Hack Your 2024 Annual Leave: The exact dates you need to know

It’s that time of year, folks! We’re back with all the exact dates you need to pencil down and get booked off ASAP so you can squeeze every last drop out of your annual leave allowance for 2024. That means more beaches, more city breaks, and more 7am airport cocktails. With multiple opportunities to stretch 4 days of leave into a 9 day break coming up this year, as well as an absolute whopper 16 (!) day break for the price of 8 if you play your cards right, here’s how to hack your 2024 annual leave.

First up, get these dates noted down:

2024 bank holidays

New Year’s Day – Monday, January 1, 2024
Good Friday – Friday, March 29th, 2024
Easter Monday – Monday, April 1st, 2024
Early May Bank Holiday – Monday, May 6th, 2024
Spring Bank Holiday – Monday, May 27th, 2024
Summer Bank Holiday – Monday, August 26th, 2024
Christmas Day – Wednesday, December 25th, 2024
Boxing Day – Thursday, December 26th, 2024

March

A graphic says the following: "Book off the 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th for a whopping 9 day break" with images of a snow-capped mountain in Whistler, Canada.

Your first chance to nab a 9 day break using just 4 days of your 2024 annual leave comes up in March. Book off March 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th and it really will be a Good Friday.

March means ski season in Whistler, Canada. North of Vancouver, it’s home to one of North America’s biggest ski resorts and coming in March means you’ll benefit from less frigid temps but without losing a decent amount of snowfall to swish your way through. March can actually be the best month of the year for snow here! It’s also patio season, which means skiiing down to the Village after a day on the slopes, chucking those layers off and soaking in the sun. Bliss.

April

A graphic reads: "Book off the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th for another 9 day break using just 4!" with images of a street and traditional tram in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

You don’t have to wait long for extra big break, because in April you can use 4 days of your 2024 annual leave – the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th – to make another 9 day belter. Now, if you’re extra savvy, you can stretch this to 16 days by combining it with the March break, and it’ll only cost you 8 days. Nice one.

We reckon if you plumb for the 16 day break, it’s defo the time to get some car hire and roadtrip the USA’s Deep South, just before the stickiness of the summer months arrive. Take in Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville and even the Great Smoky Mountains – all in one trip. Now, that’ll be one to tell the grandkids.

May

A graphic reads: "Book off the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th for a 9 day break. Then book off the 28th, 29th, 30th, and 31st for another 9 days off at the end of the month!" with images of a swimming pig in the Bahamas and coconuts.

You’ll get not one but two 9 day break opportunities popping up in May. Whack those requests for May 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th into the boss’ inbox if you fancy a break at the start of the month, or if the end of the month works out better for you, then book off the 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st instead.

If you do go for the beginning of the month, our tip is to head to the Bahamas and swim with pigs. We’re not saying you can’t do anything else in the Bahamas but…swimming with pigs, guys. The rainy season starts up towards the end of May, so now’s your chance.

August

A graphic reads: "Book off the 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th - that’s 8 days off using only 4 days of leave" with an image of Jaswant Thada in Jodhpur, India.

Get 8 days off in August using only 4 days of your 2024 annual leave by setting your OOO from August 24th to September 1st – book off the 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th. Now that’s how you celebrate the last bit of the summer break!

August is the low-season in Jodhpur, India. Head to the so-called Blue City with temps that are more bearable for us Brits, lower hotel prices, and less crowds. Well, don’t expect it to be deserted deserted, but it’ll be a little less busy, anyway…

December

A graphic reads: "Book off the 23rd, 26th, 27th, 30th and 31st for a mega Crimbo break that lasts 12 days!" with an image of the Florida Keys highway and palm trees in Florida, USA.

To round off the year with a bow, you can take just 5 days of your 2024 annual leave and have an extra long, food-filled break around Crimbo and New Year’s – book off the 23rd, 26th, 27th, 30th, 31st and you’ll have a literal 12 days of Christmas (if you include that sneaky 1st of January bank holiday in 2025)! Sounds good to us.

You know what also sounds good in December? Florida. The average temp is a balmy 22°, it’s the driest month of the year here, and hurricanes? What hurricanes?