Find out all you need to know about when caravan, touring and camping parks in North Wales will re-open following the easing of government restrictions.
Doesn’t it feel like Christmas? Not with the weather, which has blessed us here on the North Wales coast lately. But with the anticipation of something beautiful on the horizon: the excitement in the air. The kids are counting down the sleeps – not until the man in the red coat appears, but until their bucket and spades can be dug out of the garage and finally reunited with those golden sands.
After the most difficult year on record, it’s safe to say we’re on the verge of something beautiful: summer! The gradual easing of government restrictions has equipped many of us with the newly-discovered freedoms of travel, adventure, and wanderlust. Here at Lyons Holiday Parks, we’ve already welcomed guests since April 12th – and we thanked our lucky stars that the UK National Government allowed cross-border travel.
This meant that hundreds of keen holidaymakers in England could jam-pack their cars and jet off to see us here in North Wales. Of course, we welcomed them back with eager (socially-distanced) arms and heartwarming smiles, simply because we’d missed them so much. Walking around the park this week has been like – and again, forgive the seasonal reference – Christmas come early for us. Or late. Depending on which way you look at the calendar which we feel has been bludgeoned off-path this year.
How excited are we to re-open for holidays?Â
It doesn’t matter which way you look at the months. We have a whole season ahead of us to continue making your holiday dreams come true. And we’re overjoyed to announce that summer is well and truly here. The season has started at Lyons Holiday Parks, for both owners and holidaymakers. And we’re deadset on making up for the lost time.
We know we can’t go full-speed ahead just yet. This means our entertainment schedules and facilities may look a little different just now. But trust us when we say we’re working as hard as we can to bring back the things that make us, well, us. As soon as it’s safe and prohibited to do so, we’ll be opening up our bars, restaurants, swimming pools, indoor play areas and entertainment shows faster than you can say ‘Hetty’s Dance Party.’
But for now, we’re simply grateful for having you here with us again. Kids on bikes; the convenience shop opening for 12 hours a day again; and ice cream flying off the shelves in said shop. The skies are blue: the on-park roads are no longer untrodden: and the dogs we see around the park (we’re pet-friendly, remember) are eagerly pulling at their leads eager to engage with other customers, oblivious of course to the 2m rules we have in place to keep you safe.
But the dogs are forgiven: it’s sheer excitement at the prospect of people again. Now there’s some bustle, there’s life. The seagulls are cawing again at the glorious notion of a whole season of fish and chip scraps. It’s undoubted that there’s spark again on the park. And that’s all down to you. OK, so now you’ve let us gush over how much we love seeing you all here, let’s get down to the basics about what you need to know.
When can holiday parks re-open?
The Welsh Government announced last month that holiday parks could re-open from March 27th for Welsh residents only. We welcomed a few owners back to some of our parks – and Lyons Pendyffryn Hall in Penmaenmawr was even featured on BBC news on that Saturday morning! The stay-local rule within Wales was lifted on 27 March, coinciding with the start of the Welsh school holidays to allow people to take holidays after self-contained accommodation reopened on the same day.
From April 12th, the latest roadmap out of lockdown indicated that English residents were able to travel over the border to Wales for holiday purposes. The Welsh government website states: “There are no restrictions in place for travel into or out of Wales as long as you are travelling to or from a country within the UK or wider Common Travel Area (Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands).
“However, you will need to check the restrictions in place in the area you are travelling from or to as some countries within the Common Travel Area have travel restrictions in place.”
Can I stay overnight in Wales if I’m from England?
The short answer is yes, you can. Holidays can fully go ahead at all of our parks, meaning owners from England are now able to travel to stay overnight and not just check on their holiday homes and leave before nightfall. As far as we know, parts of Scotland are still in higher-tiered lockdowns. This means that travel in and out of Scotland is prohibited. Holidays in Scotland are not classed as a legal reason to travel, and unfortunately, we’re unable to welcome guests who reside in Scotland to our parks just yet.
What does ‘self-contained accommodation’ mean?
