Ambiguity over Christmas bubble wording - am I thick?

[River Tyne Lass]

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family/making-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family#travel-and-overnight-stays-with-your-christmas-bubble

I am confused by the wording of the rules. 
I believe that I am now not allowed to stay overnight with family in my Christmas bubble.  My sister in law believes that I can stay with them according to the rules.  Who is right?
The wording is a bit ambiguous to us here in this link ...

' ... If necessary you can stay in private rented accommodation with members of your household, or your Christmas bubble.'

I believe this means people from same household or Christmas bubble can stay overnight in private rented accommodation only.
However, could this mean that you can stay in private rented accommodation OR with your bubble as SiL believes.

Forgive me for perhaps seeming a bit thick on all this.  I will not be staying in any private accommodation.  Original plan was for me to stay overnight in brother and SiLs home but I believe this is now out if the question.  Am I wrong?

I might add that it sounds a bit strange that it could be that you are allowed to stay in private rented accommodation with your bubble.  Why would this be different to staying in a family member's own home?

[Christine53]

I think you are correct. This from Age UK :

"Can I stay overnight during the Christmas period?
You can't stay overnight with your Christmas bubble.

You may be able to stay overnight away from home with members of your household or support bubble, for example in a hotel or private rented accommodation. However, you can only do this if it's allowed in your tier. "

[River Tyne Lass]

Thank you.  This is what I thought. 
I don't have my own  transport so I would have to stay with family if I went.
Oh well, looks like Christmas at home then!
I think as long as we can all keep safe I won't raise any protest about this disappointing as it is. 
Wishing you all a Merry & Safe Christmas however different this might be.

[Christine53]

A Happy and safe Christmas to you too !

Christine 

[Rosinish]

I don't have my own  transport so I would have to stay with family if I went.
Oh well, looks like Christmas at home then!

"You may be able to stay overnight away from home with members of your household or support bubble, for example in a hotel or private rented accommodation. However, you can only do this if it's allowed in your tier."

The above reads (to me), if more than 1 household (several members) is meeting up with another household (several members), not a single person visiting another home?

Is your travel out/in to a different tier? If not then it's fine.

I'll be travelling, not far, not staying over as I drive but we're in the same tier & had I not had transport I'd have stayed overnight with my daughter & family as 1 person visiting.

Annie

[Gan Yam]

If you live on your own and form a support bubble with your sister-in-law, rather than a Christmas bubble, then you are treated as one household and can stay overnight and don't have to follow social distancing rules.  You are able to change your support bubble at a later date, but have to follow some rules before forming your new support bubble.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/making-a-support-bubble-with-another-household

[cuffie81]

The wording is ambiguous but the phrase you can stay in private rented accommodation, a hotel, hostel or B&B seems to imply, to me at least, that you cannot stay overnight in private homes.

Section 9 also has the following pre-amble, which seems to be saying that even if you do stay overnight with your Christmas bubble you can only mix on Christmas day. For most people it'd be very difficult not to mix on the 24th or 26th if staying overnight in a private home (mansion dwellers may beg to differ).

9. Travel and overnight stays with your Christmas bubble
You cannot mix with the other households in your Christmas bubble (unless otherwise permitted by your tier rules) before or after the 25 December except in exceptional circumstances (for example, in the event of unforeseen travel disruption, or if a member of your Christmas bubble develops symptoms of coronavirus and you are required to self-isolate). This includes anyone travelling to or from Northern Ireland.

And section 1 has the following, which seems to be the general guideline.

1. Forming a Christmas bubble
You can only form a Christmas bubble if you do not live in a Tier 4 area. If you are permitted to form a Christmas bubble and choose to do so:

• only see your bubble on Christmas Day. Do not stay overnight and keep your visits as short as possible

[River Tyne Lass]

Thank you so much for all posts advising on interpretation on this topic. Sister in law and I are both now in agreement that Christmas stay is now not possible now under rules.  We are trying to be positive about this.  At least at this time we are all still safe from this awful covid so can still count ourselves among the more fortunate ones in this country.
Wishing you all a Merry and Safe Christmas and the hope of a better 2021 to come!