With some strategic planning, it’s possible to transform your annual leave into some impressive extended breaks, including your weekends. You can create longer stretches of relaxation, giving you the perfect opportunity for extended getaways. This is great news for everyone, especially parents navigating school holidays, who can benefit from the extra days off.
Onto April, you can enjoy a 11-day break by using just five days of annual leave. After the weekend of April 12th, take the workweek off from April 14th to 18th (Monday to Friday). This leads right into Easter Monday (April 21st), a bank holiday, extending your break to an incredible 11 days in total—just in time for spring. (If you're work takes off Good Friday then if you book off 14th-17th April, and 22nd-25th April, you’ll get 16 days off for Easter while only using eight days of leave.
In May, you can easily create another nine-day break by booking just four days off. Start with the May Bank Holiday on Monday, May 5th, then take May 6th to 9th off (Tuesday to Friday). By using these four days, you can enjoy a full nine days away from work, from May 3rd to May 11th.
June offers a similar opportunity to make the most of your time off. The June Bank Holiday falls on Monday, June 2nd, so if you take June 3rd to 6th (Tuesday to Friday) as annual leave, you can turn four days off into another nine-day break, running from May 31st to June 8th.
The same tactic works perfectly for August, too. After the weekend of August 2nd and 3rd, take Bank Holiday Monday on August 4th, then book off the rest of the week, from August 5th to 8th (Tuesday to Friday). Once again, this means you’ll enjoy a nine-day holiday from August 2nd to August 10th, using just four days of your leave.
October is a fantastic time to plan a getaway as the weather cools. The October Bank Holiday falls on Monday, October 27th, and by booking the rest of the week off—October 28th to 31st—you can create another nine-day break from October 25th to November 2nd. A nice autumn holiday without using much of your leave!
Finally, let’s talk about Christmas. This is the best time to use any leftover annual leave and get away for an extended break. If you take off December 22nd to 24th (Monday to Wednesday), you’ll start the festive season with a four-day break leading into Christmas.
With Christmas Day (Thursday) and St. Stephen’s Day (Friday) as bank holidays, and the weekend of December 27th and 28th following, you’ll already have a solid break. By adding two more days off—December 30th and 31st—you’ll roll into New Year’s Day (January 1st), giving you an 11-day break to close out 2025 and start the new year on a high note.
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One of the best things about late November and December is getting into the festive spirit, and we can’t think of a better way to embrace the season than shopping for unique Christmas gifts on a European city break, somewhere with a fabulous festive market. We’ve chosen our must-visit Europe Christmas markets for 2024, with some continuing into early January if you want to keep the festive feels going.
