It’s time to get the calendar out and start planning your next year of holidays. Whether it’s your new year’s resolution to travel more or you simply want to spend more time at home, you’ll need to plan your 2020 annual leave. And – most importantly – you’ll want to get the dates booked in before your colleagues beat you to it.
To help you savour those precious days off, we’ve worked out a few simple tricks for boosting your holiday allowance. How does 16 days off at Christmas sound? We’re not kidding – and it won’t use up as many days as you think. Read on to find out how to make the most of your 2020 annual leave.
Get 16 days off in April with eight days’ annual leave
After three months of working solidly, you deserve a break. And what better way to take some time out than having 16 days off work? Thanks to the two Easter Bank Holidays – Good Friday and Easter Monday – you can enjoy more than two weeks off, using just eight days of your 2020 annual leave. Plus, April is a great time for flights to popular cities like New York, Miami and Toronto. Get your holiday off to an egg-cellent start and save some pennies with our tips on how to get cheap Easter flights.
Days to book off work: 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17 April
Get nine days off in May with four days’ annual leave
Did you know that 2020 is a special year? For the first time, the Early May Bank Holiday falls on a Friday, rather than a Monday. Since May 8th marks 75 years since VE Day, the Bank Holiday has been moved to coincide with the celebrations. That means you can enjoy nine days off work at the start of May using just four days of your holiday allowance. Or, if you have school-aged children, why not make the most of the second May Bank Holiday? It coincides with May half term, so it’s perfect timing for taking the kids away. If you need some inspiration, take a look at the best family destinations outside Europe.
Days to book off work: 4, 5, 6, 7 May or 26, 27, 28, 29 May
Get nine days off in September with four days’ annual leave
Falling on the very last day of August, the Summer Bank Holiday is later than usual next year. It’s actually the same week as back-to-school time. This isn’t much help for young families but, if you don’t have any kids, the timing couldn’t be better. Round off your summer with nine days off work, using just four days of your 2020 annual leave. September is the perfect time to grab cheap flights to Morocco, or you could book flights to Dubai if you want some serious sunshine.
Days to book off work: 1, 2, 3, 4 September
Get 16 days off in December with seven days’ annual leave
Missed out Christmas leave this year? Get ahead of the game for 2020. Christmas Day falls on a Friday, so the Boxing Day Bank Holiday is carried over to the following Monday. And New Year’s Day is also a Friday. This means that, using just seven days of annual leave, you could have a whopping 16 days off work. You can walk out of the office on 18th December, and you won’t have to come back until 4th January. Sounds like the perfect excuse for a mega holiday – flights to Australia, anyone?
Days to book off work: 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31 December