Maximise Your Annual Leave
Choose a year and UK region to find the best annual-leave opportunities around weekends and official bank holidays. Results are ranked by the longest total break, then by how efficiently each leave day is used.
Only the year and region are required. The optional settings let you change working days, apply your remaining leave allowance or lower the default maximum of 10 leave days per break.
Optional settings
How the Annual Leave Optimiser Works
The tool combines your normal non-working days with official bank holidays, then tests possible breaks throughout the selected year. It calculates which working days would need to be booked as annual leave and ranks the strongest combinations.
By default, it assumes a Monday-to-Friday working week and treats bank holidays as days off. Shift workers and people with different contracts can change those assumptions under Optional settings. To keep suggestions realistic, the tool limits each break to 10 annual-leave days unless a lower personal limit is entered.
Understanding Your Results
- Total days off: the full consecutive break, including weekends and bank holidays.
- Leave used: working days that need to be booked as annual leave.
- Free days: days already off because of weekends or bank holidays.
- Efficiency: total days off divided by annual-leave days used.
Related Date & Time Tools
Annual Leave Optimiser FAQ
What are the best days to take annual leave?
The best dates are usually working days between weekends and bank holidays. Booking those connecting days can create a much longer continuous break.
Do I have to complete all the optional settings?
No. Choose only a year and region to receive results based on a standard Monday-to-Friday working week with bank holidays treated as days off.
Why are bank holidays different across the UK?
England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate official holiday calendars, so selecting the correct region matters.
Are bank holidays always additional paid days off?
No. An employer can include bank holidays within the statutory annual-leave entitlement, and working arrangements vary by contract.
Why are breaks limited to 10 annual-leave days?
Most employees have roughly 20–25 days of annual leave for the whole year. Limiting one break to 10 leave days keeps the suggestions practical while still allowing strong combinations around Easter, Christmas and other bank holidays.
Does the tool submit a holiday request?
No. It only suggests dates. Leave still needs to be requested and approved through your employer’s normal process.