How to turn 20 days of annual leave into 48 days holiday

Ever wished for more holiday time? Keen to get abroad more than once? 2021 could be the year. COVID permitting, of course.

With some clever holiday hacking and annual leave know-how, you can book your time around public holidays and weekends to maximise your travel opportunities.

In 2021, we've calculated that you could get 48 potential days of holiday time - that's equal to two mini breaks, a huge 16-day trip and two 9-day escapes.

We have our fingers crossed for a healthier 2021, but all travel will be COVID-permitting, so make sure you follow any guidelines and stay safe.

The minimum annual leave amount in the UK is 28 days, and for a lot of people this is eight public holidays and then 20 days they can book off, so that's what we've based it on.

How to make the most of your annual leave

Here are this year's bank holidays and the days we think you should book for maximum holiday time in 2021.

The days in italics are the days we recommend booking off.

January

Friday 1st January (bank holiday)

Saturday 2nd January

Sunday 3rd January

The New Year's Day bank holiday tags onto a weekend in 2021, making it the perfect excuse to grab a start-of-year, 3-day getaway - using zero annual leave. We suggest a remote, socially-distanced, cosy log cabin for that true winter escape feeling.

March/April

Saturday 27th March

Sunday 28th March

Monday 29th March

Tuesday 30th March

Wednesday 31st March

Thursday 1st April

Friday 2nd April (bank holiday)

Saturday 3rd April

Sunday 4th April

Monday 5th April (bank holiday)

Tuesday 6th April

Wednesday 7th April

Thursday 8th April

Friday 9th April

Saturday 10th April

Sunday 11th April

Get 16 days off for only eight days of annual leave.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that this time will be the Easter Holidays, so bargain trips abroad will be few and far between. Book early so you don't miss out - try the Black Friday, Boxing Day or January travel sales for a discount deal.

May

Saturday 1st May

Sunday 2nd May

Monday 3rd May (bank holiday)

Tuesday 4th May

Wednesday 5th May

Thursday 6th May

Friday 7th May

Saturday 8th May

Sunday 9th May

Get 9 days of potential holiday time for only four days of annual leave.

Plus you'll also get..

Friday 28th May

Saturday 29th May (weekend)

Sunday 30th May (weekend)

Monday 31st May (bank holiday)

Another bonus 4-day mini break with one day of annual leave taken.

If you get more than 20 days annual leave, this could be a good time to take the Monday-Thursday off before too - making it a total nine days.

Making the most of the May bank holidays means you can get a great holiday deal on shoulder season travel. Shoulder season is that bit between peak and off-peak dates, so the temperatures are still warm, but destinations are less crowded and often less expensive. We’d recommend visiting Greece, Spain, Turkey, Italy or other Mediterranean hotspots over either of the May bank holidays.

August/September

Saturday 28th August

Sunday 29th August

Monday 30th August (bank holiday)

Tuesday 31st August

Wednesday 1st September

Thursday 2nd September

Friday 3rd September

Saturday 4th September

Sunday 5th September

You'll get time for a 9-day adventure, by using only four annual leave days.

The end of summer can be a great time to bag a last-minute bargain, as the kids are heading back to school. Try places with late summer sun like Croatia - or if you really want to treat yourself, September is a great time to visit the Maldives.

December

Saturday 25th December

Sunday 26th December

Monday 27th December (bank holiday)

Tuesday 28th December (bank holiday)

Wednesday 29th December

Thursday 30th December

Friday 31st December

Saturday 1st January

Sunday 2nd January

Monday 3rd January (bank holiday)

We know, it's a way off yet and you might not even be ready for this Christmas yet, but it could be worth planning ahead if you've always dreamed of a Christmas abroad.

Due to Christmas falling on a weekend in 2021, you can get a 10-day break (this is 7 days in 2021 and 3 days in 2022) for just three annual leave days. Note - the three days in January 2022 (above) are not included in the 48 days for 2021.

See our top tips to save for a holiday.

Disclaimer: All information and links are correct at the time of publishing.

Blog author Alice Williams By Alice Williams

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