Free tool
Annual Leave Planner 2027: Maximise Your Days Off
In England and Wales, 25 days of annual leave booked on the right dates gives 58 days off in 2027. Below are the exact days to book around every bank holiday, and a planner that works it out for your nation, working days and leave budget.
Best plan for 10 days of leave
England and Wales, 2027
- Days off
- 35
- Leave used
- 10
- Breaks
- 7
- Leave left
- 0
- Fri 1 Jan – Mon 4 Jan · 4 days offBook Mon 4 Jan (1)
- Sat 20 Mar – Mon 29 Mar · 10 days offBook Mon 22 Mar – Thu 25 Mar (4)
- Fri 30 Apr – Mon 3 May · 4 days offBook Fri 30 Apr (1)
- Fri 28 May – Mon 31 May · 4 days offBook Fri 28 May (1)
- Fri 27 Aug – Mon 30 Aug · 4 days offBook Fri 27 Aug (1)
- Fri 24 Dec – Tue 28 Dec · 5 days offBook Fri 24 Dec (1)
- Fri 31 Dec – Mon 3 Jan · 4 days offBook Fri 31 Dec (1)
Your 2027 calendar
Leave to book Bank holiday Other days off in a break
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Best times to book leave in 2027
The most efficient breaks around each group of bank holidays. Add or remove any of them to build your own plan.
Easter
5 days off
for 1 day of leave
Thu 25 Mar – Mon 29 Mar
Book: Thu 25 Mar
Around Good Friday, Easter Monday
10 days off
for 4 days of leave
Sat 20 Mar – Mon 29 Mar
Book: Mon 22 Mar – Thu 25 Mar
Around Good Friday, Easter Monday
16 days off
for 8 days of leave
Sat 20 Mar – Sun 4 Apr
Book: Mon 22 Mar – Thu 25 Mar, Tue 30 Mar – Fri 2 Apr
Around Good Friday, Easter Monday
Early May
4 days off
for 1 day of leave
Fri 30 Apr – Mon 3 May
Book: Fri 30 Apr
Around Early May bank holiday
9 days off
for 4 days of leave
Sat 1 May – Sun 9 May
Book: Tue 4 May – Fri 7 May
Around Early May bank holiday
Late May
4 days off
for 1 day of leave
Fri 28 May – Mon 31 May
Book: Fri 28 May
Around Spring bank holiday
9 days off
for 4 days of leave
Sat 29 May – Sun 6 Jun
Book: Tue 1 Jun – Fri 4 Jun
Around Spring bank holiday
Summer
4 days off
for 1 day of leave
Fri 27 Aug – Mon 30 Aug
Book: Fri 27 Aug
Around Summer bank holiday
9 days off
for 4 days of leave
Sat 28 Aug – Sun 5 Sep
Book: Tue 31 Aug – Fri 3 Sep
Around Summer bank holiday
Christmas and New Year
5 days off
for 1 day of leave
Fri 24 Dec – Tue 28 Dec
Book: Fri 24 Dec
Around Christmas Day, Boxing Day
10 days off
for 3 days of leave
Sat 25 Dec – Mon 3 Jan
Book: Wed 29 Dec – Fri 31 Dec
Around Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day
16 days off
for 7 days of leave
Sat 25 Dec – Sun 9 Jan
Book: Wed 29 Dec – Fri 31 Dec, Tue 4 Jan – Fri 7 Jan
Around Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day
This planner suggests dates only. It does not calculate your holiday entitlement, and your employer still needs to approve any leave you request.