We listened to the feefo-rated booking provider Pitchup.com who state: “Self-contained holiday accommodation in which all facilities (including for sleeping, catering, bathing, and indoor lobbies and corridors for entry and exit) are restricted to exclusive use of a single household/support bubble will reopen. A reception for check-in as well indoor public toilets, baby changing rooms, breastfeeding rooms and facilities for laundering clothes may also reopen. While shared public toilets can open on 12 April, showers must be either private or reserved by each household and then cleaned.”
Is the accommodation at Lyons Holiday Parks’ sites self-contained?
Whether you’re renting a holiday home, lodge, or even a chalet, the entirety of our accommodation is self-contained. This means that you’ll have your own private space to shower, cook, sleep and chill. You don’t need to (or shouldn’t) go inside another guest’s accommodation.
You can check out our bookings system here or you can view the different types of accommodation we offer on our Holiday Breaks page. For holiday home owners, your units are all self-contained and there’s no need to worry. If you do have any issues on-park which mean you can’t use your own facilities, please don’t hesitate to give us a call and we’d be more than happy to help.
Can I holiday in my caravan or motorhome yet?
Self-contained accommodation does include caravans and motorhomes, which we are allowing at our Lyons St Mary’s, Lyons Pendyffryn Hall, and Lyons Manor House parks. Please ensure your internal amenities, such as showers, toilets and drainage systems are fully functioning, as we cannot just yet open our shared bathing facilities.
Can I come camping now?
As much as we love camping, we can’t quite let you pitch up your tent just yet. It’s all about the shared toilet facilities, you see – we can’t re-open those just yet. The next date projected for review is May 17th.
The Caravan Club Club confirmed this by saying: “Affiliated campsites in Wales are now open. From 12 April there are no longer restrictions on travel between Wales and England. Unfortunately due to the restrictions, our toilets and showers and other indoor shared facilities on Wales campsites will not be open until further notice, but fresh water and wastewater facilities will be available.”
Let’s hang fire until May 17th and hopefully, the next batch of eased restrictions will include camping!
Will your facilities be open?
As soon as the First Minister allows us to open entertainment venues, outdoor bars, and swimming pools etc, they will be open. We want nothing more than for you to enjoy our wonderful on-park facilities. But we just have to make sure we’ve got the OK from the Welsh Government first!
We know it’s frustrating to not be able to make full use of our amenities. But please do remember that it is not our decision to keep them out of bounds. Our hands are tied. We must stay in line with Welsh Government guidelines to protect you, our staff, and the whole nation.
Here’s a breakdown of what we know so far:
PUBS
We’re pleased to announce that from April 26th, our on-park bars will be able to re-open for outdoor consumption and seating only. This means you’ll be able to sit outside and enjoy a cold one at the following parks:
- Robin Hood
- Oakfield
- Winkups
- Pendyffryn Hall
- Manor House
- Woodlands Hall
- Eryl Hall
FOOD
We’re working hard to get as many things open as possible. But we do have to work both within government guidelines and in terms of our own policies. Offering food to you and your families is something we love doing! We’re pleased to say that the takeaway chip shop at Lyons Robin Hood is now open (for takeaway food only.)
Progress is being made in terms of the restaurants at our other parks, and we’ll update you with any news we have!
SWIMMING POOLS & LEISURE
Swimming pools and leisure facilities in England were allowed to re-open on April 12th. However, we’re still waiting on confirmation from the Welsh Government as to when we can let you take a dip in our pools. The next review will be on May 3rd, and finger’s crossed the announcement following that will make a splash!
INDOOR PLAY AREAS
We don’t have any news on when indoor play areas can re-open just yet. We’re still waiting for guidance from the government. Once we know, we’ll let you know on social media and on our coronavirus update page.
What about other changes in Wales?
- 6 people from 2 different households, excluding children under 11, can meet and exercise outdoors and in private gardens
- Organised outdoor activities and sports for children and under 18s can go-ahead
- Limited opening of outdoor areas of some historic places and gardens
- Libraries and archives re-open
What if Covid stops me from coming on holiday?
Things are certainly looking up! But we know that the Covid-19 situation hasn’t totally disappeared from the face of the earth. You come first when it comes to our policies. So check out our blog post on the Peace of Mind Guarantee we have in place. This will protect your booking in the case of an unfortunate event. Such things include contracting coronavirus, being instructed to self-isolate, or our parks closing down due to government advice.
