Residents of areas locked into toughest coronavirus restrictions will still be able to go on holiday - despite advice against travel.
From one minute after midnight on Wednesday, they will be able to jet abroad for some winter sun or hit the ski slopes when lockdown ends.
Currently, no one in England can travel domestically or abroad for leisure - but it's all change when the Three-Tier system comes into force.
Many areas of England will be thrust into the toughest Tier 3 restrictions when lockdown ends later this week.
Although, the UK government would prefer anyone living in a Tier 3 zone to stay at home, it is not illegal to travel abroad as long as social distancing measures are respected and any quarantine rules are adhered to on return to the UK.
However, the government has been accused of sending mixed messages to holidaymakers with initial remarks from PM Boris Johnson stating travel would not be allowed but Transport Secretary Grant Shapps later remarked that travel was possible if holidaymakers "went straight to the airport."
Official Government guidance reads: “You can continue to travel to venues or other amenities which are open, but should aim to reduce the number of journeys you make where possible.
Chief executive of Heathrow Airport John Holland-Kaye said: “Clearly if we have the prime minister and Grant Shapps having different messages, they need to give clarity.
"If people from tier 3 can travel, that will be fantastic. We need to get the UK economy back to normal as quickly as possible, and that includes allowing people to fly.”
The UK government has now confirmed that there will be no legal restrictions to holidaying abroad.
From mid-December, travellers arriving in England will have to quarantine for five days instead of 14 if they have a negative coronavirus test result.
One of the most popular travel destinations for UK winter sunseekers is the Canary Islands and the authorities are planning to welcome British holidaymakers as soon as lockdown is eased.
List of quarantine-free destinations
- Antigua and Barbuda
- The Canary Islands
- Cuba
- Dubai
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Madeira
- The Maldives
- Seychelles
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Martin and St Barthelemy; St Pierre and Miquelon
Open, but quarantine upon return
- Albania
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bosnia Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Dominican Republic
- France
- Ghana
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Kyrgyzstan
- Malta
- Mexico
- North Macedonia
- Portugal
- Rwanda
- Serbia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
