2027 annual leave planner: 19 days of leave, 46 days off
I work full time, and every bit of annual leave I get goes on ticking off my bucket list. So I'm a bit fussy about how I book it. Put your leave next to a bank holiday and every day you book buys you more than a day away.
Here's how 2027 falls in England and Wales, and the days I'd book to get the most out of it.
The 2027 bank holidays (England and Wales)
| Date | Bank holiday |
|---|---|
| Friday 1 January | New Year's Day |
| Friday 26 March | Good Friday |
| Monday 29 March | Easter Monday |
| Monday 3 May | Early May bank holiday |
| Monday 31 May | Spring bank holiday |
| Monday 30 August | Summer bank holiday |
| Monday 27 December | Christmas Day (substitute day) |
| Tuesday 28 December | Boxing Day (substitute day) |
Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a weekend in 2027, so the days off move to the Monday and Tuesday. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different dates, so check GOV.UK if you're there.
Which days to book
| Break | Book these days | Leave used | Time off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easter | Tue 30 March to Fri 2 April | 4 days | 10 days: Fri 26 March to Sun 4 April |
| Early May | Tue 4 to Fri 7 May | 4 days | 9 days: Sat 1 to Sun 9 May |
| Late May | Tue 1 to Fri 4 June | 4 days | 9 days: Sat 29 May to Sun 6 June |
| August | Tue 31 August to Fri 3 September | 4 days | 9 days: Sat 28 August to Sun 5 September |
| Christmas | Wed 29 to Fri 31 December | 3 days | 9 days: Sat 25 December to Sun 2 January 2028 |
| Total | 19 days | 46 days |
That still leaves most people with a week or so of leave for something else. If your holiday year doesn't run January to December, check what's left before you book the Christmas one.
TOP TIP: For a proper big trip, book the week before Easter as well (Monday 22 to Thursday 25 March). That's 8 days of leave for 16 days off, from Saturday 20 March to Sunday 4 April. Long enough for somewhere a long way away.
Bonus: this Christmas
If you've still got leave left for 2026, book Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 December. Boxing Day moves to Monday 28 December and New Year's Day is a Friday, so 3 days of leave gets you 10 days off, from Christmas Day to Sunday 3 January.
Make the weekends count too
You don't have to use leave at all to get away. A Friday-night flight after work costs you nothing, and a weekend away can be ridiculously cheap. Nine-day breaks like the ones above are perfect for somewhere further away, and the weekends in between are for the quick ones. I've written up how I travel so much with a full-time job, and my best weekend breaks from London are a good place to start.
If you don't know where to go yet, my where to go when page has the best places for every month of the year.
Get the dates in your work calendar now, before everyone else does. Then book something.
Over to you
Which break are you booking first? Tell me where you're going in the comments.