What to expect on your holiday during Covid-19

Covid-19 continues to be a risk to us all and while we are keen to welcome back walkers, we need to operate in a way that ensures our customers and all the hotels and B & Bs we work with remain safe. We are continually monitoring government and public health guidance and the changes that might affect your holiday. The current situation means that a walking and cycling holiday at the moment will be a different experience to pre Covid-19 times.

The areas our holidays are in, have had very low rates of Covid-19. When you are out walking for the day, enjoying the fresh air and countryside, Covid-19 will probably feel a long way away. There are however a number of necessary Government restrictions and changes which are going to be in place for some time and these will affect your holiday. These restrictions will affect the places you stay each night as well as where and how you are able to eat, drink and shop. It is also possible that if rules change at short notice alterations might need to be made to your holiday with little warning.

If you are on holiday and travelling while the virus is still around you are increasing your risk of infection. If you are vulnerable to Covid-19 because of an underlying health issue then we would not recommend travelling at this time. We would also not recommend travelling just yet if you feel that the restrictions and changes to our holidays at the current time might be difficult to deal with. If this is the case it might be best to book your holiday for later in 2021, or in 2022 when we hope things will be easier with less restrictions.

The following will give you an idea of what to expect and what sort of experience you might have on your holiday.

What will my holiday be like?

For the general outline of our holidays please see our FAQ section on the web site. In Covid times however it will be inevitably be a different experience. You will not have the same contact with hosts as in in normal times, and it might be that arrangements need to change at short notice, and this could include accommodation changes.

Please be aware that the rules in Wales are different to the rules in England. Offa’s Dyke path criss-crosses the England Wales border so the rules on this walk will change depending on where you are.

Walking and the trails

You are outdoors and the consensus is that the virus does not live long outdoors. You must however keep aware and maintain a ‘social distance’ from people who are not members of your household. Remember that gates and stiles will have been touched by other walkers, so make sure you carry hand sanitiser with you.

Social distancing

You should keep 2 metre distance from anyone outside your own household. This includes other members of your group who are not part of your household, your accommodation hosts and staff, luggage transfer providers. This means that you may find that you do not receive the normal face to face welcome from some of your hosts and that there is a self check-in procedure instead.

Accommodation

The B & B and hotels have all taken time to work out how best they can operate and keep their guests and themselves safe. There will be changes to the way they operate in normal times. The accommodation you stay in is all different and will have different arrangements depending on layouts, size, and communal spaces. Some places are doing timed and socially distanced check-ins, others are not doing face to face check-ins. Check-in and departure times may vary to allow for more cleaning time. If you are staying more than one night, rooms will not be serviced each day. There may be one way systems in larger hotels and some places are not letting all their rooms so there will be less rooms available. There will also be changes to breakfast arrangements (see below). We will give you more detailed information in your final holiday information.

Eating and drinking

Cafes, pubs and restaurants are now able to open indoors, with social distancing in place. Many places also have some outdoor space so you can choose to eat outside if you prefer not to be indoors. Because of social distancing, most places are not able to serve as many customers now. We recommend that you book tables in advance as in some places the options for evening meal may be quite limited. Phone numbers are provided in your holiday packs. In more remote places B & Bs will be able to offer and evening meal. Many B & Bs are allowing guests to bring in takeaways. Details will be in your holiday pack.

Breakfasts

Bed and breakfast accommodations will be providing breakfasts, but there will be no self-service buffets. Some places are staggering breakfast times to reduce the number of customers eating in their dining rooms at any one time and this may mean that a slightly later departure might be necessary on some days. Some places will be doing room service.

Luggage

All luggage handlers will have their own guidelines in place to keep contact to a minimum. This is likely to include wearing masks, wiping down handles, spraying luggage with sanitiser spray as well as hand washing.

Taxis and pick-ups from the path

Taxis are also operating but will probably ask you to sit in the back and some may have screens. You will need to wear a mask and they will wear one also. They will also be cleaning and sanitising taxis between customers.

What are my responsibilities?

If you choose to come on one of our holidays at this time, you must be aware that you are taking a risk. You will be increasing your contact with other people and need to take seriously the measures which minimise the risk of transmission of the virus. You must follow the current government guidance (which is different in England and Wales) and be aware that the guidance may change at short notice.  In particular you must

Follow social distancing rules

The accommodations and luggage transfer companies are all taking the necessary steps to keep their distance and keep you and themselves safe. This is a challenging time for everyone, Please respect their rules and requirements. You must avoid contact with your hosts, staff, as well as other people you meet while on your holiday, including workers in shops, pubs etc. Carry hand sanitiser and keep hand washing

Carry a mask and wear it when necessary

Face coverings are compulsory in shops and on public transport and you are advised to wear them in other enclosed public spaces. There is evidence that masks can reduce the risk of transmission. You must carry a mask and wear it when you arrive at accommodations or other facilities. Please be aware that some B & Bs, hotels and taxi companies will not serve you unless you are wearing a mask.

Self-isolate if you have Covid-19 symptoms

If you have any symptoms of coronavirus within two weeks of your holiday commencing, you must not travel. You must let us know immediately and we can cancel or postpone your holiday. These symptoms, include the following

• High temperature
• A new, continuous cough
• Loss or change to your sense of smell or taste

If you develop any of these symptoms during your holiday, you must inform us and end your holiday immediately and travel home. We realise this may be difficult and we are on hand to help you find the best options for travel in this worst-case scenario, but unfortunately we cannot accept responsibility for any costs incurred in such a situation.