How To Maximise Your Annual Leave in 2024: Turn 20 Days Paid Holiday Into 54 Days Of Freedom

How many of you have a full time job? 

How many of you only have 20 days of annual leave a year? 

How many of you love your 9-5 and don’t, at the moment, want to quit to travel full time?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then this post is for you.

If you work full time, you’ll know how precious annual leave is. You work hard so you want to play hard, and relax hard too. And that’s why it’s so important to make the most of your time off. Plus, even though you might have dreamt about it, quitting our jobs to travel isn’t always realistic. And it’s not always something we actually want to do.

What we really want to do is be good at our job, have that security of monthly pay, but also see as much of the world as possible.

I’ve worked full time now for over 11 years and by just using annual leave, I’ve been lucky enough to visit places like New York City, Ibiza, Nepal, Australia, Poland, Mallorca, Miami, Hong Kong, and Scotland. I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where I can prioritise my disposable income on travel. But, even when I don’t plan to travel using annual leave, I still maximise my paid holiday to enjoy my time as much as possible outside the 9-5.

Those 20 days of annual leave, the UK minimum requirement for paid annual leave, is equal to 4 weeks of pure FREEDOM from the 9-5. 

If you include the bank holidays on top of your annual leave, that’s 28 days paid holiday. That’s 5.5 weeks of annual leave.

But how do you maximise those 20 days annual leave? How do you squeeze every last ounce of adventure out of your annual leave?

To show you how to make the most of your holidays in 2024, here’s some inspiration. It’s also a template for how you can turn 20 days of annual leave into 54 days of adventure.

Read More: 21 Of The Best Weekend Breaks In The UK To Enjoy In 2024

January

Lake District, UK | 4 days off

1 day of annual leave + 1 bank holiday + 2 weekend days

There’s something magical about the Lake District in winter. It’s cold, crisp, quiet and makes the perfect destination to enjoy fresh walks in the countryside before snuggling up by an open fire in the afternoon. Extend the new year celebrations and delay going back to work by booking 2nd January off. This bonus day gives you 3 full days in this beautiful area of the UK.

Ullswater is one of my favourite spots and if you fancy tackling Hellvellyn, this is the place to be. Alternatively Grassmere is home to the Lake District’s most famous gingerbread shop. And if you prefer more of a lively village location, rent a cottage here for a few nights over new year.

Where to stay: Another Place, The Lake

What to do: Get a massage, swim in the pool, walk to Aira Force, visit Pooley Bridge for a cosy lunch.

READ MORE: Checking In At Another Place, The Lake in Ullswater

February

Berlin, Germany | 3.5 days off

1.5 days annual leave + 2 weekend days

Although it will be cold, February is the perfect time to enjoy a city break in Berlin. Leave on Thursday afternoon, come back on Sunday and you can enjoy a long weekend exploring this gritty, historic German city.

Take a tour of the Reichstag, walk alongside the Berlin Wall and spend the evenings in some incredible bars and restaurants. Wrap up warm though and take plenty of pit stops in the city’s cool coffee shops.

March

Iceland | 5 days off

3 days annual leave + 2 weekend days

How does spending a few days in Iceland sound? A bucket list destination for many, the land of fire and ice is one of the world’s top places to see the northern lights. Visit Iceland in March and you’ve got a good chance to get a glimpse of them. The weather is also perfect for exploring as, even though it’s still cold, you can get beautiful blue sky days.

Spend 1 day doing a day trip around the Golden Circle, another day road tripping along the South Coast to the black sand beach of Vik via the waterfalls, and dedicate a day to Reykjavik, Iceland’s cool capital.

I highly recommend doing a Reykjavik Food Tour and, if you can, hiring a car to make day trips more flexible. Make sure you also leave a morning or afternoon free for a trip to the Blue Lagoon. This holiday will be non-stop but it’s worth it!

Where to stay: Hotel Fron, Hotel Reykjavik Centrum, Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre, or KEX Hostel 

What to do: Anything and everything. Even if you spent 5 days in Reykjavik exploring the museums, enjoying the thermal lagoons, taking advantage of happy hours and warming up in the coffee shops, you’d have such a good time.

READ MORE: 23 Of The Best Things To Do In Iceland | The Ultimate Itinerary For First Time Visitors 

April

Scotland | 10 days off

4 days annual leave + 2 bank holidays + 4 weekend days

Take advantage of the double bank holiday over Easter. Add 4 days annual leave and you have a sweet 10 days off work. It’s time for an adventure in Scotland, specifically the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh. Make yourself at home at East Side Cottages where you can stay in the Westside Woodshed, The Eastside Wash House, The Eastside Cartshed, The Steading Cottage, or The Byre Cottage. 

