How to turn 28 days of annual leave into 63 days off in 2026

January

Turn 1 day into 4 over New Year

While Christmas and New Year are fantastic fun, you can often crawl back to work on 2 January feeling frazzled. So, get ahead of the game and book Friday, 2 January off now. As it’s at the end of the week, your reward for forward planning will be a four-day weekend to regain your energy levels and start the new working year refreshed.

Whether you spend that at home, on a cosy staycation in the UK or on a chilled-out city break in Europe is up to you. Budapest’s thermal baths are particularly inviting at this time of year.

How to use the New Year’s Day bank holiday: New Year’s Day falls on a Thursday, so book 2 January off to enjoy a long weekend from 1 January until Sunday, 4 January.

March and April

Turn 8 days into 16 over Easter

Easter falls early in 2026, so a ski trip could still be on the agenda and southern Europe is starting to warm up. You could book the four days before Good Friday and four after Easter Monday to turn eight days into a cool 16-day holiday.

As for where to go? In 2026, an all-inclusive holiday to Cancun could be a great bet for some April sun as average high temperatures are likely to be in the early 30s. You could also try Las Vegas or New York for a US getaway, but don’t expect it to be bargain basement – the good weather brings local tourists as much as those from overseas.

Closer to home, look to the southern Mediterranean for pleasant weather without the usual summer crowds. With highs in the early-20s in places such as Cyprus, Malta and Crete, the weather is ideal for city exploring and a beach trip or two.

How to use the Easter bank holidays: Good Friday falls on 3 April and Easter Monday on 6 April. Take four days on 30 and 31 March and 1 and 2 April, then another four on 7, 8, 9 and 10 April to get 16 days off from Saturday, 28 March to Sunday, 12 April.

May

Turn 8 days into 18 over the May bank holidays

You’ve got two chances to maximise your 2026 holidays in May, with bank holidays falling on both Monday 4 and Monday 25.

For these, you can use your annual leave to extend a long weekend and travel at a less popular time, turning four days of leave into a marvellous nine days off over each bank holiday.

Enjoy a boost of sun pre-summer using the early May bank holiday, taking advantage of cheaper off-peak prices and warmer temperatures. Be aware that the spring bank holiday falls during half term for many parts of the UK – so great if you have kids but perhaps best avoided if prices seem high and you don’t.

May is a lovely time of year to visit the Balearics before the summer crowds descend, or if you’re into your food, try a sun-drenched city break in Sicily or Corsica.

How to use the early May bank holiday: Take four days on 5, 6, 7 and 8 May for nine days off from Saturday, 2 May to Sunday, 10 May.

How to use the spring bank holiday: Book off 26, 27, 28 and 29 May to take a nine-day break between Saturday, 23 May and Sunday, 31 May.

August and September

Turn 4 days into 9 over the August bank holiday

At the end of summer, the August bank holiday brings another chance to take a nine-day jaunt, perfect for a late summer escape just as many schools are going back.

Soak up the sunshine without the crowds in the Algarve, the Canary Islands or on a Greek island, or discover a tropical paradise in the Seychelles – where Prince William and Princess Kate went on honeymoon.

Early September is also a great time to visit Morocco once the sweltering temperatures of summer start to dip. Visit Agadir for a laidback beach getaway with average high temperatures of 29C in September or Marrakech for an exhilarating city break.

How to use the summer bank holiday: The August bank holiday is on Monday 31. Take four days on 1, 2, 3 and 4 September to get nine from Saturday, 29 August to Sunday, 6 September.

December

Turn 7 days into 16 over Christmas

Many workplaces move to autopilot over Christmas, so it’s the perfect time to make the most of your holiday leave. Wouldn’t your time be better spent driving Route 1 around Iceland, sunbathing in Tenerife or celebrating the festive period Down Under in Australia, anyway?

In 2026, Christmas Day falls on a Friday so the substitute Boxing Day bank holiday is the following Monday (28 December). So, you’ll have to book four days off pre-Christmas and three days the week after to turn seven days into 16 consecutive days off.

How to use the Christmas bank holidays: Take off 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31 December, and you’ll get from Saturday, 19 December to Sunday, 3 January (in 2027) off.

Bank holiday dates in 2026

In England and Wales, there are eight bank holiday in 2026:

• New Year’s Day: Thursday, 1 January
• Good Friday: Friday, 3 April
• Easter Monday: Monday, 6 April
• Early May bank holiday: Monday, 4 May
• Spring bank holiday: Monday, 25 May
• Summer bank holiday: Monday, 31 August
• Christmas Day: Friday, 25 December
• Boxing Day (substitute day): Monday, 28 December

Those in Northern Ireland get two more days for St Patrick's Day (17 March) and a substitute day for the Battle of the Boyne (13 July).

If you're in Scotland, Easter Monday is not a bank holiday and the summer bank holiday is on Monday, 3 August. You get nine bank holidays overall, with additional days off on 2 January and 30 November (St Andrew's Day).

Top tip: Book early to get the dates you want

It might seem a bit keen to start scheduling your holidays now, but if you want to maximise your annual leave, you’ll need to be first out of the booking blocks.

So, when your new annual leave year opens, book what you want as quickly as you can to avoid clashes with other colleagues. It might not be possible to get both Easter and Christmas off, but there’s no harm in trying.

By planning your trips early, you’re less likely to lose your annual leave at the end of the year too. Even if your annual leave year runs from April to March, start planning now – it will come around sooner than you think. Plus, having a holiday in the bag will give you something to look forward to.