) ; plus traditional year-round ferry with cabins, except Sundays, with crossing time of seven hours, Guernsey, and Jersey (via Guernsey) ten hours 30 minutes. Seasonal hotel short breaks from less than £120. See www.condorbreaks.com.

TOUR OPERATORS: Some 40 tour companies operate to the islands: channelislandsdirect.co.uk; www.jersey travelservice.co.uk & guernseytravelservice.co.uk offer comprehensive coverage. (See also useful contacts).