47 days off in 2027 from 19 days of leave

In England and Wales, 19 days of annual leave booked around the 8 bank holidays of 2027 gives you 47 days off in five breaks, and the late May week lines up with most half-terms.

You can try it with your own allowance in the free 2027 family year planner. It picks the breaks that give the most days off for each day of leave, then shows what is left.

Here are the five breaks for England and Wales. Each one joins weekends and bank holidays to a short run of booked days.

That is 19 days of leave and 47 days off. The rest of your allowance stays free for the school holidays, a family trip or the days nobody plans for. The Christmas break runs into the first days of January 2028.

Which 2027 bank holidays give the longest breaks?

Easter and Christmas. Each gives 10 days off.

At Easter, Good Friday is 26 March and Easter Monday is 29 March. Book Tuesday 30 March to Friday 2 April, four days, and you are off from Friday 26 March to Sunday 4 April.

Christmas is the one that looks odd at first. Christmas Day 2027 is a Saturday and Boxing Day is a Sunday. When that happens, the bank holidays move to the next working days, so they fall on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. These are called substitute days.

Book Wednesday 29, Thursday 30 and Friday 31 December, three days. New Year's Day 2028 is also a Saturday, so its substitute day is Monday 3 January 2028. That gives you Saturday 25 December to Monday 3 January, 10 days off for 3 days of leave.

The other three breaks each give 9 days for 4 days of leave. Early May joins the weekend before the Early May bank holiday on 3 May to the weekend after. The half-term week does the same around the Spring bank holiday on 31 May. Late August does it around the Summer bank holiday on 30 August.

Does it work in Scotland?

Yes, with different dates. Scotland has 9 bank holidays in 2027. It has 2 January (a substitute day on Monday 4 January this year) and St Andrew's Day on Tuesday 30 November. It has no Easter Monday, and its summer bank holiday is Monday 2 August.

Booked around those dates, 27 days of leave gives 66 days off in seven breaks.

The Christmas break in Scotland runs one day longer, to Tuesday 4 January 2028, because the 2 January substitute day follows the New Year one.

What about Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland has 10 bank holidays in 2027. It shares the England and Wales eight and adds St Patrick's Day on Wednesday 17 March and the Battle of the Boyne on Monday 12 July.

That gives two extra breaks. Book 15, 16, 18 and 19 March for Saturday 13 to Sunday 21 March, 9 days. Book 13 to 16 July for Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 July, another 9 days. In total, 27 days of leave gives 65 days off.

How do I cover the school holidays?

A family with children at school in England has about 13 weeks of school holiday in 2027. The exact weeks depend on your council and your school, and each school sets its own training days.

The breaks above cover part of that. Easter sits inside most Easter holidays. The late May week lines up with most May half-terms. Christmas covers the last school week of the year. The summer holiday and the October half-term are the weeks most families still need to plan.

The planner shows the school holiday weeks still to cover once your breaks are in. You can then share them out between adults, grandparents, clubs or holiday schemes.

Leave is agreed with your employer, so check before you book.

How do I add these to my calendar?

Open the family year planner, choose your nation and enter your leave allowance. It marks the suggested leave on a one-page year, alongside bank holidays and school holidays. You can print it, or download a calendar file for Google, Apple or Outlook.

Everything you type stays in your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Every source checked 9 November 2026.

• GOV.UK, UK bank holidays

Keep planning 2027

• The UK family admin calendar for 2027
• How to plan 2027 as a family
• Family year planner 2027