Annual leave hacks 2027: 19 Leave days, 47 days off.
That’s how to maximise annual leave in 2027 in England & Wales. Book the right 19 days around the Bank holidays and they turn into 47 days off, with 6 of your 25 days still spare. Here are five hacks that get you there, or try them with your own allowance.
England & Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different Bank holidays.
1. Hug the Bank holidays
Bank holidays are free days off, so a Leave day next to one gets you more days off than anywhere else. In 2027, the best Break around each one is:
- Easter: book 22–25 Mar for 10 days off, 20–29 Mar 2027 (4 Leave days)
- Early May: book 4–7 May for 9 days off, 1–9 May 2027 (4 Leave days)
- Spring: book 1–4 Jun for 9 days off, 29 May – 6 Jun 2027 (4 Leave days)
- Summer: book 31 Aug–3 Sep for 9 days off, 28 Aug – 5 Sep 2027 (4 Leave days)
- Christmas: book 29–31 Dec for 10 days off, 25 Dec 2027 – 3 Jan 2028 (3 Leave days)
That’s 5 Breaks of a week or more. The bank holiday hacks guide has the detail on each one, and the 2027 page ranks them all.
See these Breaks with your allowance →
2. Count the days off, not the Leave days
Book an ordinary Monday to Friday off and it costs 5 Leave days. With the weekend before and the weekend after, you’re off for 9 days in a row: Saturday to the following Sunday.
Put a Bank holiday inside that stretch and it gets cheaper, because the Bank holiday is a day off you don’t have to book:
- Easter: Good Friday and Easter Monday are free, so 4 Leave days get you 10 days off. Every way to book Easter 2027 →
- Christmas: Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day are free, so 3 Leave days get you 10 days off. Every way to book Christmas 2027 →
So before you book, ask: how many days off does each Leave day buy?
3. Put single days where they count
One Leave day on 25 Mar gets you 5 days off, 25–29 Mar 2027. A Friday off in an ordinary week gets you three: the Friday and the weekend.
Find the best single days for your work days →
4. Get your request in first
Everyone you work with has the same Bank holidays as you, and the first request in usually wins. Book the big Breaks as soon as your leave year opens.
Unless your contract says otherwise, the law asks you to give notice of at least twice the length of the leave you want.
5. Know your leave year, and what’s already gone
Not every leave year starts in January. If yours starts in April, Easter may fall in a different leave year from the rest.
Does your work close over Christmas? Those days often come out of your allowance. Count them before you plan, or you’ll book days you don’t have. The planner takes both: set your leave-year start and add the days already booked.
Keep 6 days for you
The plan above still leaves 6 of your 25 days for a trip of your own, a birthday, or a long Friday.
Do it in one go
Plan your 2027 leave with your own allowance and work days. It finds the best Break around every Bank holiday and shows what you’ve got left.
Questions people ask
How do I get the most out of my annual leave in 2027?
Book Leave days next to Bank holidays and weekends. In England and Wales, 19 Leave days booked that way get you 47 days off in 2027, in 5 Breaks of a week or more. That leaves 6 of a 25-day allowance spare.
What's the best day to book off in 2027?
Book 25 Mar. That one Leave day gets you 5 days off in a row, 25–29 Mar 2027.
How many days off does one Leave day get me?
It depends where it sits. A Leave day in an ordinary week gets you 3 days off, the Friday and the weekend. Next to a Bank holiday it can get you 5 or more.
When should I book my annual leave for 2027?
As soon as your leave year opens. Everyone has the same Bank holidays, and the first request in usually wins. The big Breaks are 20–29 Mar 2027 at Easter and 25 Dec 2027 – 3 Jan 2028 at Christmas.
Do these dates work in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
No. They're for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different Bank holidays, so their best dates differ.