You’ll be acutely aware that England has been in depths of lockdown for months now. On January 5 (if you can bear to think back), England entered its third national lockdown with the view that restrictions wouldn’t be eased until the vaccine had been rolled out across the country.
Thankfully, the vaccine programme has been super successful so far, so much so, that the government announced a provisional roadmap out of lockdown at the end of February. For many Londoners, it means finally being able to meet up with friends and loved ones outside in the city. But, how will the easing of lockdown affect your ability to leave the capital, take day trips from London or head off on any upcoming holidays you might have booked?
Can you travel in and out of London during lockdown?
While we are still under lockdown rules, the government’s guidance is clear that ‘you must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary’. There are certain exceptions to this, for instance if you are a key worker and have to travel in or out of London to go to your place of work, if you need to visit your support bubble or childcare bubble, if you have to access education, have caring responsibilities, need to visit a hospital, go for a medical appointment, visit a vet, or access essential retail.
Unlike the November 2020 lockdown, this is now the law and you can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice for any offences.
However, from March, lockdown rules will slowly begin to change.
What’s the deal with travelling for outdoor exercise?
The official guidance does say you are allowed to leave your home to exercise, but from March 8, you will also be allowed to go outside for social reasons too. From this date you and a pal can meet up without exercising, and sit down for a snack and a coffee in the park while you’re at it.
Come March 29, if the vaccine roll out keeps going to plan and cases remain low, the UK’s blanket ‘stay at home’ order is due to be lifted along with the ‘stay local’ guidance. That means, even though unessential travel will be discouraged, it should be possible to travel out of London to another, greener, outdoor space to get some exercise. From this date you’ll also be able to meet up outside in groups of six people from different households or in a group formed of two households. You can even have a picnic or takeaway food and drinks. And you can do it in someone’s garden if you’d like. As long as you don’t go inside!
Can Londoners go on holiday outside of London?
Domestic holidays are probably the best solution for getting a much-needed change of scene this year. From April 12, it seems we will be able to travel more widely within the country. From this date it should be possible to stay in self-catered accommodation, including Airbnbs and campsites, as long as you stick within your household. As long as cases and infection rates continue to fall, hotels, hostels and B&Bs will open again from May 17.
At the moment all non-essential overseas travel is currently banned, and these restrictions will not be lifted until at least May 17. Even beyond this date, some destinations may require British travellers to quarantine, other countries may not have lifted their own restrictions and some countries are weighing up the benefits of ’vaccine passports’, which could prevent people who haven’t had the jab from travelling.
So basically, if you want to avoid a lot of hassle, most foreign holidays probably aren’t worth the risk this year. A government report looking at rebooting international travel will be published on April 12, and may provide some more clarity on specific destinations British travellers can visit this summer. But for now it’s probably safer to look within the UK for your summer holiday.
What about day trips from London?
Bored of walking the same circuit around your local park? Luckily, day trips out of London don’t look too far off. Non-essential travel will be discouraged until April 12 at the earliest, when a new wave of businesses will be allowed to open, including holiday lets by individuals or households, pubs and restaurants serving outdoors only, zoos, theme parks and drive-in cinemas. From this point, day trips will certainly be allowed within England.
It’s also worth noting that the rules will almost certainly be different in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with most cross-border travel within the UK likely banned. Until May at the earliest, the government may continue to urge people not to use public transport unless absolutely necessary, so travelling out of the city by train would not be permitted either. Plus, hospitality businesses such as indoor pubs and restaurants as well as many attractions would remain closed at first, leaving your day trip options a tad limited even when you’re technically allowed to leave your local area.
It’s worth bearing in mind that the dates outlined here are subject to change if things don’t go as planned. But, we could all do with a bit of optimism, so if you still haven’t had a pint on the beach in Whitstable or time travelled in atmospheric Rye, summer 2021 could be your chance!
Want to start planning your future adventures? Here are the best Airbnbs in the UK and some super wholesome (and alfresco) UK hikes for when we’re allowed to travel again.
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