Easter 2026 gives you one of the best annual leave opportunities in years. Good Friday on 3 April and Easter Monday on 6 April leave just three working days between them. Book four days either side and you turn 8 days of annual leave into a 16-day break. Christmas is even better: three bank holidays in the space of 11 days mean 7 days of leave buys you the best part of three weeks off work.
This guide covers every opportunity in 2026 and 2027, with exact dates for England and Wales. If you’re in Scotland or Northern Ireland, see the note at the bottom of the page.
Bank holidays 2026: England and Wales
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Day |
| 3 April 2026 | Friday | Good Friday |
| 6 April 2026 | Monday | Easter Monday |
| 4 May 2026 | Monday | Early May bank holiday |
| 25 May 2026 | Monday | Spring bank holiday |
| 31 August 2026 | Monday | Summer bank holiday |
| 25 December 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day |
| 28 December 2026 | Monday | Boxing Day (substitute, 26 Dec falls on Saturday) |
How to get more days off in 2026
Easter 2026: 16 days off for 8 days of annual leave
This is the best opportunity in the 2026 calendar. Good Friday on 3 April and Easter Monday on 6 April sit either side of just three working days. Book four days before the bank holiday weekend and four days after, and you connect two full weekends around both bank holidays.
Book: Monday 30 March to Thursday 2 April (4 days AL) and Tuesday 7 April to Friday 10 April (4 days AL)
Off from: Saturday 28 March to Sunday 12 April, 16 consecutive days using 8 days of annual leave
Easter is also a good time to find deals on flights. Airlines typically reduce prices in the weeks before peak summer kicks in. Check our guide to British Airways sale dates and keep an eye on error fares, which often appear at this time of year. For Easter 2026 (28 March to 12 April), the standout option is southern Spain, where Seville is world-famous for Semana Santa. The Canary Islands are 22–24°C with direct flights from most UK airports. The Algarve in late March is quieter and better value than it will be in summer.
Early May bank holiday 2026: 9 days off for 4
The early May bank holiday falls on Monday 4 May 2026. Take the four working days that follow it and you bridge to the next weekend.
Book: Tuesday 5 May to Friday 8 May (4 days AL)
Off from: Saturday 2 May to Sunday 10 May, 9 consecutive days
Spring bank holiday 2026: another 9 days for 4
The spring bank holiday falls on Monday 25 May 2026. The same approach works here. Take the four working days immediately after the bank holiday.
Book: Tuesday 26 May to Friday 29 May (4 days AL)
Off from: Saturday 23 May to Sunday 31 May, 9 consecutive days
August bank holiday 2026: 9 days for 4
The summer bank holiday falls on Monday 31 August 2026. Taking the four working days after it extends the break through to the following Sunday.
Book: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 4 September (4 days AL)
Off from: Saturday 29 August to Sunday 6 September, 9 consecutive days
Christmas 2026 and New Year 2027: the best part of three weeks for 7 days of leave
This is the standout opportunity of the year. Christmas Day falls on a Friday (25 December). Because Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, the substitute bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. Then New Year’s Day 2027 falls on another Friday. Three bank holidays in 11 days.
Book four days before Christmas and three days in the gap between Christmas and New Year. Your last working day is Friday 18 December; you return on Monday 4 January 2027.
Book: Monday 21 to Thursday 24 December (4 days AL) and Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 December (3 days AL), 7 days AL total
Off from: Saturday 19 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, 16 consecutive days
If you can only spare 3 days of leave, book just the 29th to 31st December. That gives you from Friday 25 December to Friday 1 January, 8 consecutive days off for just 3 days AL.
The Christmas break suits both winter sun and city breaks. The Canary Islands are the UK’s most popular Christmas destination, with direct flights from most regional airports and temperatures of 22–24°C. Cape Verde is a good alternative if you want somewhere quieter. European Christmas markets in Bruges, Strasbourg, and Vienna are all within two to three hours of the UK and at their best in late December.
2026 annual leave: all opportunities at a glance
| Window | AL needed | Days off | Off from / to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easter | 8 days | 16 days | Sat 28 March to Sun 12 April |
| Early May | 4 days | 9 days | Sat 2 May to Sun 10 May |
| Spring BH | 4 days | 9 days | Sat 23 May to Sun 31 May |
| August BH | 4 days | 9 days | Sat 29 Aug to Sun 6 Sep |
| Christmas / New Year | 7 days | 15 days | Sat 19 Dec 2026 to Sun 3 Jan 2027 |
| Total | 27 days | 58 days | All 5 windows combined |
The 16-day window is one of the best of the year for a proper trip. Seville is outstanding at Easter: Semana Santa, the city’s Holy Week processions, is one of the great cultural events in Europe. Rome is genuinely impressive around Easter, especially near the Vatican. The Canary Islands offer 22–24°C with direct flights from most UK airports, and the Algarve in late March is quieter and better value than it will be by summer. For something different, Morocco is 20–24°C, a direct flight from several UK airports, and feels nothing like a standard package break.
The key is to book early. Read our guide to the cheapest day to book flights before searching.
Bank holidays 2027: England and Wales
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | Friday | New Year’s Day |
| 26 March 2027 | Friday | Good Friday |
| 29 March 2027 | Monday | Easter Monday |
| 3 May 2027 | Monday | Early May bank holiday |
| 31 May 2027 | Monday | Spring bank holiday |
| 30 August 2027 | Monday | Summer bank holiday |
| 27 December 2027 | Monday | Christmas Day (substitute, 25 Dec falls on Saturday) |
| 28 December 2027 | Tuesday | Boxing Day (substitute, 26 Dec falls on Sunday) |
How to get more days off in 2027
New Year’s Day 2027: a free long weekend
New Year’s Day 2027 falls on a Friday. That gives you a free three-day weekend (Friday to Sunday) with no annual leave required. If you take Monday 4 January off as well (1 day AL), you get a four-day break over New Year at no real cost.
