How to get 16 consecutive days off in 2026 using just 8 days of annual leave

This is because almost all full-time workers in the UK are legally entitled to 28 days' paid holiday a year, so you can combine these with weekends and bank holidays (provided they aren't included in the 28 days, which they can be). If you're a regular part-time worker you can also get in on this, depending on how much you work.

It's not so much MoneySaving as it is HolidaySaving, and if you want to do it, do it QUICK in case your colleagues have the same idea – especially if the prime times to take leave tend to get booked up quickly where you work, or there are restrictions on taking it around bank holidays. Now, here's how to do it...

📅 Turn 8 days of annual leave into 16 consecutive days off work

Easter's in early April this year, so you can bridge the gap between Good Friday (3 April) and the weekend before it (28 to 29 March) by booking Monday 30 March to Thursday 2 April as leave, and bridge the gap between Easter Monday (6 April) and the weekend after it (11 to 12 April) by booking Tuesday 7 April to Friday 10 April as leave.

In Scotland? You'll need to book Monday 6 April off too, so it's nine days' leave for 16 days off.

Total time off: 16 days from Saturday 28 March to Sunday 12 April

Or turn five days of annual leave in 11 consecutive days off work

If you want a shorter break, or to save more of your leave for later in the year, book Friday 27 March as leave, then bridge the gap between Good Friday (3 April) and the weekend before (28 to 29 March) by booking Monday 30 March to Thursday 2 April as leave. To turn four days into 10, simply leave off Friday 27 March.

Total time off: 11 days from Friday 27 March to Monday 6 April

📅 Turn 4 days of annual leave into 9 consecutive days off work

While the four days off over the Easter weekend make it the best time of year to boost your annual leave, you can get a shorter extended break around other bank holiday weekends by using the same trick...

• Northern Ireland only – St Patrick's Day, Tuesday 17 March. Book Monday 16 March and Wednesday 18 March to Friday 20 March as leave to get nine days off from Saturday 14 March to Sunday 22 March.

• Early May bank holiday, Monday 4 May. Book Tuesday 5 May to Friday 8 May as leave to get nine days off from Saturday 2 May to Sunday 10 May.

• Spring bank holiday, Monday 25 May. Book Tuesday 26 May to Friday 29 May as leave to get nine days off from Saturday 23 May to Sunday 31 May.

• Northern Ireland only – Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day), Monday 13 July. Book Tuesday 14 July to Friday 17 July as leave to get nine days off from Saturday 11 July to Sunday 19 July.

• Summer bank holiday, Monday 31 August. Book Tuesday 1 September to Friday 4 September as leave to get nine days off from Saturday 29 August to Sunday 6 September.

• Scotland only – St Andrew's Day, Monday 30 November. Book Tuesday 1 December to Friday 4 December as leave to get nine days off from Saturday 28 November to Sunday 6 December.

📅 Turn 7 days of annual leave into 16 consecutive days off work?

If for some mad reason you're already planning next Christmas, it's when you can get the longest break for the the least amount of leave this year. But doing this is unlikely to leave your colleagues wishing you much peace or goodwill (and probably won't be possible if your work has rules around taking leave in late December).

If you want to brave it, you can bridge the gap between Christmas Day (Friday 25 December) and the weekend before it (19 to 20 December) by booking Monday 21 December to Thursday 24 December as leave, and the gap between the substitute Boxing Day bank holiday (Monday 28 December) and New Year's Day (Friday 1 January) by booking Tuesday 29 December to Thursday 31 December as leave.

Total time off: 16 days from Saturday 19 December to Sunday 3 January

In Scotland? Monday 4 January is a substitute bank holiday for Saturday 2 January, so you can turn seven days of leave into 17 days off. Or, if you book Tuesday 5 January to Friday 8 January as leave too, eleven days into 23 days off. Whether you can get away with that will of course depend on if your work limits how much time you can take off in one go. And possibly on how much your boss likes you.

Total time off: 17 days from Saturday 19 December to Monday 4 January (or 23 days from Saturday 19 December to Sunday 10 January)

Or turn 3 days of annual leave into 10 consecutive days off (11 in Scotland)

To reduce the chances of your colleagues doing stuff to your lunch when you return, you could simply bridge the gap between the substitute Boxing Day bank holiday (Monday 28 December) and New Year's Day (Friday 1 January) by booking Tuesday 29 December to Thursday 31 December as leave.

Total time off: 10 days from Friday 25 December to Sunday 3 January (11 days from Friday 25 December to Monday 4 January in Scotland)

🤔 Are you entitled to paid annual leave?

If you're classed as a 'worker' – and if you're not sure, have a butcher's at the Gov.uk website – then legally you should get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, though this can include bank holidays. Booooo.

This means if you work five days a week you should get at least 28 days of paid leave a year. If you work regular part-time hours, you should get the equivalent of 5.6 weeks of paid leave a year, for example, if you work three days a week, you should get at least 16.8 days. You can work out what you should get using the Gov.uk holiday entitlement calculator.

And for full info on your annual leave rights, head to the Gov.uk holiday entitlement page.

🏖️ Looking for MoneySaving ways to spend your time off?

If you're able to book yourself an extended break and you're looking to get away, you can do so in MoneySaving fashion using our array of travel guides and tools, including Cheap flights (and January flight sales), Cheap hotels, Cheap travel insurance and Compare travel Money.

And if you've got kids, see MSE Jenny's How to beat school holiday price hikes blog and Center Parcs savers guide, as well as our Cheap days out and UK travel deals pages.