The short answer
- Yes, most carers are happy toAppointments, shopping, seeing friends and family, and days out are all a normal part of a companionship visit.
- Not every carer drivesA carer's profile shows whether they hold a licence and have use of a car, so you can check before you book.
- The rate does not change for going out£15 to £20 an hour for company, plus mileage only if you agree it in writing first.
- A wedding or funeral is booked as a longer visitAgree the hours and the rate with the carer in advance, the same as any extended booking.
Figures are what carers on PrimeCarers charge, with our fee included. September 2026.
What outings look like
Appointments, shopping, social visits and days out
A companionship carer's job is to keep your relative's life as full and connected as it can be, and that usually means leaving the house as well as sitting with them at home.
Most carers on PrimeCarers are glad to go with your relative when they go out, and it is worth asking directly what a carer is comfortable with before you book, since this varies from one carer to the next. It is the same private arrangement as any other visit: the carer's normal rate applies, and what the outing involves is agreed between you beforehand.
Medical and other appointments
GP, hospital, dentist, hairdresser
Shopping
The weekly shop, or a browse
Seeing friends and family
Visits, clubs, community events
Days out
A museum, a park, the theatre
Getting your relative out and about is one part of a companionship visit. Washing, dressing and medication are a different kind of visit, personal care rather than company, and activities to try with a companionship carer sets out exactly where that line sits, along with ideas for what to do once you are out.
Whether the carer drives
Checking whether a carer holds a licence and has use of a car
Not every carer drives, and an outing does not need a car to go well. Walking, a taxi or public transport all work, so this is worth checking before you book rather than assuming either way.
A carer's profile on PrimeCarers shows whether they hold a driving licence and have use of a car, so you can see this before you message anyone. If your relative's usual carer does not drive, that does not rule out days out, it just changes how you get there.
Worth doing before an outing that needs a car
- Check the driving details on a carer's profile before you book, or ask them directly
- Ask whether the carer has business use on their own car insurance, which they need to drive as part of the job
- Agree mileage in writing before the outing, if the carer is using their own car
- Plan the route and any parking in advance for a first trip, so it is one less thing to work out on the day
Worth avoiding
- Assume every carer drives, since profiles vary and many carers travel by other means
- Ask a carer to drive your relative without checking they have the right insurance in place
- Leave mileage unspoken and assume it is included, since it is only chargeable if you have agreed it beforehand
Finding a carer that drives covers what to look for on a profile, and carer car insurance sets out the cover a carer needs in place before they drive your relative anywhere. Every carer on PrimeCarers has had an identity check, a right to work check, an enhanced DBS check on the Update Service, and an online interview, whether or not they drive.
What it costs
What changes about the cost when a visit becomes an outing
An outing is charged the same way as any other visit. The list below is what is included in a carer's normal rate, and what is agreed separately.
The carer's normal rate
£15 to £20 an hour for company, £18 to £25 if personal care is needed too
The outing is paid as part of the visit, at the same rate as a visit at home.
Mileage, if the carer drives
55p a mile
Only if agreed in advance, in writing. Most carers build local trips into their rate.
Tickets, meals out and parking
Paid by you, at cost
Not a PrimeCarers fee. Agree who is carrying money for the day before you go.
A bank holiday or Christmas Day
1.5x normal rate, or 2x on Christmas Day
The same uplift as any visit, so worth checking the date before you book.
A wedding, funeral or full day out
Booked as one longer visit
Agree the hours and the rate with the carer in advance, the same as any extended booking.
Agree tickets, parking and any mileage with the carer before you go, the same as you would agree a rate and the hours. How much does a companion carer cost? sets out a full week of visits at different patterns, if outings are one part of a wider arrangement.
Weddings and family occasions
Booking a carer for a wedding, funeral or family gathering
A wedding or a family funeral is not a routine outing. It usually means a longer day, an unfamiliar venue, and more personal care than a normal visit, so it is worth booking and briefing separately rather than folding it into an existing arrangement.
- 1
Tell the carer well in advance what the day involves
Before the date is bookedA wedding or a funeral can mean a full day, help getting dressed, and support at a venue neither of you knows. Say this upfront so the carer can agree the hours and the rate for the whole day. - 2
Check the venue for stairs, seating and toilets
Ahead of the dayAn unfamiliar building is harder to manage than home. Knowing where the nearest toilet is and whether there is somewhere to sit down away from the crowd makes the day easier for everyone. - 3
Agree the booking as one longer visit
In writing, beforehandA carer is not expected to add hours to an existing booking without asking. Treat a wedding or a funeral as its own booking, with its own hours and rate agreed in advance.
If your relative needs washing, dressing or continence support to get ready for the day, that is personal care rather than a companionship visit, and personal care at home covers what is involved. Find a carer if your relative's usual carer is not available on the day and you need someone else who can help.
Questions
Questions families ask about carers and outings
Ask your relative's usual carer directly. Most carers on PrimeCarers are happy to go out as part of a normal visit, but it varies from one carer to the next, so it is worth checking rather than assuming. Find a carer if you need someone else who is available.
No, not under the standard PrimeCarers contract. The carer's normal rate applies wherever the visit happens, £15 to £20 an hour for company. The only change is a bank holiday, at 1.5 times the rate, or Christmas Day at 2 times it, the same as any visit.
You do, at cost, agreed with the carer before you go. This sits alongside the carer's rate rather than as a PrimeCarers fee, so it is worth agreeing who is carrying money for the day.
No, their time is charged at the normal rate whether they drive or not. Mileage is only added if you have agreed it in advance and in writing, usually at 55p a mile, and most carers build short local trips into their usual rate rather than charging mileage separately.
Often, yes. If your relative already has a carer they see regularly, ask whether they would consider a longer trip away, for their normal rate plus their own travel and a room, agreed in writing beforehand. Can you take a carer on holiday with you? covers how this works and what changes about the cost.
That is common, and a good visit does not depend on leaving the house. Activities to try with a companionship carer covers what fills a quiet visit at home, and how to match an activity to how your relative is feeling that day.