Best days to book off in 2027
The best-value breaks around each group of bank holidays for a Monday to Friday week in England and Wales. Days off include weekends and the bank holidays themselves.
| Break | Days to book off | Leave used | Days off | You are off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easter | Thu 25 Mar | 1 | 5 | Thu 25 Mar – Mon 29 Mar |
| Easter | Mon 22 Mar – Thu 25 Mar | 4 | 10 | Sat 20 Mar – Mon 29 Mar |
| Easter | Mon 22 Mar – Thu 25 Mar, Tue 30 Mar – Fri 2 Apr | 8 | 16 | Sat 20 Mar – Sun 4 Apr |
| Early May | Fri 30 Apr | 1 | 4 | Fri 30 Apr – Mon 3 May |
| Early May | Tue 4 May – Fri 7 May | 4 | 9 | Sat 1 May – Sun 9 May |
| Late May | Fri 28 May | 1 | 4 | Fri 28 May – Mon 31 May |
| Late May | Tue 1 Jun – Fri 4 Jun | 4 | 9 | Sat 29 May – Sun 6 Jun |
| Summer | Fri 27 Aug | 1 | 4 | Fri 27 Aug – Mon 30 Aug |
| Summer | Tue 31 Aug – Fri 3 Sep | 4 | 9 | Sat 28 Aug – Sun 5 Sep |
| Christmas and New Year | Fri 24 Dec | 1 | 5 | Fri 24 Dec – Tue 28 Dec |
| Christmas and New Year | Wed 29 Dec – Fri 31 Dec | 3 | 10 | Sat 25 Dec – Mon 3 Jan |
| Christmas and New Year | Wed 29 Dec – Fri 31 Dec, Tue 4 Jan – Fri 7 Jan | 7 | 16 | Sat 25 Dec – Sun 9 Jan |
How many days off can you get in 2027?
Total days off when a leave budget is spent on the most efficient combination of bank holiday breaks. Leave not shown here is yours to use on ordinary weeks.
| Leave used | England & Wales | Scotland | N. Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days of leave | 22 days off5 breaks | 23 days off5 breaks | 22 days off5 breaks |
| 10 days of leave | 35 days off7 breaks | 37 days off7 breaks | 39 days off9 breaks |
| 15 days of leave | 42 days off6 breaks | 46 days off7 breaks | 48 days off9 breaks |
| 20 days of leave | 51 days off6 breaks | 55 days off8 breaks | 55 days off8 breaks |
| 25 days of leave | 58 days off6 breaks | 62 days off7 breaks | 64 days off8 breaks |
Christmas 2026 and New Year 2027
Still time to book. These are the best ways to use leave around this winter's bank holidays in England and Wales.
| Break | Days to book off | Leave used | Days off | You are off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas and New Year | Thu 24 Dec | 1 | 5 | Thu 24 Dec – Mon 28 Dec |
| Christmas and New Year | Tue 29 Dec – Thu 31 Dec | 3 | 10 | Fri 25 Dec – Sun 3 Jan |
| Christmas and New Year | Mon 21 Dec – Thu 24 Dec, Tue 29 Dec – Thu 31 Dec | 7 | 16 | Sat 19 Dec – Sun 3 Jan |
Scotland and Northern Ireland: best dates for 2027
The longest efficient break around each group of bank holidays in the other two calendars.
Scotland Scotland
Easter: 4 days off for 1 of leave
Book Thu 25 Mar
Off Thu 25 Mar – Sun 28 Mar
Early May: 4 days off for 1 of leave
Book Fri 30 Apr
Off Fri 30 Apr – Mon 3 May
Late May: 4 days off for 1 of leave
Book Fri 28 May
Off Fri 28 May – Mon 31 May
Summer: 4 days off for 1 of leave
Book Fri 30 Jul
Off Fri 30 Jul – Mon 2 Aug
Christmas and New Year: 5 days off for 1 of leave
Book Tue 5 Jan
Off Fri 1 Jan – Tue 5 Jan
Other: 4 days off for 1 of leave
Book Mon 29 Nov
Off Sat 27 Nov – Tue 30 Nov
Northern Ireland N. Ireland
Easter: 5 days off for 1 of leave
Book Thu 25 Mar
Off Thu 25 Mar – Mon 29 Mar
Early May: 4 days off for 1 of leave
Book Fri 30 Apr
Off Fri 30 Apr – Mon 3 May
Late May: 4 days off for 1 of leave
Book Fri 28 May
Off Fri 28 May – Mon 31 May
Summer: 4 days off for 1 of leave
Book Fri 27 Aug
Off Fri 27 Aug – Mon 30 Aug
Christmas and New Year: 5 days off for 1 of leave
Book Fri 24 Dec
Off Fri 24 Dec – Tue 28 Dec
Other: 4 days off for 1 of leave
Book Fri 9 Jul
Off Fri 9 Jul – Mon 12 Jul
Why bank holidays stretch your leave
A normal week off costs five days of leave and gives nine days away from work once you count the weekends either side. Put a bank holiday inside that week and the same nine days cost four. Put two inside, as at Easter or Christmas, and they cost three.
