Following announcements made by the government stating that tourism and leisure sectors in England, Scotland and Wales can reopen from varying dates in July, we are ready to run our holidays again from August onwards. Below you will find more information on when you can take a Contours holiday and what sort of experience you might have if you do take a holiday during the gradual easing of lockdown.
Update: We have assessed the potential implications of localised lockdowns that affect some parts of the UK. We do not believe that this will impact our holidays, but will continue to monitor the situation as always. We will contact any customers in the first instance if we feel their holidays may become disrupted.
While we are doing all we can to ensure all the involved parties are safe and informed, if you travel while the virus is still active in the general population, you are increasing your risk of infection. If you are considered to be vulnerable to coronavirus, we do not recommend travelling at this time.
You are welcome to place a new holiday booking with us now to commence from September 2020 onwards.
Even though the government has stated that accommodations and other service providers can open from July, our team needs time to process your booking and arrange your holiday to the highest possible standard. Please note that all holidays must be booked at least three weeks in advance of your proposed start date for this reason.
If you are interested in holidaying in 2020, all the advice below will apply. We expect at least some of these changes to remain in effect through 2021.
Most importantly, if you are feeling a little unsure, we have put in place a set of policies that reduce your financial risk. Find out more about Booking With Confidence.
What will my holiday be like?
For the general outline of our tours, please refer to our FAQ page, but bear in mind the following changes.
Social distancing — at this time you will be required to respect social distancing regulations. This means from 4th July, you must not come within 1 metre of anyone outside of your own household, including accommodation owners and staff, transfer providers, or other members of your group from outside your household. Where possible, you should still remain at least 2 metres from anyone outside your own household.
You may find that several of your hosts have replaced their usual greeting and check-in practices with distanced alternatives such as self check-in procedures.
Breakfasts — bed and breakfast accommodations will be able to provide breakfasts, but these will be staggered to reduce the number of customers eating in their dining rooms at any one time. This may mean that a later departure is necessary. Where possible, your accommodation owners may be able to provide a continental breakfast in your room or arrange to serve your cooked breakfast first — but note that everyone is likely to want the same provision, as everyone will be keen to get on with their day!
We would suggest booking a tour with slightly easier mileages than you might usually opt for, since you will have a little less time to cover the distance each day — or you could carry out extra training in advance to increase your pace.
Evening meals — pubs and restaurants are also permitted to reopen from 4th July, so you may be able to enjoy an evening meal out after your days on the trail. Please be aware that, due to social distancing measures, capacity may be reduced in these areas, so advanced booking is recommended where possible. Your tour pack will include ideas for evening meal locations each night for this purpose.
Don't worry: if the place you plan to eat isn't open by the time you arrive, or if eatery spaces are limited, we will ensure there are other options available to you, such as takeaways or meals provided by your accommodations.
Luggage handling — all of our luggage handlers are putting in place their own guidelines to keep contact to a minimum and ensure there is no risk of transmission, either from you to them or vice versa. This may include (but is not limited to) wearing masks, wiping down the handles of your bags before moving them, thorough hand-washing, picking up your bags from an outside spot to avoid contact with accommodation providers, and other measures to minimise contact.
If you want to know what measures will be used on your specific tour, please let us know and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
What are my responsibilities?
If you choose to walk, run or cycle on one of our tours, you must understand that you are taking a risk. You are increasing your contact with others, and this carries a responsibility to behave sensibly, taking appropriate measures to minimise the risk of transmission. You should carry hand sanitiser with you for use after touching gates, stiles and anything else that other members of the public might have touched, and use luggage with wipeable rather than fabric handles.
Most importantly, all customers must bear in mind the following responsibilities, which will be sent to you with your tour pack as well.
You must follow social distancing measures. As already described, B&Bs and luggage transfer companies will be taking necessary steps to keep their distance. You must respect these steps, and likewise avoid contact with other travellers on the trails, shop owners, or anyone else you encounter on your holiday.
You must carry a suitable mask. From 24th July, face coverings will be compulsory in shops as well as on public transport, and are advised in other enclosed public spaces. There is evidence that these masks, used properly, can reduce the risk of transmission if you are carrying the disease without knowing it. Therefore you must carry a suitable mask and wear it when you arrive at accommodations or other facilities. Some accommodations and taxi companies will simply not serve you without a mask; therefore carrying one for each walker is essential.
You must self-isolate if you suffer from coronavirus symptoms. Please see further down this page for more information.
Thank you for being respectful and considerate of your hosts in this unusually difficult time.
What about my holiday pack?
The tour pack provided is the only way you’ll come into physical contact with us here in the office, so naturally we’re taking extra precautions to keep you safe.
