Exact dates to book for 54 days off in 2025 including Easter using just 24 days of annual leave

THERE are few feelings better than putting on your out of office and bidding your desk farewell for a lengthy break.

But, are you making the most of your annual leave?

If you strategically plan your breaks around bank holidays you can maximise your time away from the office without exhausting your annual leave.

In fact, if you used every break to its full potential you could take off 52 days in four breaks using just 24 days of annual leave (with one day borrowed from your 2026 entitlement).

These easy hacks wont grant you extra annual leave, but they'll mean you have far more longer breaks days from your desk in 2025 – which can be vital for switching off and improving your wellbeing and work/life balance.

Here's how to maximise your holiday in 2025:

Easter and May bank holidays

Easter is the first opportunity to use your leave to the fullest.

It's possible to take 18 straight days off work, using just nine days of leave.

This is because the end of April and beginning of May will see three bank holidays fall in quick succession.

Good Friday falls on April 18, Easter Monday on April 21 and the Early May bank holiday on May 5.

So if you use nine days of annual leave, to book off the entire period you can turn on your out of office on April 17 and not log back in until May 6.

The result is a massive 18 days away from work.

If using nine days of annual leave in one go feels too much, you can still extend the potential of your annual leave by taking off five days from Friday April 11 to Thursday April 17.

This will see you turn on your out of office on April 10 and not return until Tuesday April 22, giving you a break of 11 consecutive days.

You can also use just four days of holiday to take off April 14 to 17 and have 10 days off.

Early May bank holiday

The early May bank holiday falls on Monday May 5 this year.

Booking off the following week means you can get longer off from work with your leave.

Taking off Tuesday May 6 to Friday May 9 will give you a nine-day break, using just four days of annual leave.

Spring bank holiday

This year the spring bank holiday, or late May bank holiday, will fall on Monday May 26.

Booking off the following week means you can maximise your leave.

Taking off Tuesday May 27 to Friday May 30 will give you a nine-day break, using just four days of annual leave.

Summer bank holiday

The summer bank holiday will fall on Monday August 25.

Booking off the following week means you can maximise your leave.

Taking off Tuesday August 26 to Friday August 29 will give you a nine-day break, using just four days of annual leave.

Christmas 2025

Over Christmas there is a flurry of bank holidays with Christmas and Boxing Day followed by New Year's Day six days later.

If you're smart (and use a day of your 2026 leave) you can gift yourself 16 days away from the office, using just seven days of leave.

To take full advantage of the bank holidays you'll need to book off Monday December 22, Tuesday December 23 and Wednesday December 24 as well as the days between Christmas and New Year and Friday January 2.

This would see you put on your out of office on Friday December 19 and not turn it off until Monday January 5.

Will there be an extra bank holidays in 2025?

Extra bank holidays will frequently be granted to mark major national events or periods of celebration.

In recent years these have included Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and the coronation of King Charles III in 2023.

However, Brits have not been granted any extra days of holiday in 2025.

There had been a groundswell of support for a four-day bank holiday blowout to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

But, the Government has decided not to grant the request.

The soaring cost of granting extra bank holidays appears to be a decisive factor.

When Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee delivered a four-day celebration in 2022, it reportedly carried a staggering £2.4billion economic impact.

What are my rights to days off?

Employees do not have a legal right to time off on bank holidays.

So, whether you get the days off depends on your contract or company policy.

Some business' will give bank holidays off as standard with annual leave then assigned on top of this.

Others will set out that annual leave allocations do not bank holidays as standard, in which case you will need to book them off if you don't wish to work.

Other employers may require employees to work bank holidays but grant a lieu day or other benefit in return.

Before splashing out and booking flights and hotels, first you need to make sure you get your time off is agreed by your employer.

It's often the case that the first to book holiday at a certain time is granted the leave.

This is another reason why it can be better to plan your holiday in advance and book it off from work well ahead of time.

To avoid wasting money, always get your time off approved before you spend on holidays.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories