Looking to maximise your annual leave without taking so many days off? Well the trick is to actually incorporate bank holidays in your time away and whilst this does require some planning ahead, with this hack you can turn a quick weekend trip into a leisurely week vacation (or longer!) Using the UK calendar for 2024 as an example, in this article I’ll suggest which annual leave days you need to take to get the maximum time off.
Easter
During the Easter celebrations there are a total of three public holidays that could be used to your advantage to getaway for a week or longer. Travel on the weekend of the 24th March, add Good Friday on the 29th March, Easter Sunday on 31st March and Easter Monday on 1st April to 4 days of annual leave and you’ll get a whole ten days!
Some great destinations to consider during this time of year include the Canary Islands for those who want to experience the Mediterranean minus the sweltering heat. With the average temperature being around 22C you can have delightful days out hiking, sightseeing and dining along seafronts. But if you’re a sun worshiper like me then you’ll want to crank up the heat somewhere like Morocco where you can relax poolside and take in the culture.
Early May Bank Holiday
Understated but cheeky, just the one Early May Bank Holiday on 6th May offers a favourable circumstance of having a another week or even nine days off. The holiday falls right after the weekend so fly off on the Saturday before, take the 7th to 10th and you’ll have a full week to enjoy some place new. Fly back on Sunday 12th and that’s a total of nine days. Pretty amazing, no?
The month of May has always been my favourite time of year to visit Greece, it may be the start of summer there but actually has the perfect temperatures to enjoy the country before it gets too hot in later months.
From Athens to explore the city, to the Cyclades for sandy beaches and crystal-clear Azul waters, no matter where you go in Greece, everywhere is amazing and certainly worth a visit.
Spring Bank Holiday
Two holidays abroad in the same month? This is a good one! May clearly provides generous opportunities to travel and it shows with this second chance. Use Monday 27th May to have four wonderful days in another city by taking off just one day off from work either on Friday 24th and return on the evening of the 27th itself or fly out on Saturday 25th and return on Tuesday 28th. Hop on the plane on Saturday 25th, take off four days from work on the week after and return on Sunday 2nd May to have a long nine day stay in the destination of your choice. You could even go as far as Bali and experience the beautiful island during a more quieter time with less tourists.
Summer Bank Holiday
This is the juicy one that many wait for because who doesn’t want to get away in the summer? But by August, you perhaps have already made a dent in your annual leave and worrying that you won’t get to summer somewhere new but think again. Book those long-haul fights from Saturday 24th August and fly back on Sunday 1st September as with two weekends, a bank holiday on the 26th and just four working days to request leave for, you can have nine days of summer fun. A trip to Turks and Caicos sounds like a dreamy idea. Flawless beaches, luxurious hotels and a pristine turquoise lagoon perfect for underwater activities to see marine life, the islands here are a wonderful choice if you’re looking to relax and unwind before heading back to work.
Christmas
It’s the end of the year and your holiday allowance might be looking pretty slim but no need to feel the squeeze as you can end the year with a big bang and nearly two weeks away. Due to Christmas Day, Boxing Day and wonderful New Years Day, you could grab yourself twelve days from 21st December and celebrate the occasion abroad and if you’d prefer to welcome the New Year back home then you only need a total of three days out of your allowance with a return on the 27th to have a week abroad and be back in time for countdown! Escape the cold and soak up the sun in Dubai or if you’re feeling super christmassy then enjoy a break filled with mulled wine and Christmas Markets in Prague or Copenhagen.
