A travel specialist has revealed a strategic approach to booking annual leave in 2026, allowing workers to enjoy 63 days off by using only 28 days of holiday entitlement. Neil Atkinson, owner of Luxury Group Stay, suggests planning time off around UK bank holidays to create extended breaks without using extra leave days.
Atkinson advises starting with New Year: by booking Friday 2 January off and combining it with the New Year's Day bank holiday on Thursday 1 January, workers can secure a four-day weekend. Easter offers the longest continuous break of the year, with bank holidays on Friday 3 April and Monday 6 April. Booking Monday 30 March through Thursday 2 April and Tuesday 7 through Friday 10 April yields a 16-day break using only eight annual leave days.
May 2026 presents two opportunities for nine-day breaks using just four leave days each. After the Early May bank holiday on Monday 4 May, booking Tuesday 5 through Friday 8 May creates a nine-day break. Similarly, after the Spring bank holiday on Monday 25 May, booking Tuesday 26 through Friday 29 May gives another nine days off.
The August bank holiday on Monday 31 August can be extended by booking Tuesday 1 through Friday 4 September, resulting in a nine-day break from Saturday 29 August to Sunday 6 September. Christmas 2026 falls on a Friday, with a substitute Boxing Day bank holiday on Monday 28 December and New Year's Day on Friday 1 January 2027. Booking Monday 21 through Thursday 24 December and Tuesday 29 through Thursday 31 December provides a 16-day break using just seven annual leave days, with a return to work on Monday 4 January 2027.
Atkinson emphasises that most people do not realise the power of calendar planning. By being tactical, workers can enjoy more time off without working fewer hours. However, UK government guidance notes that workers are not automatically entitled to bank holidays off; employers may include them as part of statutory annual leave.
