This cheat code for getting 47 days off in 2027 could make you feel like you’re enjoying far more annual leave in 2027.
The summer holidays are over and most of us are fully back into the swing of the September return to work and school. But if that’s left you feeling down and already longing for your next holiday, careful planning could make you feel like you’re getting a lot more annual leave in 2027.
Nineteen days of annual leave could become 47 days off across five separate breaks for people in England and Wales. But there’s another trick to consider beyond simply maximising your days away — more on that below.
Entrepreneur Josh Felber breaks down exactly when to book your 2027 annual leave and explains his ‘Tuesday Return Rule ’, a simple switch designed to make coming back from holiday feel less brutal.
For workers who work Monday to Friday and receive bank holidays in addition to their annual leave allowance, strategically booking just 19 days of annual leave could create five separate breaks totalling 47 days away from work in 2027.
From turning four days of annual leave into a 10-day Easter break to using just three days to potentially get 10 consecutive days off over Christmas and New Year, the way the 2027 bank holidays fall creates several opportunities to stretch your allowance.
Josh, who is also a performance coach and founder at FLBR Motorsport, reveals the 2027 dates worth requesting now.
How to create 47 days off work using 19 days of annual leave
You’re not really getting more annual leave from your employer. Instead, this is about placing your existing allowance directly alongside weekends and bank holidays. Here are five of the biggest opportunities for 2027.
Easter: Turn four days of annual leave into 10 days off
Book off: Monday 22 March – Thursday 25 March
Annual leave used: 4 days
Total consecutive days off: 10 days
Good Friday falls on 26 March 2027, followed by Easter Monday on 29 March. If you normally have weekends and bank holidays off, booking Monday 22 March through Thursday 25 March means you could finish work on Friday 19 March and not return until Tuesday 30 March. That gives you 10 consecutive days away from work while using just four days of annual leave. For anyone considering a longer spring holiday, this could be one of the most valuable weeks to request before colleagues begin booking their 2027 leave.
Early May Bank Holiday: Turn four days into nine
Book off: Tuesday 4 May – Friday 7 May
Annual leave used: 4 days
Total consecutive days off: 9 days
The Early May Bank Holiday falls on Monday 3 May in 2027. Book the following Tuesday through Friday and you could be away from work from Saturday 1 May until Sunday 9 May.
Spring Bank Holiday: Get another nine-day break
Book off: Tuesday 1 June – Friday 4 June
Annual leave used: 4 days
Total consecutive days off: 9 days
Just a few weeks later comes another opportunity. The Spring Bank Holiday falls on Monday 31 May, meaning booking the following four days could give you Saturday 29 May through Sunday 6 June away from work.
For workers with enough annual leave available, that means there are potentially two separate nine-day breaks within just over a month. Sit down with the entire 2027 calendar rather than booking each holiday as it comes up. You can then decide which periods matter most to you and use your allowance accordingly.
August: Turn four days into nine days off
Book off: Tuesday 31 August – Friday 3 September
Annual leave used: 4 days
Total consecutive days off: 9 days
The Summer Bank Holiday in England and Wales falls on Monday 30 August in 2027. Taking Tuesday through Friday immediately afterwards creates another potential nine-day break from Saturday 28 August through Sunday 5 September. This could be particularly valuable for workers planning a summer holiday, but who do not want to use seven, eight or even 10 days of their annual leave allowance on one trip.
Christmas: Use just three days for 10 days off
Book off: Wednesday 29 December – Friday 31 December
Annual leave used: 3 days
Total consecutive days off: 10 days
This is arguably the biggest annual-leave trick of the 2027 calendar. Christmas falls on a Saturday and Boxing Day falls on a Sunday, meaning the substitute bank holidays in England and Wales fall on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. New Year’s Day 2028 then falls on a Saturday, making Monday 3 January 2028 the substitute bank holiday.
Therefore, someone who normally has weekends and these bank holidays off could book just 29, 30, and 31 December as annual leave and potentially be away from work from Christmas Day until Monday 3 January. That is 10 consecutive days away from work for the cost of just three days of annual leave.
The ‘Tuesday Return Rule’
Josh says trying to squeeze every possible hour out of a holiday can sometimes backfire: “You might spend nine days travelling, land late on Sunday and be expected to perform normally at 9am on Monday. Think about the quality of your return, not just the length of your break. The rule is simple; if you can spare the extra day, consider returning to work on a Tuesday rather than a Monday.
“We often fly home on Sunday because Monday is a working day, then wonder why we feel exhausted when the alarm goes off. Using Monday as a buffer gives you time to unpack, get food in, sleep properly and mentally reset before returning to work.”
Five ways to make annual leave go further
- Book popular dates early: Bank holiday weeks can fill up quickly, so request them as soon as you can.
- Plan the whole year: Map out your leave early to avoid using too much in the first few months.
- Keep days in reserve: Save two or three days for unexpected plans or when you simply need a break.
- Try the Tuesday Return Rule: Use Monday to recover after travelling and return to work on Tuesday feeling refreshed.
- Use weekends strategically: Booking Friday and Monday creates a four-day break using just two days of leave.
