UK holidays: When and where can I go.... and who with?
- Published
The weather may not be the best, but holidays in the UK are back on.
Limits on where you can stay - and who with - have been relaxed significantly, but some rules still apply.
Where can I travel in the UK?
You can now travel freely between England, Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland.
However, the government has had to clarify new guidance for eight areas of England where cases of the Indian coronavirus variant are high.
Initially people were advised to "avoid" non-essential travel in and out of Kirklees, Bedford, Blackburn with Darwen, Bolton, Burnley, Leicester, Hounslow and North Tyneside.
This led to confusion about the status of the guidance, and some people cancelled holidays as a result.
The government later updated the advice to say people should "minimise" travel into the areas, to "make it clearer we are not imposing local restrictions" in the eight areas.
Separately the Scottish government has also introduced temporary travel restrictions for Bedford, Bolton, and Blackburn with Darwen. Travel is also not permitted in and out of Glasgow.
Anyone planning to visit a Scottish island is encouraged to take two lateral flow tests beforehand.
Can I stay in a holiday home or hotel?
The rules vary around the UK.
In England:
- All holiday accommodation - including hotels, hostels, B&B, caravans and boats - can open
- Six people from multiple households, or any number from two households, can stay together
- You can stay overnight in a private home, subject to the rule of six
In Wales:
In Scotland:
Most of mainland Scotland is now in Covid protection level two. Scottish islands - with the exception of Skye - have moved to level one.
In these areas:
- Hotels, B&Bs, self-catering, caravan and campsites can open
- Six people from three households can share self-catering accommodation
- You still can't share a hotel room with someone you don't live/bubble with
However, Glasgow City is still in level three, because of high levels of infection there:
- Hotels, B&Bs, self-catering, caravan and campsites can open
- Members of different households cannot mix indoors, so you cannot share a private dwelling or holiday accommodation with people you don't live with
- You must not travel to or from a level three area for a holiday
In Northern Ireland:
- All holiday accommodation can open
- Up to six people from two households can stay together overnight (children aged 12 and under are not counted)
When can I go on holiday abroad?
Foreign holidays are allowed again, but the government says people should only travel to destinations on its amber list in "exceptional circumstances".
Countries have been categorised as red, amber or green to reflect their Covid risk, with different rules for each.
When will other restrictions be eased?
England won't remove remaining restrictions until at least 21 June, although this could be delayed due to concerns over the Indian variant.
Scotland hopes to move the rest of the country to Covid protection level one from 7 June - and then level zero from late June.
Covid rules in Wales are due to be reviewed next in the first week of June, and in Northern Ireland on 10 June.