As the year draws to a close, albeit with Christmas still firmly in our sights, we’re already thinking about next year – and how to work as little as possible. (If you’re my editor, you didn’t read that.) ‘How are we going to do that?’, you may ask. Well, if we’re careful and strategically utilise the England and Wales bank holidays, we can more than double our annual leave. We can turn 28 days of holiday into a whopping 61 days of relaxation – that even spills over into 2027!
Now, some employers do fold the bank holidays into the 28 days of annual leave allowance. If that’s the case for you, this won’t be quite as effective – but you’ll still be able to maximise your holiday using the same strategy.
What bank holidays are there in 2026?
- January 1 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day
- April 3 (Friday) – Good Friday
- April 6 (Monday) – Easter Monday
- May 4 (Monday) – Early May bank holiday
- May 25 (Monday) – Spring bank holiday
- August 31 (Monday) – Summer bank holiday
- December 25 (Friday) – Christmas Day
- December 28 (Monday) – Boxing Day
The eagle-eyed among you may notice that the Boxing Day bank holiday isn’t actually on December 26. Since that’s a Saturday in 2026, they’re giving us the following Monday as a substitute bank holiday.
When should I book my holidays?
January
When to book off: January 2
Holiday used: 1
Days off: 4
If you were maximising bank holidays in 2025, you’ve likely already got this time period covered. If not, why not start off the year with a bang and take 4 days off whilst only using 1 day of annual leave? Thanks to the new year starting so close to the weekend, you’ll have plenty of time to nurse your sore head after the New Year’s festivities. Start as you mean to go, and all that.
Easter
When to book off: March 30 – April 10
Holiday used: 8
Days off: 14
You can get a whopping two weeks off around the Easter bank holidays with a little strategic bank holiday usage. Plan ahead, and you get almost double the time off out of your annual leave allowance. And with spring (hopefully) starting to wrap the city up in its embrace, it should be the perfect time of year for a long break.
Early May
When to book off: May 5 – 8
Holiday used: 4
Days off: 9
If you thought the bank holiday usage was impressive in Easter, check this one out. You’ll get more than twice as many days off as days of annual leave taken, thanks to an early May weekend and bank holiday.
Spring/Late May
When to book off: May 26 – 29
Holiday used: 4
Days off: 9
After just two weeks back in the office, you’ll be ready for another break, surely! Finish off the month of May by more than doubling your time off once again. That means you’ll have been on holiday for more than half of the month! You’ll need it, though, because there’s a bit of a gap until the next lengthy break.
Summer
When to book off: September 1 – 4
Holiday used: 4
Days off: 9
It’s been a while since your last holiday, so how about a hefty bit of time off? Relish in the last few rays of summertime with a healthy holiday that hardly makes a dent in your annual leave allowance. Like your two breaks in May (remember those? What bliss!), you’ll more than double your time off, whilst only using up 4 days of annual leave.
Christmas
When to book off: December 21 – 31
Holiday used: 7
Days off: 16
Christmas is the perfect time to really get the most out of your annual leave allowance. And if you’re careful, you can turn 7 days of holiday into a whopping 16 days off, extending into the new year. That’s because of an extra confluence of dates and days of the week that makes the end of 2026 even more special. New Year’s Eve handily falls on a Thursday this year, meaning New Year’s Day is on a Friday – and it’s a bank holiday! So you’ll start 2027 with 3 days off!
How about that? If you plan carefully, weekends included, you could have 143 days off from work in 2026. That’s almost 40% of the year spent relaxing! Gosh, I’m going to have to pick up a new hobby or three…
