Travel

Can I go on holiday in the UK? The current rules on holiday homes, campsites, caravan parks, hotels, Airbnbs and more


Are domestic holidays allowed? (Picture: Getty Images)

There’s a good chance that many in the UK will be looking for ways to spend their holiday days at home rather than abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The uncertainty surrounding the future and the 14-day quarantine currently in place – meaning that anyone arriving to the UK must spend two weeks in isolation – have combined to make travelling to other countries seem a bit less appealing.

With that in mind, it’s little wonder that many people in the UK are thinking about how and when they might be able to take a trip on their home turf.

Here are the current rules about staying overnight somewhere that’s not your home, and what hotels, campsites, caravan parks and Airbnb are doing about bookings now and in the future.

Can I go on holiday within the UK now?

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At the time of writing, no non-essential overnight stays outside of your household are allowed under current lockdown rules.

Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston wrote on Twitter last month: ‘You and your household can head outdoors for your physical and mental wellbeing in England.

‘But be respectful to local people and communities. You must adopt social distancing at all times. Then return to your primary home – no overnight stays, including second homes and holiday homes.’

While many hotels and holiday homes are currently taking non-essential bookings after 4 July, it’s important to note this date may be subject to change depending on the coronavirus situation, with the move to reopen the sector depending on ‘detailed scientific evidence provided closer to the time.’

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The only people who can stay the night outside their own homes are those in two-household support bubbles.

People who are part of a support bubble can spend time and/or the night at each other’s homes and don’t have to follow social distancing measures – as if they are one household.

To form a support bubble, at least one household of the two must be a single-person or single-parent household (with children under 18).

However, even those in support bubbles must stay at each other’s homes – stays somewhere other than each other’s households are not currently allowed.

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Hotels

Hotels are largely closed to the public at the time of writing, however, it’s currently understood that they will be opening no sooner than July 4 – the same date as much of the rest of the hospitality sector according to the Government’s 50-page Covid-19 Recovery strategy document.

Even though they’re not open to the general public at the moment, hotel chains are staying open for key workers to make bookings.

For example, Travelodge previously said it has a number of their hotels ‘currently open to support key workers including NHS staff and selected groups identified by the Government,’ while The Premier Inn has ‘selected hotels open exclusively to support critical and key workers.’

As for additional safety measures, Travelodge hotels have already added markings on the floors of their hotels to aid with social distancing, members of staff are wearing PPE and at the moment, their restaurants are closed. Instead, the chain is selling breakfast boxes at reception.

Meanwhile, James Wheatcroft, vice-president of marketing at Accor Northern Europe, is quoted in Thisismoney.co.uk as saying: ‘The health, safety and wellbeing of our staff, guests and partners will be our top priority as the world progressively relaxes its lockdown measures.

‘Our considerations will take guests from street to room and around the hotel in the best and safest way – this will likely include the removal of breakfast buffets in favour of grab and go and room service; the use of stairways and more innovative technology to enhance the guest experience.’ 

A Butlins holiday camp (Picture: PA Archive/PA Images)

Holiday homes and Airbnb

There is a glimmer of hope on this front, as Culture Secretary Oliver Bowden recently said he is hopeful that ‘self-let accommodation’ will be open to open up again sooner rather than later.

‘As the Prime Minister has said, we have set this very ambitious target to try and get the sector back by July 4, so long as it is safe to do so, and I am working to make that a reality,’ he said, adding ‘self-let accommodation has a lower risk, so I would hope that is at the front of the queue.’

At the time of writing Airbnb is allowing ‘only essential UK stays’, with a message on its website stating: ‘Due to COVID-19 concerns, there are temporary restrictions on non-essential travel.

‘To keep our community safe, only essential UK stays can take place before 4 July 2020, in view of government legislation.’

Meanwhile, holiday home rental company Homeaway says on its website that anyone who’s considering booking a trip should get travel insurance and think about whether they can postpone their trip.

Their website also advises you familiarise yourself with the homeowner’s cancellation policy before you book, and take the local area’s travel restrictions into account.

Butlins meanwhile won’t be opening its doors until at least 16 July and, depending on the site in question, Center Parks won’t reopen until at least 12 or, for their Longford Forest site, until 19 July.

The empty caravans lined up at Pentewan Sands Holiday Park (Picture: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Campsites and caravan parks

Campsites and caravan parks are still closed in the UK, and are likely to remain so until at least 4 July along with the rest of the hospitality sector.

Camping and Caravanning Club have said that, while they’re hoping to be able to reopen from 4 July in England, from 15 July in Scotland, and from 26 July in Northern Ireland, they may end up opening some of their campsites without showers and toilets.

Their website reads: ‘At the current time we plan to open the majority of Club Sites, including as many as possible with toilet block facilities.

‘Opening with toilet and shower facilities will only happen if we’re allowed to do so by the government. Some campsites however, will open without toilets and showers.’

They add: ‘In order to operate our sites in a responsible manner we will be increasing our cleaning regimes; where facility blocks are open there will be 2 deep cleans a day and 4 supplementary cleans.

‘This places extra demand on our staff so we have had to look at campsites which are better suited to self-sufficient campers where facility blocks will not be open this season.’

MORE: Easyjet starts first flights since March to encourage summer holidays

MORE: Is wild camping allowed in lockdown?

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