Millions more people in England will be moved into tougher Tier 4 restrictions from midnight, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced. The Midlands, North East, parts of the North West and parts of the South West are being escalated to the most severe lockdown measures on Wednesday 30 December.
Wales is already subject to the toughest Level 4 lockdown restrictions, while large parts of England, including London and most surrounding counties, entered Tier 4 restrictions just before or after Christmas. Scotland has banned travel to the country from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The announcement will also see a number of areas escalated from Tier 2 to Tier 3. These include Rutland, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Liverpool City, York and North Yorkshire, Bath and North East Somerset, Devon, Plymouth, Torbay, Cornwall, Dorset and Wiltshire.
Areas already in Tier 4 include Greater London and the City of London, Buckinghamshire, Kent, Berkshire, Surrey, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Peterborough, Essex, Sussex, Oxfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire and Hampshire (with the exception of the New Forest).
Read our detailed explanation of Tier 4 in England to understand what you can and can’t do in all four tiers.
All of mainland Scotland has been placed under the toughest Tier 4 restrictions. Additionally, the country has banned travel from other parts of the UK to and from Scotland.
Northern Ireland’s national lockdown also came into effect on Boxing Day and non-essential shops have closed.
Use our holidays abroad Q&A if you need help with an international flight or holiday.
Find more unbiased advice on travel and coronavirus, award-winning investigations and legal advice on holiday refunds and cancelled flights with Which? Travel
- Can I still take a UK holiday?
Yes if you live in a Tier 1 or 2 area of England and are travelling to a Tier 1 or 2 area.
Tier 3 residents should avoid travelling to other parts of the UK, including for overnight stays and Tier 4 residents must stay at home, much like national lockdown orders. People in both Tiers should not holiday or stay overnight elsewhere in the UK.
Mainland Scotland will be placed into Level 4 restrictions from Boxing Day, meaning you can’t take a holiday anywhere in the UK.
Welsh residents are not able to travel except for essential reasons.
Current England travel restrictions
Tiered restrictions came back into force on 2 December. These are on a regional level. Those in Tier 3 should avoid staying elsewhere in the UK unless ‘necessary’ (such as for medical treatment or work). This means no staycations. Those in Tier 4 must not travel outside of their local area, except for legally permitted reasons, such as work or education. You can stay overnight for a permitted reason, such as needing accommodation for work purposes or to attend a funeral.
If your legal restrictions on travel within your Tier prevent you from travelling by train, you should be entitled to a refund in most cases. In England, this is clear cut. The Department for Transport has announced it will provide cash refunds for dometic rail and coach tickets for the previous travel Christmas window from 23 to 27 December, bought before the change in regulations and guidance were announced by the Prime Minister on 19 December. This applied to journeys in England booked on or after 24 November – when the original announcement was made regarding the Christmas window.
People in Tier 1 and 2 areas should not travel to Tier 3 and 4 locations – unless it is part of a wider journey – such as to travel abroad, or to reach another part of the UK.
Tier 1 restrictions: can I take a holiday?
Yes. Those under Tier 1 restrictions can travel and mix with other households, meaning holiday cottage or other accommodation booked with another household can go ahead, with no more than six in one accommodation. The other guests must also be under Tier 1 restrictions. However, from Boxing Day, no area of the UK will be under the lowest restrictions.
Tier 2: can I take a holiday?
Yes. Travel is allowed to and from Tier 2 areas.
If going on holiday in the UK, you can only stay in accommodation with people you normally live with.
The government advises those from Tier 2 areas ‘reduce the number of journeys you make’, but travel is permitted. As the government has only issued advice, you may not be able to get a refund.
Tier 3: can I take a holiday?
People living in Tier 3 areas shouldn’t stay overnight anywhere else in the UK.
Additionally, accommodation in Tier 3 areas, such as hotels, B&Bs, campsites, and guest houses, must close – but you will be entitled to a refund.
Which? believes that people with bookings affected by Tier 3 restrictions should be able to get a refund.
Tier 2 and Tier 3 holiday rules explained – read our full guide
Tier 4 – can I take a holiday?
No. Those in Tier 4 are under restrictions similar to that of a national lockdown. You therefore must not take a holiday elsewhere in the UK or abroad.
