Bank holiday trick to get 58 days off in 2026 with 28 days leave

It’s all to do with when you book your holidays

As we move towards the New Year, many of us will be making plans for 2026. And if your annual leave resets on January 1, you may be thinking ahead as to how to make the best use of this.

How you use your accrued holidays is entirely your choice. Maybe you want to spend time with family, see your friends, or simply enjoy some alone time, but whatever you decide, a simple trick could turn your standard 28 days of holiday into a huge 58 days off work in some lovely long stretches.

It all comes down to bank holidays and some strategic planning. Similar hacks have been available in previous years but, sadly for some, it only applies to those who don’t work weekends, and are given bank holidays off as standard, or do not have to take them as a holiday.

To start, book Friday, January 2, off work to enjoy four consecutive days off following the New Year’s Day bank holiday. Then, when spring arrives, you can have some 14 days off work with just eight days’ leave.

To enjoy an extended break over the Easter period, you’ll need to book off Monday and Tuesday, March 30 and 31, as well as Wednesday and Thursday, April 1 and 2, and Tuesday-Friday April 7-10. With Easter Sunday falling on April 5, we have bank holidays on Friday April 3 and Monday April 4.

May’s two bank holidays offer two separate opportunities to extend your weekends into substantial breaks. To enjoy some 18 days off in two lengthy periods, book leave from May 5-8 and then May 26-29.

This will consume eight days of your holiday allowance, and you’ll be off work from Saturday, May 2, until Sunday, May 10, and then again from Saturday, May 23, until Sunday, May 31.

As summer draws to a close, you can secure nine days off by taking just four days of leave, booking off September 1-4. This will see you off work from Saturday, August 29, and not back in until Monday, September 7.

And when the festive season arrives, you can bag 13 consecutive days off, using only seven days of annual leave. You’ll need to book off December 21, 22, 23, and 24, as well as December, 29, 30 and 31.

This will see you away from work from Saturday, December 19, until the New Year.