Last updated: Wednesday 16th 2020 at 10:30PM
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With all the new rules have you found yourself asking where can I go on holiday?
I’ve already covered England but now it’s time to discover what the rules and restrictions are for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
And for good measure, I’ll throw in what that means for travelling abroad from each of them too.
Click below to discover the travel rules for where you live:
Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Looking for travel details for England?
I tackled it separately as it was so complicated! You can find out all about it here.
Important to remember
This article is about to give you a quick overview but as things can change fast, always check with the relevant government’s websites for details before either booking or travelling. I will endeavour to keep this updated but I can’t be held responsible, or quoted to show a reason for purchase or travel.
Wales
On Monday 9th November 2020, the ‘firebreak lockdown’ which banned all travel ended in Wales.
However, there are still restrictions in place for travel out of Wales.
People living in Wales cannot travel to areas of England in tier three, areas of Scotland in level three or above or Northern Ireland for leisure reasons.
Whilst not illegal, the Welsh government also “strongly advise against travel which is not necessary to tier one or two areas in England or areas in Scotland in level two because of the risk of spreading the virus”.
As well, travel abroad is no longer banned but the same cautions around non essential travel are in place.
You can read the full guidance from the Welsh government here.
Where can I go on holiday if I live Wales?
TRAVELLING IN WALES
As of Monday 9th November 2020:
- You CAN travel and stay over in any part of Wales
- On Monday 2nd November, First Minister, Mark Drakeford, said: “I can confirm that people will be able to travel within Wales, they won’t be confined to their local authority area as was the case during the firebreak. Tourism will be able to reopen”
- You can find the full guidance here
TRAVELLING TO ENGLAND
As of Friday 4th December 2020:
- You CAN travel and stay over in England tier 1 and 2
- Whilst not illegal to travel to these areas, the Welsh government do “strongly advise against travel which is not necessary to tier one or two areas in England because of the risk of spreading the virus”.
- Whilst not illegal to travel to these areas, the Welsh government do “strongly advise against travel which is not necessary to tier one or two areas in England because of the risk of spreading the virus”.
- You CANNOT travel and stay over in England tier 3
- Both the England and Wales’ governments advise against travel in, out and around tier 3 for leisure reasons
- You can read Wales’ full guidance here
TRAVELLING TO SCOTLAND
As of Friday 4th December 2020:
- You CANNOT travel and stay in Scotland
TRAVELLING TO NORTHERN IRELAND
As of Friday 11th December 2020:
- You CAN travel and stay in Northern Ireland
- However, the Welsh government states ‘we strongly advise against travel which is not necessary to tier one or two areas in England, areas in Scotland in level two or Northern Ireland because of the risk of spreading the virus’, however this is advice and not a travel ban
- You can read Wales’ full guidance here
- And you can read Northern Ireland’s latest guidance here
TRAVELLING ABROAD
As of Friday 4th December 2020:
- You CAN travel and stay over abroad
- Whilst not illegal to travel abroad, the Welsh government do say “we strongly advise people living in Wales not to travel abroad because of the risks of catching or spreading the virus while on holiday. Some countries are not allowing visitors to come on holiday at this time.”
- You can read the Welsh guidance here
- If you choose to go abroad, you will need to check the FCDO to see where you are able to travel to and the restrictions for the country you aim to travel to
- You may find my ‘no quarantine travel list‘ helpful
Scotland
At present, there are travel options in and around Scotland if you live in levels 0, 1 and 2 which came into force on Monday 2nd Nov 2020 at 6am. However crossing the border for leisure travel reasons has now been banned by the government.
If you live in levels 3, you will also face some restrictions when travelling outside of your own area and for level 4, all travel is restricted. As of Friday 20th November 2020, restrictions in levels 3 and 4 are legal.
You can find out what level you are here and read details about these restrictions here.
Where can I go on holiday if I live in Scotland?
