TIME your annual leave right and you could end up with more than double the time off next year.
Depending on the days you book off around the eight bank holidays in the UK in 2026, it could mean you can squeeze in much longer holidays.
You could get double the time off next year if you time your annual leave right[/caption]
With your 28 days of annual leave, you could end up with as much as 63 days off.
Holiday Extras have done the hard word for you, and worked out which dates you need to book off next year.
Of course, you might need to get in quick as other people are likely to want these days off too.
Here are the dates you should book off:
- JANUARY 2026: Thursday 1st January – Sunday 4th January (4 days for 1)
Next year the New Year’s bank holiday falls on a Thursday.
So book the January 2 off (the Friday) which means you can get a four day holiday, by using just one day off.
This could work out to a nice long weekend in Europe, with Lanzarote being a great place to visit in January where temperatures can be around 20C.
- MARCH / APRIL 2026: Saturday 28th March – Monday 13th April (16 days for 8)
The Easter bank holidays fall between March 28 and April 13 next year.
So if you book these days off, you will only use eight days of annual leave, but get 16 days off.
By this, we mean book the week of March 30 to April 2, and April 7 to April 10.
That means you can fit in a great long haul holiday – a trending destination is Seoul, thanks to Virgin Atlantic launching new London Heathrow flights there from March 29.
South Korea is set to be next year with new flights[/caption]
- MAY 2026: Saturday 2nd May – Sunday 10th May (9 days for 4)
For the May bank holidays, you could get more than double the time off.
Book May 5 to May 8 off, and you will get nine days off in a row.
And with it still being out of the peak summer holidays, you can easily fit in an affordable long week to somewhere warm like Cyprus, which is the warmest short-haul destination that month (highs are 29C).
- MAY 2026: Saturday 23rd May – Sunday 31st May (9 days for 4)
With May comes all of the bank holidays, and you can get another nine days off while only using four.
The Spring bank holiday falling at the end of the month means you only need to book off May 26 to May 29 to get another nine days off.
Another great May destination is Morocco, where you can easily do a luxury camping holiday on a budget while exploring some of the coastline.
Morocco is a great destination for the May holidays[/caption]
- AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2026: Saturday 30th August – Sunday 7th September (9 days for 4)
The end of the summer holidays come with the August bank holiday.
This means if you book September 1 to September 4 off, you can get nine days off by just using four.
And being outside of the summer holidays, you can expect cheaper prices too.
One of the best late summer destinations is the Algarve as it means you can avoid the crowds but still enjoy the sunshine.
- DECEMBER 2026: Saturday 19th December – Sunday 3rd January 2027 (16 days for 7)
When it comes to Christmas, you might have to battle to get the days off but you could end up being on holiday for 16 days, while only using a week of annual leave.
Book December 21 to December 24, followed by December 29 to December 13 to get more than two weeks off in a row.
This gives you move than enough time to head on a long-haul holiday for some winter sun, such as Cancun or Jamaica, both being around 30C then.
What is the average annual leave allowance in the UK?
IN the UK, workers are entitled to a minimum of 28 days off work including 8 bank holidays.
But most employers offer more than this to attract talent.
According to the IRS, the average number of holidays is 34 including bank holidays – so 26 days of annual leave.
On average, public sector employees receive 37 days including bank holidays, while private sector staff tend to receive 34 days.
