How it works
Tell us where you work, your work pattern and how much leave you have. The planner looks at the next 12 months of bank holidays from GOV.UK and every combination of days you could book, then picks the breaks that give you the most days off for each day of leave. Choose “Getting a big day off” to see the cheapest ways to be off for one date, from a game launch to a cup final.
Rotas and shift work
On a rota, your days off do the work that weekends do for office staff. On 4 on, 4 off, booking one run of four shifts gives you 12 days in a row. Untick “I get bank holidays off” if you work them, which most shift workers do.
Booking the leave
Unless your contract says otherwise, you give notice of at least twice the length of the leave, and your employer can refuse with notice as long as the leave. Copy the leave request message and send it early. If your hours vary, holiday builds up at 12.07% of the hours you work: see holiday pay on irregular hours.
This tool gives an estimate based on UK rules as of October 2026. It isn't legal or tax advice.