Book these 19 days holiday in 2027 and get 47 days off work

For Monday-to-Friday workers who get bank holidays on top of their annual leave allowance, the 2027 calendar offers several opportunities to turn a handful of holiday days into much longer breaks.

And with colleagues likely to be eyeing up the same dates, workers may want to start planning their 2027 annual leave now.

Why would you want to maximise your days off?

While you get the same number of days however you arrange them, some workers say the planning and handover required to take time off means they can’t make the most of odd days dotted through the year, and they’d rather have longer blocks of leave.

For others, who may have caravans, second homes or family at a distance, a longer break can mean they can get away, which more evenly spread days wouldn’t allow.

For those workers, the biggest opportunities include turning four days of annual leave into 10 days off over Easter, while another four days could create a nine-day break around the May bank holiday.

There is also a particularly useful Christmas trick, with just three days of annual leave potentially creating 10 consecutive days away from work.

The 2027 annual leave dates to know

The key is to place annual leave directly next to weekends and bank holidays, rather than simply booking individual weeks.

Easter: four days of leave for 10 days off

Book off: Monday, March 22, to Thursday, March 25
Annual leave used: Four days
Total time off: 10 days

Good Friday falls on March 26, followed by Easter Monday on March 29.

Booking the four working days beforehand could mean finishing work on Friday, March 19, and not returning until Tuesday, March 30.

May bank holiday: four days for nine days off

Book off: Tuesday, May 4, to Friday, May 7
Annual leave used: Four days
Total time off: Nine days

The Early May Bank Holiday falls on Monday, May 3.

Taking the following four days off could give workers a nine-day break from Saturday, May 1, to Sunday, May 9.

Spring bank holiday: another nine-day break

Book off: Tuesday, June 1, to Friday, June 4
Annual leave used: Four days
Total time off: Nine days

The Spring Bank Holiday falls on Monday, May 31.

Taking the four days afterwards could give workers nine consecutive days off, from Saturday, May 29, through to Sunday, June 6.

August bank holiday: four days for nine days off

Book off: Tuesday, August 31, to Friday, September 3
Annual leave used: Four days
Total time off: Nine days

The Summer Bank Holiday in England and Wales falls on Monday, August 30.

Booking the following Tuesday to Friday could create another nine-day break, running from Saturday, August 28, to Sunday, September 5.

Christmas: three days for 10 days off

This could be the biggest annual leave trick of 2027.

Book off: Wednesday, December 29, to Friday, December 31
Annual leave used: Three days
Total time off: 10 days

Christmas Day falls on a Saturday in 2027 and Boxing Day falls on a Sunday, meaning substitute bank holidays fall on Monday, December 27, and Tuesday, December 28.

New Year’s Day 2028 then falls on a Saturday, with Monday January 3 becoming the substitute bank holiday.

That means booking just December 29, 30 and 31 could potentially give workers 10 consecutive days away from work.

The advice comes from Josh Felber, entrepreneur, performance coach and founder of FLBR Motorsport, who has outlined the dates workers should consider booking.

The ‘Tuesday Return Rule’

But there is another piece of advice for workers planning their holidays: don’t necessarily make every break as long as possible.

Felber suggests considering the so-called ‘Tuesday Return Rule’ – using Monday as a buffer after a holiday and returning to work on Tuesday instead.

Returning late on Sunday before being expected at work first thing Monday can leave workers exhausted.

Instead, keeping a day free could give you time to unpack, catch up on sleep, restock the fridge and mentally prepare for getting back to work.

Recommended reading:

Five ways to make your annual leave go further

Book popular dates early: Bank holiday periods can fill up quickly, so request sought-after dates as soon as possible.

Plan the whole year: Look at the 2027 calendar before using your allowance piecemeal.

Keep days in reserve: Don’t use every day immediately. Keeping two or three back gives you flexibility later in the year.

Try the Tuesday Return Rule: If you can spare the extra day, consider returning to work on Tuesday rather than Monday.

Use weekends strategically: Booking a Friday and Monday can create a four-day break while using just two days of annual leave.

For workers who get bank holidays in addition to their annual leave, 19 carefully chosen days could therefore unlock 47 days away from work across five separate breaks.

The catch? Your colleagues may have exactly the same idea, so those coveted dates could disappear quickly.