How to make the most of your annual leave in 2024

“Thank you for your message - I am currently out of the office…”

For some, this is the best sentence typed at work all year. Sadly, annual leave is not infinite, so making the most of our allocated allowance is an important skill to master.

In 2024, it’s possible to turn statutory UK holiday entitlement into a whopping 50 days of freedom for English workers. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, you could get even more. Here is our guide to making the most of your precious annual leave.

Scottish New Year - Book three days, get nine off

Hogmanay is a big deal in Scotland, translating into an extra bank holiday at the beginning of the year. If you live north of the border, 2024 provides an opportunity to start as you mean to go on with a nine-day New Year break. As the 30th and 31st of December fall on the weekend, and the 1st and 2nd of January are bank holidays, you only need to book Wednesday to Friday off, and you’ll get a whole week plus an additional weekend. Choose one of the world’s best destinations for winter sun - such as Thailand, Dubai, or Mexico - then say sayonara to snow and start the working year a little later than your colleagues. If you’re not lucky enough to live in Scotland, all is not lost; you just need to book one more day on 2nd January.

Days to book off work: 3, 4, 5 January (Scotland); 2, 3, 4, 5 January (England & Northern Ireland)

Easter Adventures - Book eight days, get 16 off

Many schools have a two-week break at Easter, but long spring holidays aren’t just for kids. Thanks to Good Friday and Easter Monday, adults working in England and Northern Ireland enjoy a four-day weekend free of charge. Adding just four days of leave on each side can build an extended nine-day holiday or even turn eight days of leave into 16 consecutive out-of-office days. April is a great time to visit Florida or New York before the summer heat, take advantage of Malaysia and Borneo’s dry season, or benefit from post-peak prices on a Maldives all-inclusive holiday. Scottish workers don’t get Easter Monday off, but that’s just one more day to book.

Days to book off work: 25, 26, 27, 28 March & 2, 3, 4, 5 April (England & Northern Ireland); 25, 26, 27, 28 March & 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 April (Scotland)

Double May Breaks - Book four days, get nine off

Often overlooked, May is a fantastic time for a holiday. Not only does it have two bonus length breaks to choose from, but it’s also your best chance to avoid the dreaded school holiday price hikes. May Day on the first Monday and Spring Bank Holiday on the last mean there are two weeks where you can book Tuesday to Friday off and enjoy nine consecutive days to do as you please. The temperatures in the Middle East are a perfect 30°C to 35°C, making it a great time to explore the fast-changing landscapes of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Doha, and Muscat. Bali’s beach season is in full swing, the Caribbean sits in the sweet spot between the early-year crowds and the start of the windy season, and there’s no better time to tour the USA. Consider a luxurious European sailing holiday in Italy, Greece, or Croatia for something closer to home but still extraordinary.

Days to book off work: 7, 8, 9, 10 May, or 28, 29, 30, 31 May (All UK)

Summer Holidays - Book four days, get nine off - or book five and get 10

Thanks to the Battle of the Boyne bank holiday on Friday 12th July, those travelling from Northern Ireland can skip the queue on summer travel and maximise the break by booking five days from 15th to 19th July and getting 10 consecutive days off. Scottish workers come next with an early August bank holiday, turning four days into nine from the 3rd to the 12th of August. Then Northern Irish travellers get another chance for nine days from four alongside holidaymakers from England at the end of the month.

July and August are magical times to see wildlife in Africa, with the great migration between Kenya’s Masai Mara and the Serengeti in Tanzania. The stunning coastal nation of Mozambique enjoys its best weather in these months and the Indian Ocean paradise islands of the Seychelles should also be top of any wishlist. Across the Atlantic, Canada is at its most vibrant, from the trails of the Rocky Mountaineer in the west to Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes in the east.

Days to book off work: 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 July (Northern Ireland); 6, 7, 8, 9 August (Scotland); 27, 28, 29, 30 August (England & Northern Ireland)

Faraway Festivities - Book seven days, get 16 off

After all your amazing 2024 holidays, the end of the year will soon come around with another chance to leave the cold behind for a Christmas and New Year adventure where the sun still shines. St Andrew’s Day gives Scots the opportunity for nine days, with only four booked at the start of December, while Christmas and New Year grant the rest of the UK an amazing 16-day break for just seven days of leave.

Thailand and Vietnam, the Caribbean and Mexico, or Dubai and the Maldives all make fantastic December destinations, or you could go all out and snag Christmas Day beach ‘barbies’ and New Year’s Eve fireworks Down Under. It may be winter at home, but from Buenos Aires to Cape Town and Melbourne to Christchurch, summer is very much in session.

Days to book off work: 3, 4, 5, 6 December, or 23, 24, 27, 30, 31 December & 3 January (Scotland); 23, 24, 27, 30, 31 December & 2, 3 January (England & Northern Ireland)

Ready to book?

These are the dates you need to make the most of your annual leave in 2024, but they’re no hidden secret. Get the stamp of approval from your manager today and contact our Travel Specialists to map out the most fantastic year. Then, all you have to do is prepare the out-of-office message and wait.