How to more than DOUBLE your holiday allowance for the rest of 2026 – exact dates to take off

AS we pass the halfway point in the year, there’s still plenty of time to sneak in some extra days off. For anyone hoping to enjoy a few extra holidays before the year ends, it’s worth keeping in mind these hacks to more than double your annual leave. With some cleverly timed days off – Brits can more than double their holiday allowance for the rest of the year Credit: SWNS Yes, it’s mid-July – meaning most people will have already taken a fair chunk of their annual leave allowance already this year. However, for anyone with a few days still left to book, we’ve managed to work out the exact combination of days to take off to double your time away from the office. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! For starters, there’s many extra days up for grabs next month. The August bank holiday falls on Monday 31, so a cleverly timed week of annual leave can mean 10 days away from your desk. To enjoy some extra days basking in the summer sun, book off the 24 – 28 August. Including the weekend before, you’ll end up with a 10 day break between 22 – 31 August, despite only using five precious days of annual leave. Then we get to Christmas. Although the festive season may feel like a lifetime away in these temperatures, the yuletide period will soon roll around. Most read in Money In order to maximise a break over the winter, it’s best to plan ahead now. The trick is to book three days off between Tuesday 29 – Thursday 31 December. Including the weekends and the bank holidays, you’ll end up with another 10 days off. In total, that’s 8 days of annual leave for 20 days out of the office. Comment now