If you think your holiday allowance feels too short, it’s time to rethink how you use your annual leave in 2026. With a bit of planning and a strategic approach to public holidays and weekends, you can enjoy longer breaks without using up all your paid time off. Whether you dream of long international trips, short city breaks, or regular weekend escapes, making the most of your leave can help you travel smarter — and more often. You can start by checking flights to your favourite destinations.

Here’s how to stretch your annual leave in 2026 so you get the most value from your time off work.

Understand Your Leave Entitlement

Most full‑time employees in the UK are entitled to at least five point six weeks of paid annual leave per year, which usually includes statutory bank holidays. This typically works out to around 28 days of paid holiday, although some companies offer more depending on your contract.

Using this allowance effectively means thinking beyond taking random days off and instead combining them with weekends and public holidays.

Plan Around Bank Holidays in 2026

One of the easiest ways to get extended time off is by booking your annual leave around bank holidays and weekends. By doing this, you can connect days off to create longer breaks without needing to use as many leave days.

In 2026, public holidays across the UK include:

  • New Year’s Day – Thursday, January 1
  • Good Friday and Easter Monday – early April
  • May Day Bank Holiday – early May
  • Spring Bank Holiday – late May
  • August Bank Holiday – late August
  • Christmas Day and Boxing Day – late December

By spotting opportunities where a long weekend or a bank holiday falls next to a weekend, you can take just a few days off work and get double-digit stretches of holiday time.

Use Leave Stacking to Your Advantage

The concept of “leave stacking” means scheduling your annual leave so that it sits next to weekends and public holidays. This simple tactic can dramatically increase the length of your breaks.

For example:

  • Booking leave around Easter could give you over two weeks of holiday using only a handful of leave days.
  • Taking time off before and after the Spring Bank Holiday can create a long break in May.
  • Combining annual leave with the August Bank Holiday and adjacent weekends can build another extended break.

With careful planning, some travellers even manage to turn around twenty-seven days of leave into sixty-plus days of holiday time, simply by aligning leave with public holidays and weekends.

Think Beyond the Big Breaks

Extended holidays are great, but you don’t need to reserve all your leave for long trips. Short breaks scattered throughout the year can be just as rewarding — and easier to fit around work and budget constraints.

Here are some ways to use shorter stints of annual leave wisely:

  • Mini-breaks — Booking a Friday and the following Monday can give you a four-day break using just two days of annual leave. Consider combining this with hotel bookings nearby to make the most of your weekend.
  • City escapes — Europe is full of vibrant cities perfect for a long weekend, with many destinations easily reachable in a few hours’ flight.
  • Shoulder season travel — Travelling just before or after peak times often means fewer crowds and lower prices.

Short breaks allow you to explore more destinations over the year without exhausting all your leave in one go.

Request Your Leave Early

High-demand periods around key holiday windows often fill up fast, especially in popular workplaces. Getting in early with your leave request increases your chances of securing the dates you want. Booking ahead also gives you more leverage when planning flights, accommodation, and itinerary details.

It also helps to be transparent and proactive with your manager about your travel plans — good communication can make it easier to secure extended leave dates without disrupting team schedules.

Combine Travel with Other Activities

Annual leave isn’t just for long vacations. You can also use it to:

  • Attend events or festivals
  • Visit family and friends far away
  • Take part in personal projects or hobbies that require days away from work
  • Explore local attractions or hire a car to reach more destinations

Using leave for a mix of travel and other meaningful activities can make your time off even more fulfilling.

Budget and Travel Smart

Maximising your time off is only part of the process — you also want to make every trip affordable and enjoyable. To get the most out of your annual leave, try these travel planning strategies:

  • Book flights early and use tools like price alerts to track deals via flights
  • Choose flexible hotels with free cancellation
  • Rent a car hire at your destination for more freedom and to explore local areas
  • Travel during shoulder seasons for better weather and lower prices
  • Look for budget-friendly destinations that deliver great experiences without high costs

Being strategic with travel bookings and costs helps stretch both your holiday time and your travel budget.

Make 2026 Your Best Travel Year Yet

With a combination of smart planning, leave stacking, and flexibility, 2026 can be a year full of memorable trips and rejuvenating breaks. Whether your ideal holiday is a long adventure abroad or a series of quick getaways, understanding how to maximise your annual leave gives you the freedom to travel more without needing extra days off.

Start mapping out your year now — with the right strategy, you’ll be turning a modest annual leave allowance into a travel calendar packed with opportunity.