All tour packs will be assembled by one of our expert tour pack team members, who will be thoroughly washing their hands before handling tour pack materials. The government has advised that posted materials are not a transmission risk, but please let us know if you have concerns.
Please note that delivery of tour packs may be delayed while we get back to our usual working routine, but should still arive in plenty of time before your holiday. If we feel you may be affected by this delay, we shall contact you and let you know as soon as possible.
What if I have coronavirus symptoms?
If you display any symptoms of coronavirus within two weeks of your holiday commencing, you must not travel. We take this very seriously indeed. Coronavirus poses a threat to life, and we cannot in good conscience permit you to take one of our tours if you have shown symptoms, which include the following from the NHS coronavirus advice page:
A high temperature — this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
A new, continuous cough — this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
Any loss or change to your sense of smell or taste — this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
If you develop any of these symptoms prior to your tour, you must let us know immediately and we will discuss options to cancel or postpone your booking.
If you develop any of these symptoms during your tour, you must inform us and end your tour immediately, travelling home as directly as possible. 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.
What if the government plans change?
On 23rd June, the government stated that the tourism industry can restart from 4th July, however they have stressed that the decision can be limited or reversed at any time should they feel it is necessary to protect the health of the general public.
By booking at this time, you accept the risk that a local lockdown or covid symptoms could prevent you from travelling. While we will do our best to postpone or rearrange your tour with enough notice, we will not be able to refund tours that cannot go ahead at short notice as a result of a local lockdown in your area preventing travel, or because you display covid symptoms prior to your tour.
If the situation changes and it again becomes impossible for your tour to go ahead, we will be in touch as soon as possible to discuss the next steps. Please keep an eye on the email account you used to get set up with us, including your junk inbox, and contact us immediately if you have any questions.
How do I get to my tour?
While we do not take responsibility for your travel to the beginning or back from the end of your holiday, you obviously need to be able to make that journey, and we are keen to help.
Public transport is a difficult option right now; it can be challenging to stick to social distancing, or impossible on packed trains and buses. Therefore we would recommend travelling by car if possible, and as always, we are happy to help you arrange parking at either end of your tour.
You will still need to make one journey by public transport or taxi between the start and end points of your tour — either after leaving your car at the end of the route before you begin your adventure, or back to the start once you finish the holiday — and we will help you to find the best option for this journey. Circular tours avoid this problem, of course, so walkers can check out our list of circular walking holidays for some great options, while runners and cyclists can get in touch for suggestions.
Note that buses in remote areas of the country are often under capacity and therefore social distancing can still be adhered to, and the proper use of masks, regular hand washing and contactless payments will help you minimise the risk of transmission.
Recent Testimonials
Below are some examples of feedback recieved by our customers who have enjoyed a Contours Walking Holiday since the tourism industry reopened:
Madge; South Devon (South West Coast Path) -Despite the well known issues with Covid at the moment, the holiday was as always well organised and provided with the usual level of thought and care. I was very impressed with the attention to ensuring Covid measures were all in place.
Darwen; Isle of Anglesey Coast Path -Well organised. We got what we hoped for. All our hosts were well organised (they spoke highly of Contours) and despite the virus we felt safe. Everyone conformed to the rules.
Lawrie; Northumberland Coat Path - We had a great time: somehow, the previous constrictions of the pandemic made the freedom of walking along a very beautiful coastline in the open air even more wonderful.
Sajic; Hadrian’s Wall Path -We walked the Hadrian's Wall in 5 days. It was full on and fully satisfying. Brilliant, well organised and smooth from start to finish.
Roma; The Ridgeway -We have just finished our 54 mile walk and could not have been happier with all of our accommodation, ending with the really lovely Jude at Folly Farm. All accommodation was great and what stood out was just how welcoming and independent all of the places were. We have sent details of Contours to a number of our friends and hope to book again with you in the future.
Salisbury; South Downs Way -We’re doing well! All the accommodation has been great with all our hosts being very friendly, helpful and kind. We’ve even managed to eat out, even when we didn’t expect to. The transfers have all been as expected. The taxi transfer this afternoon was very efficient and Chris the driver was brilliant and very cheerful and helpful. All in all it’s been really good so far and we’re all extremely pleased.
Above all else...
If you are vulnerable to coronavirus, we do not recommend travelling at this time.
If you travel while the virus is still active in the general population, there is a risk involved which you accept by travelling, and which your accommodation and transfer providers accept by taking your booking. While we will do absolutely everything we can to ensure all involved parties are safe and informed of the proper precautions, we cannot completely eliminate that risk.
If you have any concerns or worries, we are more than happy to discuss them and tell you more about how we intend to keep our tours safe, but we must emphasise: put your health first. To get in touch, find our details on our Contact page.
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