Europe · 2026 Calendar

Best days to take annual leave in UK — England & Wales in 2026

Use public holidays and weekends to stretch your 2026 annual leave further. Below are the highest-value date combinations and the exact workdays to request.

Coverage & rules note: Bank holidays for England and Wales. Always confirm statutory leave entitlement, bank closures and replacement days with official/local sources and your employer.

Customize UK — England & Wales 2026 in the interactive planner →

Top 2026 leave combinations for UK — England & Wales

Each recommendation below is a standalone break option assuming a Monday–Friday workweek (Saturday–Sunday rest days). Open the interactive planner above to build a combined non-overlapping annual schedule, switch workweek patterns, or export a .ics calendar file.

1 leave day → 5 consecutive days off

2 Apr 2026 – 6 Apr 2026

5.00×multiplier

Book 1 leave day 2 workday public holidays 2 weekend days (Sat–Sun)

Request leave on: 2 Apr 2026. Return to work: 7 Apr 2026.

Holidays used: Good Friday (3 Apr 2026); Easter Monday (6 Apr 2026).

1 leave day → 5 consecutive days off

24 Dec 2026 – 28 Dec 2026

5.00×multiplier

Book 1 leave day 2 workday public holidays 2 weekend days (Sat–Sun)

Request leave on: 24 Dec 2026. Return to work: 29 Dec 2026.

Holidays used: Christmas Day (25 Dec 2026); Boxing Day (substitute day) (28 Dec 2026).

1 leave day → 4 consecutive days off

1 Jan 2026 – 4 Jan 2026

4.00×multiplier

Book 1 leave day 1 workday public holiday 2 weekend days (Sat–Sun)

Request leave on: 2 Jan 2026. Return to work: 5 Jan 2026.

Holidays used: New Year's Day (1 Jan 2026).

1 leave day → 4 consecutive days off

31 Dec 2026 – 3 Jan 2027

4.00×multiplier

Book 1 leave day 1 workday public holiday 2 weekend days (Sat–Sun) Leave year: 1 in 2026

Request leave on: 31 Dec 2026. Return to work: 4 Jan 2027.

Holidays used: New Year's Day (1 Jan 2027).

1 leave day → 4 consecutive days off

1 May 2026 – 4 May 2026

4.00×multiplier

Book 1 leave day 1 workday public holiday 2 weekend days (Sat–Sun)

Request leave on: 1 May 2026. Return to work: 5 May 2026.

Holidays used: Early May bank holiday (4 May 2026).

1 leave day → 4 consecutive days off

22 May 2026 – 25 May 2026

4.00×multiplier

Book 1 leave day 1 workday public holiday 2 weekend days (Sat–Sun)

Request leave on: 22 May 2026. Return to work: 26 May 2026.

Holidays used: Spring bank holiday (25 May 2026).

2026 public holidays in UK — England & Wales

These 8 public-holiday dates feed the 2026 optimization above.

UK — England & Wales · 2026 public holidays
Date	Day	Holiday	Saves a Mon–Fri workday?
1 Jan 2026	Thursday	New Year's Day	Yes — weekday (if off work)
3 Apr 2026	Friday	Good Friday	Yes — weekday (if off work)
6 Apr 2026	Monday	Easter Monday	Yes — weekday (if off work)
4 May 2026	Monday	Early May bank holiday	Yes — weekday (if off work)
25 May 2026	Monday	Spring bank holiday	Yes — weekday (if off work)
31 Aug 2026	Monday	Summer bank holiday	Yes — weekday (if off work)
25 Dec 2026	Friday	Christmas Day	Yes — weekday (if off work)
28 Dec 2026	Monday	Boxing Day (substitute day)	Yes — weekday (if off work)

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