CAMPERS with self-contained caravans will soon be allowed to hit the road as lockdown eases, but where is taking bookings?

With spring just around the corner now is the perfect time to start thinking about the better days, and adventures, ahead. 

Caravan parks and holiday sites around England have their sights set on mid-April to reopen after a difficult year battling stringent restrictions and closures due to the Covid pandemic. 

The England-wide stay home order ends on March 29, but many lockdown restrictions will remain.

At this point, outdoor gatherings of either six people or two households will be allowed, providing greater flexibility for families to see each other.

Government guidance states that self-contained accommodation, such as holiday lets, where indoor facilities are not shared with other households, can reopen no earlier than April 12. This includes caravans.

Campers with tents, which are not self-contained, cannot head for a holiday until May 17.

The dates are provisional depending on four key measures:

  • The progress of vaccine roll-outs
  • Evidence vaccines have reduced hospitalisations and deaths
  • That infection rates don't risk a surge in hospitalisation and increase pressure the NHS
  • Risk levels are not "fundamentally changed" due to variants

Where is taking bookings for self-contained campers?

Caravan park operators are keen to welcome guests back, with scenic countryside and coastal spots lying vacant for months, missing out on vital industry trade. 

North-East chain Parkdean Resorts and the national organisation the Caravan Club are just two companies preparing their sites. 

A spokesperson for Parkdean Resorts said:  “Our focus is on getting our parks ready to reopen on April 12, with industry-leading Covid-safe measures in place.

“Our parks play a vital role in the local economy, providing employment for hundreds of people, and supporting dozens of other local businesses and suppliers. There’s a lot of interest in staycations but it’s important that this translates into bookings, so we can get holidaymakers back to the North-East and kickstart the visitor economy.”

The Caravan Club is also planning to reopen sites on the April date, which includes sites across the North-East, Yorkshire and the country, with some locations already having a packed diary.

Holidaymakers are encouraged to use the NHS Test & Trace App to register attendance. If you cannot use the app, caravan sites will use your booking details should if they are asked to provide contact information by an authorised body. 

In line with restrictions, you will be able to meet other guests on-site.

Director general of the organisation Nick Lomas said: “The Caravan and Motorhome Club welcomes the latest government announcement and we hope to follow government guidelines to safely re-open our campsites in England from April 12 onwards. 

"We keenly wait for further guidance from Wales and Scotland. We know that our members are very keen to get back to doing what they love most and exploring the great outdoors, and bookings are already strong for this summer. 

"We are confident that UK touring holidays will be even more popular in 2021 and build on the record membership increase of 14 per cent that we saw last year.” 

Here are some of the region's caravan parks where you can book up for mid-April onwards:

Parkdean Resorts

  • Church Point, in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea
  • Cresswell Towers at Druridge Bay
  • Crimdon Dene near Hartlepool
  • Sandy Bay in Ashington
  • Cayton Bay, near Scarborough
  • Whitley Bay

The Caravan Club

  • Berwick Seaview Caravan Club Site, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland
  • Durham Grange Caravan Club Site, Durham, County Durham
  • Nunnykirk Caravan Club Site, Rothbury, Northumberland
  • Old Hartley Caravan Club Site, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear
  • River Breamish Caravan Club Site, Powburn, Northumberland
  • Teesdale Barnard Castle Caravan Club Site, Barnard Castle, County Durham
  • White Water Park Caravan Club Site, Stockton-On-Tees, County Durham
  • Bolton Abbey Estate Caravan Club Site, Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire
  • Cayton Village Club Site, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
  • Hawes Caravan Club Site, Hawes, North Yorkshire
  • Knaresborough Caravan Club Site, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
  • Lower Wensleydale Caravan Club Site, Leyburn, North Yorkshire
  • North Yorkshire Moors Caravan Club Site, Whitby, North Yorkshire
  • Richmond Hargill House Caravan Club Site, Richmond, North Yorkshire
  • Scarborough West Ayton Caravan Club Site, Scarborough, North Yorkshire