UK Bank Holidays in 2024: How To Maximise Your Annual Leave

Planning your time off can be a puzzle, especially when it comes to making the most of bank holidays in 2024 and combining this with affordable prices and cheap tickets to your dream destinations unless you have unlimited holidays. That is why it is a great idea to start planning as early as possible. These extra days off are golden opportunities to stretch your annual leave and enjoy longer breaks. Figuring out how to optimize these holidays can lead to fantastic getaways and some quality downtime. Let’s dive into how you can plan strategically to get the most out of these upcoming bank holidays. Below you will find a list of all bank holidays in 2024 in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as ideas on how and which days to take off to maximise your holiday time and allow yourself longer breaks from work.

Full list of bank holidays in 2024 in England and Wales

Full list of bank holidays in 2024 in Scotland

Full list of bank holidays in 2024 in Northern Ireland

How Many Bank Holidays Will You Have in 2024?

As usual, the number of bank holidays varies depending on the country you are from. In England and Wales, you’ll enjoy eight bank holidays, while in Scotland, the count rises to nine. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland takes the lead with a total of ten bank holidays. Important note: if a bank holiday is on a weekend, a ‘substitute’ weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday.

Here we present you the ideas of how from 8-10 days of bank holidays make up to 59 days of leave (without weekends)

Taking from 25th March to 28th March off, will give you 10 days off between March 23 and April 1 .

If you want to use your holiday after Easter, take days off between April 2 and 5 getting a week off.

Taking time off between May 7 – 10, you can go on a 9-day holiday from 4th to 12th May.

May is a beautiful month to travel, it is already warm but still before the main season. It’s worth taking advantage of, because again taking 4 days off between May 28 and 31 gets you a 9-day holiday from 25th May – 2nd June.

A similar situation applies during the holidays, taking August 27 – 30 will give you 9 days off between 24th August – 1st September.

In Scotland it will be August 6-9, which give a 9-day holiday between 3 and 11 August.

Another important date in Scotland is substitute for 30th November and St Andrew’s Day which in many cases will fall on 2 December. By taking a holiday from December 3 – 6, you gain another nine days of continuous rest.

In December, for a similar effect, you can take less because three days off on December 23, 24 and 27 are enough to get 9 days of Christmas rest. By extending it by another two between December 30-31 you gain a 12-day break from work.

An important upcoming date in Northern Ireland is the substitute for St Patrick’s Day on 17th March, which in many cases will fall on 18th March. If you take a holiday from March 19 to 22, you will gain nine days’ rest between March 16 and 24.

Also if you are from Northern Ireland take a holiday between July 8 and 11 because, including the holiday on 12th July, gain 9 days between July 6 and 14.

We hope the above list of bank holidays in 2024 in the UK makes your planning easier. We are curious to know how your employer approaches the subject. Does he/she prefer planning in advance, have no problem with you planning at the last minute, or is it more complicated because you have to arrange substitutions? Is there a time of year when it is not advisable to take holidays? Find your employer and let us know on gowork.uk