When are self-catering holidays allowed in the UK and how far can you travel?

Following the latest lockdown announcement, the UK has a lot of different regulations. So when will self-catered holidays be allowed in the UK, and how far will we be allowed to travel?

On Monday 22 February 2021, Boris Johnson announced a whole host of new restrictions and rules that will dictate what is allowed in the UK over the next few months. This has a lot of people asking questions such as, when can beauty salons open in 2021? and when will hairdressers open again in 2021?

But now that the sun is starting to shine and the weather is finally getting warmer, so we are wondering when can we go on holiday? After this seemingly never-ending pandemic, everyone wants a change of scenery and a bit of a break - even if that means just travelling for a few hours, out of our hometowns. So when will it be possible to go on a self-catering holiday in the UK?

When are self-catering holidays allowed in the UK?

Boris Johnson’s roadmap announcement suggests that self-catering accommodation could reopen from 12 April at the earliest. Self-contained accommodation includes second homes, self-catering cottages, and caravans.

However, this only applies to the accommodation having individual facilities. Locations such as B&Bs that rely on shared facilities will remain closed until 17 May. This is date is provisional on the death and infection rates continuing to drop in the UK.

This only applied to individuals or a single household. That means that you won’t be able to mix households on a staycation holiday.

How far can you travel from home to go on holiday?

The government has yet to make clear guidelines about the distances that they consider to be a safe distance to travel. 

The guidelines stipulate that holidays should be domestic meaning they should be taking place in the UK and not overseas. 

But this isn't a problem! There are loads of incredible UK staycations available at the moment. So whether you’re looking for a lodge with a hot tub in Scotland that provides almost otherworldly views or you want to visit one of the UK’s most peaceful villages, you don’t need to hop on a plane to get there.

When will international holidays be allowed?

The new restrictions suggest that international travel will be allowed no earlier than 17 May. However, this is subject to review. This also has restrictions of the rule of 6 or two households indoors.

The new roadmap also suggests that by 21 June, International travel will also be permitted with no restrictions to the number of households mixing.