I've been given the "opportunity" to move to Guernsey to live/work. What is your personal opinion on Guernsey and the way of life there? Would it be safe there for a single minority female, are the winters unbearably horrendous, is it that difficult to get off the island? I'm ok with there not being much to do on the island.
This is a question for all the British expats here who have some knowledge of Guernsey:
The land of the Barclay brothers.
Not quite, Barclay brothers own a neighbouring island.
Guernsey is not in the EU, so there are swings and roundabouts to be considered. But apart from the taxation advantages, what else is there that is attractive?
I don't have much personal knowledge of Guernsey but do know its Channel Island neighbour Jersey well. Winters are similar to the UK except a bit milder in general due to it being more southern and a smaller Island. Jersey used to get v little snow if ever before the last few years from what I remember.
As far as getting off the Island it isn't hard with all the ferries and flights but these can face more weather related delays and cancellations than other places (Jersey has a problem with fog sometimes on morning flights, airport doesn't have the infrastructure to cope - not sure if Guernsey has the same problem). If you are person who enjoys holidays to exotic destinations expect to always have to make a connecting flight in a European Hub (London (normally) or Amsterdam or Paris). Examples of travel companies that you might not be aware of if not a regular traveler to Guernsey are Blue Island and Condor Ferries, check out their websites for a bit more info. You may need a long time to get back to LA taking that from your profile.
In general the Channel Islands is considered a safe area according to my personal experiences, don't know whether there is a crime hot spot in St Peters Port but I doubt it!
I would answer this question similarly to anyone asking about Switzerland and whether it was worth them coming - really depends on what you are looking for if you should move or not. Entertainment would certaintly be less available on Guernsey than Switzerland, its a small Island and therefore has its restrictions, this may or may not be what you are looking for as you imply in your post.
As a personal choice I could never live on Jersey and I would give the same answer for similar reasons for Guernsey. Frustratingly small places to live, sometimes can be said for the people too. Clearly Guernsey could be completely different though, but hope this info still helps. Much of my family do choose to live in the channel Islands and love it there, they can certainly be beautiful at times, but the majority of them were born and bred there.
Check also on how / where you can live in Guernsey - buying may not be possible for someone with no previous connections to the island. This may or may not be an issue for you. Don't know what the rental market is like there.
Here is a thought to help you judge crime in Guernsey, bbc local news..... Sure there will be other resources.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world/europe/guernsey/
Generally there isn't much exciting news to report there..... so I will let you judge whether it is safe or not enough for you!
If you lived in LA though am sure you will find it fine there.
No... that is Brecqhou... and of course Sark as they own numerous properties there.
Well, I was born and brought up on Guernsey. My father was Swiss and my mother, who is still alive and on the island, is from Guernsey.
The winters are usually pretty windy and wet, with not much sun, though probably less cold than the rest of the UK. Yes, it is true that fog can close down the airport, but from experience I find that London City seems to be much more prone to delays due to fog than Guernsey or Jersey.
The summer is much nicer.
The standard of living is pretty good, with a standard 20 % income tax rate for all, over a certain amount earned per year. You will need a right to work document, though this would be arranged, I presume by your employer. Likewise, you may get a permit to reside in what is termed "local market" housing as opposed to "open market" housing which is much more expensive. It all depends on the job you will be doing.
Houses are pretty expensive and so is renting even on the local market.
As a single female, you will make friends, but there is not that much to do. If you like the open air and rambling along the cliff paths and that or swimming is the pretty chilly sea in the summer then it will help. The island is very pretty and quaint, with quite a few quirks. It is also rather crowded and built up.
Transport links are mainly the flights to London Gatwick, Manchester, Southampton, London Stansted etc with Aurigny, Blue Islands and Flybe, whilst Blue Islands also fly to Zurich, Geneva, Amsterdam and in the summer there are Air Berlin flights to Germany.
The government website has a load of information www.gov.gg as does the tourist department website at www.visitguernsey.com .
The local newspaper The Guernsey Press has more details on news as does the BBC site mentioned above. www.guernseypress.com
I could go on for ages - just ask any information and I will be pleased to help.