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Making the most of your annual leave in the UK

How to Maximise Annual Leave in the UK 🇬🇧

The key idea is to bridge bank holidays and weekends so that a small number of leave days unlocks long stretches of time off.

1. Build Around Bank Holidays

Most UK employees get 8 bank holidays (sometimes included in your allowance).

The highest-value ones are: - Easter (Friday + Monday) - Early May & Spring bank holidays - Christmas & New Year

These are your leverage points.

2. The Biggest Wins (Almost Every Year)

🟢 Easter (Best Return on Leave)

Take 4 days off (Tue–Fri between Good Friday and Easter Monday)
➡️ 10 days off in a row

Usually the most efficient use of leave all year.

🟢 Christmas & New Year (Longest Stretch)

Take 3–5 days off (depends how dates fall)
➡️ 10–14 days off

When Christmas and New Year fall mid-week, this is exceptional value.

🟢 May Bank Holidays

There are typically two Mondays in May.

Options: - Take 4 days off (Tue–Fri) after either bank holiday
➡️ 9 days off - Take the 4 days between the two bank holidays
➡️ Often 10–11 days off

Great for spring travel before peak summer prices.

3. Use “Bookend” Weeks

Avoid random single days.

  • Take Mon–Fri → 9 days off
  • Take Tue–Fri around a Monday bank holiday → 9–10 days off

4. Keep Some Leave for “Stealth Extensions”

Hold back 2–3 days for: - Extending a long weekend - Tagging onto a work trip - Turning a 3-day weekend into 5–6 days

This gives flexibility without breaking big plans.

5. Example: ~25 Days Annual Leave

A very efficient allocation might be:

  • 4 days → Easter (10 days off)
  • 4–5 days → Christmas/New Year (10–14 days off)
  • 4 days → May bank holiday (9–10 days off)
  • 5 days → One full Mon–Fri week (9 days off)
  • 2–3 days → Flexible extensions

➡️ 40–45+ days away from work across the year.

6. Practical Tips People Forget

  • Book early for Easter, May, and Christmas weeks
  • Check carry-over rules (often 3–5 days allowed)
  • Avoid school holidays if travel costs matter
  • Remote/hybrid work? Mon–Tue or Thu–Fri combos can be especially powerful