Which? believes you are entitled to a refund in this instance.
Can I take a holiday or travel from or in Wales?
No. People must not travel into or out of Wales or outside of their local area except for essential reasons. This non-essential travel ban includes crossing the border with England.
If you have hotel, flight or holiday bookings you should be offered a refund (see below), although some airlines are only offering rebooking or vouchers. Train companies will refund most tickets. Advanced ticket holders may only be able to get a voucher.
Can I take a holiday or travel from or in Scotland?
No. Travel outside of Scotland is banned, expect for limited essential reasons. It will be illegal to cross the border unless you have an exemption, such as being a key worker.
All of mainland Scotland is under Level 4 restrictions, making it illegal to leave your local council area.
All holiday accommodation within mainland Scotland is closed to tourism. Hotels, B&Bs and self-catering can remain open for essential customers only.
If you have hotel, flight or holiday bookings you should be offered a refund (see below), although some airlines are only offering rebooking or vouchers. Train companies will refund most tickets. Advanced ticket holders may only be able to get a voucher.
Can I get a refund for my UK holiday when lockdown restrictions prevent travel?
We believe that if you had booked accommodation and you’re unable to travel due to government restrictions on travel, you should be entitled to your money back.
In Tier 3 and 4 areas, holiday accommodation will be forced to close, so you will be entitled to a refund. You can choose to accept rebooking or a voucher, but you have the right to ask for a full refund.
Most major UK holiday companies are offering refunds to people who aren’t allowed to travel due to local lockdowns. Sykes Cottages, Hoseasons and Cottages.com, which were all criticised for refusing to refund customers during the nationwide lockdown earlier this year, say they will refund in these circumstances.
Sykes is offering refunds or an alternative holiday to those who can’t travel due to government restrictions for trips booked up to 23 December and it says it will review this in line with government guidance. However, customers are reporting difficulty claiming refunds as they have to call Sykes to do so and its phone lines are often engaged.
If your provider claims the terms and conditions of your contract exclude refunds in this scenario, they could be challenged on the basis that they are potentially unfair. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has previously stated that refunds should be paid to customers who can’t take up a service because of government regulations.
Will social distancing rules affect my holiday in England? The rule of six
Under Tier 2 restrictions you will only be able to see people from your own household inside (and support bubble). This must be a maximum of six people. Under Tier 1 restrictions you can meet other households inside if they are also from a Tier 1 zone, but you still must stick to the rule of six.
These restrictions could affect a holiday you may have booked months ago before these rules were in place.
What if my accommodation booking breaks the rules?
You need to check the restrictions for the area you are travelling to and if your group consists of multiple households where this isn’t allowed you’ll have to reduce the number of guests or cancel.
In this instance, the bigger self-catering booking sites such as Sykes Cottages, Hoseasons and Cottages.com all say they will give customers the option of refunds, free changes or vouchers.
Sykes is however warning people not to cancel the booking themselves otherwise they will forfeit the right to a refund. It says it will contact customers in date order.
Hoseasons and Cottages.com, both part of Vacation Rentals, admit that customers are struggling to get through to them on the phone due to ‘an unprecedented volume of calls’, so they are asking people only to contact them two weeks before their holiday.
Butlin’s, Haven and Center Parcs were also previously allowing free cancellations or changes for groups that don’t comply with the social distancing restrictions.
Private accommodation owners might take a different view. The government said it ‘encourages accommodation providers to offer alternative dates if this can be agreed with you’. If this isn’t possible, it says it encourages businesses to provide a refund, but says this may depend on the terms of the contract.
We believe you should be entitled to a refund for accommodation in England and Wales on the basis that if you went ahead with the booking you would be breaking the law. If your contract doesn’t specify what happens in these circumstances you should be entitled to most, if not all, of your money back; if the T&Cs exclude refunds in this situation they could be challenged on the basis that they’re potentially unfair.
Will my travel insurance cover cancellation costs?
Most comprehensive annual travel insurance policies, especially those provided through bank accounts, will cover UK holidays and should include cancellation cover for trips booked before mid-March when coronavirus was declared a pandemic, so it’s worth checking the wording of your policy. Standard annual policies are unlikely to cover UK travel and some insurers introduced COVID-19-exclusion clauses for trips booked after mid-March.
