Categories: Camping

Coronavirus travel advice for campers in the UK

Thinking of camping this year? Or maybe a family glamping holiday? In the era of coronavirus (COVID-19) it’s important to plan your holiday accordingly and consider your safety before you book a trip. To help you find the information you need, we’ve put together this comprehensive travel advice for campers, so that you can plan with confidence.

Our absolute priority at Hipcamp is the health of campers and campsite owners. It’s important that we all work together to keep everyone safe and well. We’re doing our utmost to ensure the information below is as up-to-date as possible but do refer to the UK government website for further guidance.

This page was last updated on 4th October 2021.

Are campsites and glamping sites open in the UK?

ENGLAND:

Yes, all holiday accommodation in England is now open, including campsites, glamping sites and self-catering accommodation. As of 19th July 2021, there are no longer restrictions on group sizes for your booking. You can find out more about what you can and cannot do in England here.

BROWSE ACCOMMODATION IN ENGLAND

WALES:

Yes, all holiday accommodation in Wales is now open, including campsites and glamping accommodation. As of 17th July 2021, there are no restrictions on the number of people that can gather outdoors. You can find out more about what you can and cannot do in Wales here.

BROWSE ACCOMMODATION IN WALES

SCOTLAND:

Yes, campsites, glamping sites and holiday accommodation are now open in all of Scotland. As of 9th August 2021, most restrictions in Scotland have been lifted. Physical distancing rules and the limits on gatherings have been removed, and all venues are allowed to reopen. To find out more about what you can or cannot do in Scotland click here.

BROWSE ACCOMMODATION IN SCOTLAND

NORTHERN IRELAND:

Yes. The ‘stay local’ advice was relaxed on 24th May 2021 and holiday accommodation, including campsites and glamping sites, is now open. Some limits on wider social contact remain in place – more information on what you can and cannot do in Northern Ireland can be found here.

What about wild camping?

Staying overnight away from your primary residence in Scotland is now permitted and holiday accommodation is now opening (see above). In line with these guidelines, responsible wild camping is now able to resume in Scotland, with the usual respect required and wild camping code followed.

Holidays in England and Wales are also now permitted. Particular guidance for wild camping has not been issued, largely due to the fact that wild camping is not seen as a legal right in England and Wales (in fact, granted you have the land-owners permission and behave responsibly, wild camping is okay). We urge all campers to consider very carefully their impact on others and the environment before embarking on a wild camping excursion and to check our wild camping advice pages for further tips and information.

Will I have to wear a face mask when I go camping?

No. You won’t be expected to wear a face covering while camping, such as around your tent, around the campfire or outdoors for example, and wearing a face covering is no longer a legal requirement in public spaces. However, many campsites and glamping sites do request that you still consider wearing face coverings when in shared indoor spaces, such as inside washblocks or campsite cafés if they are busy.

What safety measures do campsites have in place?

In order to re-open last year and earlier this year, campsites across the UK had to comply with up-to-date ‘COVID-19 Secure’ guidelines, which were specifically published for each nation – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

As rules have eased over the last few months, these guidelines have changed, however, the core hygiene improvements campsites have made still remain in place.

On many UK campsites, these changes include things like:

  • Publishing an NHS QR code in order to collect NHS Track & Trace information.
  • Printing distance markers in shared facilities to aid social distancing.
  • Additional space in communal seating areas.
  • Reducing the overall capacity of the campsite in order to maximise space for guests.
  • Allocated showering times booked via campsite apps.
  • Contactless check in or unattended check in.
  • More frequent cleaning, more frequent emptying of bins and more thorough ‘deep cleaning’ regimes.
  • Improved ventilation in communal areas and indoor spaces.
  • Increasing the number of toilets and showers on site and, in some cases, providing private toilet and shower facilities for each pitch.

While all campsites are working to ensure they follow the governments COVID-19 Secure guidelines, the huge variety of camping experiences on offer means there is no one-size fits all approach to how things will be. One campsite, for example, might have outdoor showers, so additional ventilation isn’t needed, while other campsites might have modern, purpose-built wash-blocks, where a one-way system will need to be implemented and extra ventilation provided. Whatever the case, you can be confident that every campsite open is currently operating with the latest guidelines in mind and is working to ensure that campers are safe and well informed this summer.

For additional assurance, last year VisitEngland partnered with the national tourist boards of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to launch We’re Good to Go for businesses to demonstrate they are adhering to the respective Government and public health guidance, have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and checked that they have the required processes in place.

 

Can I go on a camping holiday in France and Europe?

Yes, camping and glamping sites are now open again in France and across Europe.

In October 2021, the rules on overseas travel eased across the UK making it easier to travel between countries and simplifying the ‘traffic lights’ system into one single red list. If you are fully vaccinated, you can now return to the UK from non-red-list countries without needing to take a COVID test. However, this only applies when returning to the UK; when entering other countries different rules may apply.

If you are fully vaccinated you can enter France from the UK as long as you:

  • provide proof of your vaccination status
  • complete a “sworn statement”

Fully vaccinated adult travellers don’t have to provide proof of a negative PCR/antigen test result – but children aged 12 or over travelling with them do.

The UK government’s Foreign Travel Advice pages are the most reliable source of information regarding whether or not you should travel to other countries. In particular, their travel advice for France can be found here.

 

Should I buy travel insurance?

Yes. We always recommend that you have comprehensive travel insurance for any holiday you take. We recommend you take out a policy which covers you in the event of cancellation. This will provide extra cover in circumstances where you have to cancel due to reasons not related to Coronavirus too. For foreign holidays, we recommend you take out a policy that has good medical coverage for international trips. Please contact your insurer directly if you have questions about what they cover.

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