How to get 18 consecutive days off next year for just nine days of annual leave

By MoneySavingExpert's Coupon Kid, Jordon Cox

It’s not far into 2017 but I’m already planning my holidays and days off for this year. And looking at the calendar, there’s a way you can get an extended break without seriously denting your annual leave allowance – 18 consecutive days off for the price of nine.

The way the bank holidays fall in April and May allows you to string them together with annual leave to give yourself a nice long break from work (sorry bosses of the UK). This didn’t happen this year as there was too big of a gap between the bank holidays – but in 2017 and for the first time since 2014, we’ve hit the holiday jackpot.

This blog assumes you work the standard Monday-Friday, so apologies to those with unconventional hours or those who can’t choose their own leave, such as teachers.

Update Tue 28 Feb 2017: If you’ve not yet booked your time off from work but want to bag 18 consecutive days off for just nine days of annual leave, you’ll likely have to go quick before others in your workplace snap it up. 

18 consecutive days off in April for the price of nine

The Easter bank holidays in 2017 fall late, on 14 April (Good Friday) and 17 April (Easter Monday), and with the May Day bank holiday on Mon 1 May, it means by taking nine days annual leave in between those dates (18-21 and 24-28 April), you’ll get 18 consecutive days off work.

That’s not all, as usual, the way the bank holidays fall in December is set to bring some festive cheer.

10 consecutive days off in December for the price of three

In 2017, December 23 and 24 falls over a weekend, with Christmas Day and Boxing Day giving you Monday and Tuesday off. If you take 27-29 Dec as annual leave, with New Year’s Day 2018 falling on a Monday, it’ll mean you won’t be back at work until Tuesday 2 Jan – a total of 10 days off for the price of three.

By using both of these tricks, you can bag some serious chill time – and in most cases, still have over half of your annual leave left – hallelujah! Of course, if you don’t work Monday to Friday, or can’t choose your own leave, then this might not work for you.

I hope this helps you out when planning your holidays next year. The funny thing is, to get this blog live I had to send it to my boss who approves my holidays. You don’t mind me having all this time off, do you, boss? (Editor’s note: Thanks Jordon for letting me know which of your holiday requests I’ll need to decline…).

Have you booked your holiday for next year? What will be your New Year’s resolutions for 2017? Let me know in the comments below, on Twitter @MSE_Deals or on Facebook.