TRAVELLING IN SCOTLAND
If you live in levels 0, 1 and 2:
- You CAN travel and stay over in Scotland levels 0, 1 and 2
- You must avoid any unnecessary travel to places in Level 3 or Level 4 areas
- For specific details on where you can stay and who you can travel with, click on ‘holiday accommodation’ in the relevant guide for level 0, level 1 and level 2
- Children are not included in household numbers in Scotland
- You can find more information on Scottish household rules here
- You can find more details about all travel restrictions here
If you live in levels 3 and 4:
- You CANNOT travel and stay over in Scotland levels 0, 1 and 2
- You can find more details about all travel restrictions here
If you live in level 3:
- You CAN travel and stay over in your own level 3 area:
If you live in level 4:
TRAVELLING TO ENGLAND
The Scottish government currently advise against all travel to England:
- You CANNOT travel to any area of England
- The current Scottish Government guidance, given the state of the epidemic across the UK is that people avoid any unnecessary travel between Scotland and England, Wales, or Northern Ireland
- You can find more details about all travel restrictions here
TRAVELLING TO WALES
The Scottish government currently advise against all travel to Wales:
- You CANNOT travel to any area of Wales
- The current Scottish Government guidance, given the state of the epidemic across the UK is that people avoid any unnecessary travel between Scotland and England, Wales, or Northern Ireland
- You can find more details about all travel restrictions here
TRAVELLING TO NORTHERN IRELAND
The Scottish government currently advise against all travel to Northern Ireland:
- You CANNOT travel to any area of Northern Ireland
- The current Scottish Government guidance, given the state of the epidemic across the UK is that people avoid any unnecessary travel between Scotland and England, Wales, or Northern Ireland
- You can find more details about all travel restrictions here
TRAVELLING ABROAD
The Scottish government currently advise against all foreign travel.
If you live in Scotland levels 0, 1 and 2:
- You should ‘think carefully’ before booking non-essential travel at this time
- However, this is advice and not a travel ban at this stage
- If you do decide to travel, you will need to check the Scottish government’s exemptions list for details on quarantining and I also recommend checking the entry requirements on the FCDO
- You may find my ‘no quarantine travel list‘ helpful
If you live in Scotland levels 3 and 4:
- You CANNOT travel abroad for leisure reasons
- The Scottish government advise against any unnecessary travel out of the area for levels 3 and 4 which includes travel abroad
- You can read more on the restrictions here
Northern Ireland
As of Friday 11th December 2020, Northern Ireland have ended their circuit breaker lockdown and have bought in new restrictions.
Hotels and accommodation providers are now permitted to open and there is no longer a travel ban in place, though non essential travel is still advised against.
You can read more about the updated restrictions here.
Where can I go on holiday if I live in Northern Ireland?
TRAVELLING IN IRELAND
- You CAN travel in Northern Ireland for leisure reasons
- Hotels and accommodation providers are now permitted to open – with restrictions – and there is no longer a travel ban in place
- However, non essential travel is still advised against and the government states ‘Everyone is asked to be mindful of the risks of spreading coronavirus by travelling and also increased contact with individuals outside your home or bubble’
- You can read more details about the current travel restrictions here
TRAVELLING TO ENGLAND
- You CAN travel and stay in England tier 1 and 2
- However, you will need to check local restrictions for the area you’re visiting
- You can find out more about local restrictions here
- You CANNOT travel and stay in England tier 3
- Hotels and overnight accommodation are only open for certain circumstances which unfortunately does not include leisure travel
- The government has also advised against all travel into, out of and around tier 3 areas
- You can read guidance on tier 3 here
TRAVELLING TO WALES
You CAN travel and stay in Wales
- However the Welsh government do ask people to think carefully about non essential travel
- You can read the Welsh guidance here
TRAVELLING TO SCOTLAND
You CANNOT travel and stay in Scotland
TRAVELLING ABROAD
- You MAY be able to travel abroad for leisure reasons
- The total travel ban in Northern Ireland ended on Friday 11th December 2020
- However, Northern Ireland’s government have been quite vague on whether this now means that people can travel abroad
- When looking at their guidance, they state ‘If travelling abroad is essential, make sure you check the latest advice on the coronavirus (COVID-19) travel advice page’
Where can I go on holiday if I live in England?
I did this one on a separate page as it was a bit of a beast! You can check it out here.
Did that help?
I hope so! And do make sure to let me know where you’ve booked so I can holiday vicariously though you.
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