The short answer
- Yes, if the carer agrees to itAppointments, shopping, seeing friends and family, and days out are all a normal part of a companionship visit.
- Not every carer drivesA carer's profile says whether they drive and have use of a car. We do not check licences or insurance, so ask to see both.
- 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 has its own fixed-price carerA wedding carer can stay with your relative for an agreed day of up to 12 hours for £350. A funeral or family gathering is booked as a longer visit, with the hours and rate agreed in advance.
Hourly figures are what carers on PrimeCarers charge, with our fee included. The wedding figure is the wedding carer package. October 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.
A carer on PrimeCarers can 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, and what a companion visit looks like, hour by hour shows where the outing tends to sit in the afternoon. 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 drives 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 says whether they drive and have use of a car, so you can see this before you message anyone. That is what the carer tells us: we do not check driving licences or car insurance. 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, and ask to see their licence
- 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 some 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 (or PVG in Scotland, Access NI in Northern Ireland) issued within the last 2 years, and an online interview, whether or not they drive. We do not check qualifications, training, references, driving licences or car insurance, so ask the carer about their experience and ask to see their licence and insurance before agreeing to any driving.
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. Without that agreement, travel is not charged.
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
£350 for up to 12 hours
The wedding carer package: one carer for an agreed day of up to 12 hours. Longer days, overnight support, extra carers and travel expenses need separate agreement.
A funeral, family gathering or full day out
Booked as one longer visit
Agree the hours and the rate with the carer in advance, as its own booking rather than extra hours on a usual visit.
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 can mean 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. For a funeral or a family gathering, the carer can then agree the hours and the rate for the whole day; a wedding has its own fixed-price wedding carer instead. - 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
Book a funeral or gathering as one longer visit
In writing, beforehandA carer is not expected to add hours to an existing booking without asking. Treat a funeral or a family gathering as its own booking, with its own hours and rate agreed in advance.
For a wedding, a wedding carer stays with your relative for an agreed day of up to 12 hours for £350, and the guide to looking after an elderly relative at a wedding covers how families share the day if they do it themselves.
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. A carer on PrimeCarers can 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. Without that agreement, travel is not charged.
Yes, if the carer agrees. 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.
Some people would rather stay at home, 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 choose one that suits how your relative is feeling that day.