Updated: 9 September 2026
Maximise Annual Leave 2027: Turn 25 Days Into 55 Days Off
The best days to book annual leave in 2027
Optimising your annual leave is one of the easiest ways to enjoy more time off work without using more holiday entitlement.
If you work Monday to Friday and get 25 days a year holiday plus bank holidays, strategically booking just 15 days annual leave around Easter, one of the May bank holidays, summer bank holiday and Christmas can give you 37 days off across four extended breaks – with enough days left over to also take another two weeks off work.
| Break | Annual leave dates | Leave used | Total days off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easter | 22–25 Mar or 30 Mar–2 Apr (not Scotland) | 4 | 10 |
| Spring | 4–7 May or 29 May–6 Jun | 4 | 9 |
| Summer | 28 Aug–5 Sep or 3-6 August (Scotland) | 4 | 9 |
| Christmas | 29–31 Dec | 3 | 9 |
| Full week 1 | Any | 5 | 9 |
| Full week 2 | Any | 5 | 9 |
| Total | 25 | 55 |
What are the 2027 UK Bank Holidays?
- Friday 1 January New Year’s Day
- Monday 4 January 2nd January (substitute day) Scotland only
- Wednesday 17 March St Patrick’s Day NI Only
- Friday 26 March Good Friday
- Monday 29 March Easter Monday Not Scotland
- Monday 3 May Early May bank holiday
- Monday 31 May Spring bank holiday
- Monday 12 July Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) NI only
- Monday 2 August Summer bank holiday Scotland only
- Monday 30 August Summer bank holiday Not Scotland
- Tuesday 30 November St Andrew’s Day Scotland only
- Monday 27 December Christmas Day (substitute day)
- Tuesday 28 December Boxing Day (substitute day)
How do I get 6 weeks off work?
Assuming you take the above UK Bank Holidays, here’s how you can take 6 full weeks off work – including the Christmas and New Year period:
Easter Break
Option 1 – Take 10 days off: 20-29 March
Book:
- Monday 22 March
- Tuesday 23 March
- Wednesday 24 March
- Thursday 25 March
Annual leave used: 4 days
Option 2 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) – Take 10 days off: 26 March-4 April
Book:
- Tuesday 30 March
- Wednesday 31 March
- Thursday 1 April
- Friday 2 April
Annual leave used: 4 days
Late Spring Break
Option 1: Take 9 days off: 1-9 May
Book:
- Tuesday 4 May
- Wednesday 5 May
- Thursday 6 May
- Friday 7 May
Annual leave used: 4 days
Option 2: Take 9 days off: 29 May-6 June
Book:
- Tuesday 1 June
- Wednesday 2 June
- Thursday 3 June
- Friday 4 June
Annual leave used: 4 days
Summer Break
Scotland only – Take 9 days off: 31 July-8 August
Book:
- Tuesday 3 August
- Wednesday 4 August
- Thursday 5 August
- Friday 6 August
Annual leave used: 4 days
England, Wales and Northern Ireland – Take 9 days off: 28 August-5 September
Book:
- Tuesday 31 August
- Wednesday 1 September
- Thursday 2 September
- Friday 3 September
Annual leave used: 4 days
Christmas and New Year
Take 10 days off: 25 December 2027-3 January 2028
Book:
- Wednesday 29 December
- Thursday 30 December
- Friday 31 December
Annual leave used: 3 days
Leave Used So Far:
- Easter: 4 days
- Spring: 4 days
- Summer: 4 days
- Christmas: 3 days
Total annual leave used: 15 days
Click on the image to enlarge or download a PDF of the 2027 calendar here
What About the Remaining 10 Days?
You still have 10 days of annual leave available, enough for two seperate weeks:
- October half-term
- A ski trip
- Adding a second week onto any of the breaks above
- A two-week summer holiday
- or take several long weekends throughout the year
How to maximise annual leave in Scotland in 2027
Scotland has slightly different days to the rest of the UK as Easter Monday is generally not taken as a Bank Holiday and the August Bank holiday is earlier in that month. In addition, St Andrews Day is an additional holiday day for most companies. Using either of these days in conjunction with any other remaining days leave to enhance your time off in 2027 even more.
How to maximise annual leave in Northern Ireland in 2027
Northern Ireland shares the same bank holidays as England and Wales but has additional days for St Patrick’s Day and for the Battle of the Boyne. Using annual leave in these weeks can make your holiday entitlement do even further.
FAQs
How many days off can I get with 25 days’ annual leave in 2027?
By strategically using your holiday entitlement, you can turn 25 days holiday into 55 days of work
What are the best days to book annual leave in 2027?
Booking days off in the weeks of bank holidays, enables
How can I maximise annual leave around Easter 2027?
Book 4 days off in either the week before Easter (22-25 March) or the week after (30 March-2 April) to enjoy a 9 day break. Or book all 8 off to enjoy 16 straight days off work.
How can I maximise annual leave at Christmas 2027?
Assuming you worked up until 24 December, booking 29-31 December off would see you get 9 straight days off work – actually 10 days if you include the Bank Holiday on 3 December 2028.
Is maximising annual leave different in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
The Result
Using just 15 days of strategically placed annual leave, you can enjoy 37 days away from work across four extended breaks.
Combined with your remaining 10 days of annual leave, you can still take a further two weeks off whenever suits you best.
A little planning can turn a standard 25-day annual leave allowance into an excellent year of travel and relaxation.
Further Reading
- If you are planning on visiting Europe (or further afield), make sure you get a free GHIC card
- Further optimise your time off by planning an Extreme Day Trip
- If you travel for your job, read how you can also make the most of your work travel by maximising points