Easter 2027: 16 days off for 8
Good Friday falls on 26 March 2027 and Easter Monday on 29 March. The pattern is the same as 2026: book four days before the bank holidays and four days after.
Book: Monday 22 to Thursday 25 March (4 days AL) and Tuesday 30 March to Friday 2 April (4 days AL)
Off from: Saturday 20 March to Sunday 4 April, 16 consecutive days using 8 days of annual leave
Early May bank holiday 2027: 9 days for 4
The early May bank holiday falls on Monday 3 May 2027. Book the four working days that follow.
Book: Tuesday 4 to Friday 7 May (4 days AL)
Off from: Saturday 1 to Sunday 9 May, 9 consecutive days
Spring bank holiday 2027: 9 days for 4
The spring bank holiday falls on Monday 31 May 2027. Take the four working days that follow.
Book: Tuesday 1 to Friday 4 June (4 days AL)
Off from: Saturday 29 May to Sunday 6 June, 9 consecutive days
August bank holiday 2027: 9 days for 4
The summer bank holiday falls on Monday 30 August 2027. Take the four working days that follow.
Book: Tuesday 31 August to Friday 3 September (4 days AL)
Off from: Saturday 28 August to Sunday 5 September, 9 consecutive days
Christmas 2027 and New Year 2028: 10 days for just 3
Christmas Day falls on a Saturday in 2027, giving two substitute bank holidays: Monday 27 December (Christmas) and Tuesday 28 December (Boxing Day). Two consecutive bank holidays on a Monday and Tuesday mean that if you book just three days of annual leave (Wednesday 29, Thursday 30, Friday 31 December), you do not return to work until Monday 3 January 2028.
Book: Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 December (3 days AL)
Off from: Saturday 25 December 2027 to Monday 3 January 2028, 10 consecutive days for 3 AL days
For a longer break, add the three working days before Christmas: Wednesday 22, Thursday 23, and Friday 24 December (3 more AL days). That extends the break to Saturday 20 December, giving you 13 consecutive days using just 6 days of annual leave.
2027 annual leave: all opportunities at a glance
| Window | AL needed | Days off | Off from / to |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year | 0–1 day | 3–4 days | Fri 1 Jan (free), add Mon 4 Jan for 4-day break |
| Easter | 8 days | 16 days | Sat 20 March to Sun 4 April |
| Early May | 4 days | 9 days | Sat 1 May to Sun 9 May |
| Spring BH | 4 days | 9 days | Sat 29 May to Sun 6 Jun |
| August BH | 4 days | 9 days | Sat 28 Aug to Sun 5 Sep |
| Christmas / New Year | 3–6 days | 7–13 days | Sat 25 Dec 2027 to Mon 3 Jan 2028 (3 AL) or Wed 22 Dec to Mon 3 Jan 2028 (6 AL) |
The Christmas window suits both city breaks and winter sun. European Christmas markets in Bruges, Strasbourg, and Vienna are at their best in late December. For guaranteed warmth, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde offer direct UK flights and peak temperatures of 25C. BA often runs a Black Friday sale in November, which is the best time to book Christmas flights.
What about Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Scotland has a slightly different bank holiday calendar. Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland, but 2 January is. The summer bank holiday falls on the first Monday in August rather than the last (3 August 2026, 2 August 2027). This means the Easter bridge strategy requires one extra day of annual leave in Scotland to account for Easter Monday.
Northern Ireland has the same eight bank holidays as England and Wales, plus St Patrick’s Day (17 March) and 12 July (Battle of the Boyne). The additional bank holidays in March and July create extra bridging opportunities for workers in Northern Ireland.
When should you book?
For Easter and Christmas, airlines and hotels price up quickly once the dates are known. The ideal time to book Easter flights is six to nine months ahead, typically in the autumn before. For Christmas, book as early as possible, and check for airline sale events in November, when Black Friday discounts often apply to December departures.
For May bank holidays, the booking window is shorter and prices are more flexible. Four to eight weeks ahead is usually sufficient for European short-haul. Our guide to the cheapest day to book flights covers the best timing in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How many UK bank holidays are there in 2026? | There are 8 bank holidays in England and Wales in 2026: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May, Spring, Summer, Christmas Day, and a Boxing Day substitute (Monday 28 December, as 26 December falls on a Saturday). |
| How many UK bank holidays are there in 2027? | There are 8 bank holidays in England and Wales in 2027. Both Christmas Day (25 Dec) and Boxing Day (26 Dec) fall at the weekend, so both get substitute days: Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. |
| Which is the best bank holiday in 2026 for annual leave? | Easter 2026 is the strongest single opportunity: 8 days of annual leave gives a 16-day break from 28 March to 12 April. Christmas is the best for ratio, 7 days AL gives 16 days off. |
| Do bank holidays count as part of my annual leave? | It depends on your employment contract. Most full-time workers in the UK receive 28 days including bank holidays (20 days plus 8 bank holidays). If your 28 days is on top of bank holidays, the strategies above are even more powerful. |
| Is 2026 or 2027 better for annual leave? | 2026 is marginally better for the Christmas window, with three bank holidays (Christmas Day on a Friday, Boxing Day substitute on Monday, and New Year’s Day on a Friday). 2027 is better for Christmas efficiency: two consecutive bank holidays on Monday and Tuesday mean 3 AL days give you 7 days off. |
| Are the 2026 dates the same in Scotland? | Not exactly. Scotland has 2 January as an additional bank holiday, does not observe Easter Monday, and its summer bank holiday falls on the first Monday of August rather than the last. Check the GOV.UK bank holidays page for the full Scottish calendar. |
