As the lockdown begins to ease, caravanners can start planning to get back on the road again. But some aspects of touring are going to be quite different, says Claudia Dowell

Claudia Dowell

AS WE WENT to press, caravans all over the country have been basking in the summer sunshine and perhaps even gathering dust on driveways, in storage compounds and on sites, waiting for their owners to unlock their doors.

Now they might not have so very long to wait. If the country can meet the five tests laid down by the UK Government for the road to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the hospitality industry can look with hope towards July as a possible date for resuming business – at least in England.

This will be good news for campsites, desperate to claw back revenue lost during the best spring we’ve had for years, and great news for all of us, desperate to see some different scenery.

People with their own caravan are best placed to enjoy some form of holiday this year. With your ‘home from home’, you know exactly who has used it, so if all of the family are infection-free, the risk of contracting the virus inside your tourer is low.

It helps, too, that for health and safety reasons, the recommended minimum distance between pitches is six metres. Caravan owners are onto a further winner of minimising contact with infection if they have their own facilities.

Getting outdoors

At the time of writing, we have seen some easing of the restrictions, with outdoor and water sports, swimming and other activities now permitted within your family unit, and up to six people (adhering to social distancing) being able to get together, depending on which of the UK countries you live in.

In England, driving in a private vehicle to a beach or green space is permitted if you are alone or within your family unit. That green space can be extended to gardens normally open to the public if ticketed or members-only.

The National Trust recently announced the opening of some of its gardens and parks, with advanced booking and time slots, as has Blenheim Palace. Chatsworth House has reopened its car parks, picnic shop and estate farm shop; booking for the car parks is also essential.