The planner checks every possible run of days off in the year, counts how much leave each one needs and ranks them by days off gained per day of leave.
The three best times of year
- Easter. Good Friday and Easter Monday sit either side of a weekend. Booking the four days before or after gives ten days off. See the Easter dates.
- Late May. The Spring bank holiday week needs four days of leave for nine days off, and usually matches school half-term.
- Christmas and New Year. Three bank holidays fall within eight days. Depending on the weekdays, three or four days of leave can cover ten or more days.
Leave entitlement and bank holidays
Almost all workers in the UK are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year. For a five-day week that is 28 days. The law lets employers count the eight bank holidays as part of that 28, leaving 20 days to choose yourself. Many contracts give bank holidays on top instead. See bank holiday pay and entitlement.
If you work part time
Part-time workers get the same 5.6 weeks, pro rata. If you do not work Mondays you miss most bank holidays, so many employers give a pro rata bank holiday allowance in hours instead. Tick only the days you work and the planner will ignore bank holidays that fall on your days off.
Plan early
The best dates are the same for everyone, so they go quickly. Look at the 2027 bank holidays and 2028 dates and get requests in before the rota fills up.
Annual leave planner: questions
What days should I book off in 2027 to maximise my holidays?
The most efficient single break in England and Wales is to book Thu 25 Mar (1 days of leave) for 5 days off in a row, from Thu 25 Mar – Mon 29 Mar. The table above lists the best dates around every group of bank holidays.
How do I maximise my annual leave in 2027?
Book the working days that sit between a bank holiday and a weekend. In England and Wales, 10 days of leave on the best dates in 2027 gives 35 days off across 7 breaks.
How many days off can I get with 25 days of annual leave in 2027?
In England and Wales, 25 days of leave placed around the 2027 bank holidays gives 58 days off, counting weekends and bank holidays, across 6 separate breaks.
What happens when a bank holiday is a substitute day?
The substitute day is the day off, so plan around that. In 2027 the substitute days in England and Wales are Mon 27 Dec for Christmas Day and Tue 28 Dec for Boxing Day.
Does the planner work for Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Yes. Choose your nation and the planner uses that calendar, including 2 January and St Andrew's Day in Scotland and St Patrick's Day and 12 July in Northern Ireland.
Can I use it if I work part time or shifts?
Yes. Tick the days you normally work. A bank holiday that falls on a day you do not work will not be counted as a day gained.
What if bank holidays are included in my leave allowance?
Choose "Taken out of my leave allowance". The planner then counts each bank holiday on a working day as a day of leave, so the totals match what your employer deducts.
How much notice do I need to give to book annual leave?
Unless your contract says otherwise, the legal default is notice of at least twice the length of the leave: two days' notice for one day off, two weeks for a week. Many employers ask for more.
Can I carry unused leave into 2028?
Only if your employer allows it. Someone on the statutory 28 days can usually carry over up to 8 days by agreement, and leave above the legal minimum is up to the contract. Otherwise unused leave is lost at the end of the leave year.
Can my employer refuse the dates?
Yes. Employers can turn down a leave request or ask you to take leave at set times, as long as they give the required notice. Popular bank holiday weeks often book up early.