How Guided Trail Walking & Island Hopping Holidays will adapt after lockdown

What to expect on an Island Hopping or Guided Trails Walking Holiday after Lockdown

On some of our UK Guided Trail Walking Holidays and UK Island Hopping Holidays, our guests stay at partner hotels. These holidays also require us to transport guests between various places using private or public transport. We’re closely monitoring the latest government advice about Covid-19 and working with our partners to keep you and the communities we visit, as safe as possible. We’ve collated the information below to show what we’re doing to reduce the risk to you and the hotel teams, and provide some advice on how you can help too.

What we are doing

We are working with a fantastic team of accommodation and transport operators who are all compliant with the UK government’s Covid-19 guidance and who implement best practise and procedures to minimise the risk of spreading the virus. The advice is changing all the time and we’ll review, adapt and keep you up to date as it does so. The areas of focus are:

Transport

We are using transport in line with regional government regulations regarding social distancing. All our transport providers have confirmed that they operate within strict COVID guidelines. Their measures include:

• Enhanced cleaning regimes
• Use of hand sanitisers
• Seating guests in their personal bubbles
• Filling back seats first
• Disembarking from the front
• Increased ventilation

Please note that while in the vehicle it is mandatory to wear a face mask if you are in Scotland, Wales, Jersey, or Northern Ireland and recommended if you are in England or the Isle of Man.

Your accommodation

Physical Distancing Measures and the Group Sizes that apply to the hospitality industry in the different nations, are not in sync, so measures at our accommodation will vary between the nations.

Face coverings

• In England and the Isle of Man, it is recommended that you wear a face covering in crowded places.
• You must wear a face covering by law in public areas in hotels in Scotland. This is mandatory in public spaces; however, face coverings will not be required whilst eating and drinking in restaurants/cafes/bars or outdoors.
• In Wales face coverings will remain a legal requirement indoors, with the exception of hospitality premises.
• In Northern Ireland & Jersey face coverings are mandatory in all indoor settings.
• Face coverings are not mandatory on Guernsey.

If you have an age, health, or disability reason for not wearing a face covering, you may feel more comfortable providing an exemption card or wearing a lanyard to identify this. This is a personal choice, not the law. Many places of interest, shops, cafes etc. throughout the UK may still require you to wear a mask even if the government legislation does not. With this in mind we suggest you bring your personal supply of face coverings for the duration of your stay. Please note, if travelling to Scotland, Wales, or Norther Ireland, a face shield is not considered sufficient to prevent the spread of Covid-19, and anyone wearing a face shield is required to wear a face mask too.

How you can help

You can help if you:

• Wear a face mask/covering where required and please bring plenty of face coverings for the duration of your stay
• Carry/use hand sanitiser
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water when possible
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough or sneeze
• Avoid passing round objects such as cameras & phones
• If you are displaying symptoms of Coronavirus, please do not travel to your holiday

Note re travel to the Scottish Islands

Anyone visiting Scotland's islands is encouraged to take two lateral flow tests before travelling. The first test should be three days before travel and the second test on the day of travel. This is not law, and no evidence is necessary to prove this has been done. This is a recommendation only.

Note re travel to the Isle of Man

Entry to the Isle of Man still has some restrictions. All travellers are required to complete either a vaccination exemption form or apply for an entry permit, and complete a landing form. If you have had both doses of your COVID-19 vaccine and have not been to a country on the RED travel list in the 10 days before arrival to the Isle of Man, and have not got COVID symptoms, you can apply for a vaccination exemption form and travel without testing or isolation. See more here.

Note re travel to Guernsey

If you are travelling from the Common Travel Area (UK, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland), have not travelled to anywhere on the UK’s RED list, and have had both doses of your vaccine, with the second dose being at least 14 days prior to travel, you will be able to arrive with no self-isolation requirements on arrival. Fully vaccinated travellers will be provided with lateral flow tests on arrival, and will need to register on Travel Tracker.

Note re travel to Jersey

If you are travelling from the Common Travel Area (UK, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland), have not travelled to anywhere on the UK’s RED list, and have had both doses of your vaccine, with the second dose being at least 14 days prior to travel, you will be able to arrive with no self-isolation requirements on arrival. You will receive a FREE PCR test on arrival and will need to complete a pre-departure registration form within the 48 hours prior to arrival. See more here.

Note re travel to Northern Ireland

If you're travelling from within the Common Travel Area (CTA), and have not travelled out with the CTA within the 10 days prior to travel, you should take a rapid lateral flow device test (LFD) before you begin you travel to Northern Ireland. You should also take an LFD test on days two and eight of your stay.

We can’t remove all risk, but we can reduce it, and with your help, we can ensure a superb holiday experience for everyone.