My favourite is the Westside Woodshed. With walks straight from the doorstep, a hot tub, and a cosy sofa to curl up on, it’s dreamy bolthole in the hills. What’s great about this place is it feels super remote. However, Edinburgh is less than 40 minutes away and there are some incredible beaches to explore up the coast.

Where to stay: Westside Woodshed

What to do: Spend a day in Edinburgh, walk across the peaks of West Kip, East Kip and Scald Law, and enjoy the hot tub while looking over the Pentland Hills.

May

Leeds | 3 days off

2 weekend days + May Day Bank Holiday

With May being prime time for bank holidays, it’s nice to spend a long weekend closer to home. For me, 3 days in Leeds is a great way to catch up with friends, spending slow mornings at home, going for walks in the nearby Yorkshire Dales…wherever you’re based, take it easy. Enjoy a weekend of nothing, no work, no real plans, just a leisurely weekend at home. If you do come to Leeds though for a long weekend, there’s plenty to do on a Leeds city break!

Where to stay: Dakota Leeds

What to do: Spend time coffee shop hopping around many of Leeds’ independent cafes and go shopping in the city centre. Alternatively take time out to go to the Yorkshire Dales and climb one of the Yorkshire 3 peaks! Pen-y-Ghent is my favourite even with the scramble at the top.

Read More: Here’s Your Ultimate Guide For A 3 Day Weekend In Leeds

May

Ibiza | 3 days off

1 day of annual leave + 2 weekend days + Spring Bank Holiday

Spring bank holiday? YES PLEASE. It’s time to go somewhere warm. Have you been craving sun, sea and sand? What better place to enjoy that than Ibiza? The spring bank holiday weekend in May is perfect for a long weekend in Ibiza. With a short 2-hour flight, you won’t waste much time travelling and you can be soaking up the sun on the beach within hours of leaving the UK. 

Where to stay: OKU Ibiza

What to do: Watch the sunset on the Sunset Strip. Grab some drinks from the local supermarket and sit on the shore by the water. Alternatively, treat yourself to a cocktail from Cafe Mambo for the sundowner of all sundowners. In the day, relax at Cala Gracioneta and enjoy lunch at the chiringuito, or explore Ibiza Old Town.

August

Yorkshire Dales | 3 days off

0 days off + August Bank Holiday

August bank holiday is always a crazy one. The traffic on the roads is busy and flights to anywhere always seem ridiculously expensive. So why not stay close to home? It’s that time of year when the weather should be nice so why not go glamping, or even camping, in the Yorkshire Dales? Alternatively, hire a cabin or cottage as a base to enjoy a few days in the countryside.

Read More: An Easy Guide To The Malham Cove Circular Walk In The Yorkshire Dales

September

Rhodes | 9 days

5 days annual leave + 4 weekend days

September is a quieter and less expensive month for travel. However, the weather around Europe is still so gorgeously warm making it the ideal time for a relaxing week in the sun. Rhodes is the perfect Greek island getaway with its historic towns, lovely beaches, and hotels where you can truly melt any stresses away. 8 nights at Cook’s Club Ialyssos in Rhodes is the ideal place if you want to mix a few days by the pool with Rhodes day trips to places like Rhodes Town, Lindos and Anthony Quinn Bay.

Where to stay: Cook’s Club Ialyssos or Casa Cook Rhodes

What to do: Relax! You’ve earned this time off to do very little. However, if your adventurous side is calling, go into the historic Old Rhodes Town and wander the gorgeous streets. Pick up an ice cream and end the day with dinner in one of the many restaurants in this bustling town.

READ MORE: Hotel Review: A Stay At Cook’s Club Ialysos in Rhodes, Greece

November

Unplugged Digital Detox | 3.5 days off

1.5 days annual leave + 2 weekend days

Technology nowadays completely infiltrates every aspect of our lives. Can you even remember a time without iPhones? To get away from it all, book yourself a 3 night stay at one of Unplugged’s Digital Detox Cabins. With various locations in southern UK, within 1-2 hours of London, Unplugged is the perfect escape to get back to basics.

Created by Hector and Ben, who believe we can all benefit from going offline a few days a year, have created solar powered, luxurious cabins so that you can go Unplugged in comfort. When you arrive, you lock your phone away in a box (although you are provided with an old school Nokia phone, complete with Snake, for emergencies). Suddenly, you’re switched off from the world.

In the cabin you’ll find everything you need for a 3 night stay. This includes a fully equipped kitchen, a log burner, panoramic windows to take in the views, an instax camera complete with 10 films, books, board games, and a map and compass. The question is, do you think you could manage three days without being online? Why not give it a go?

Alternatively, enjoy some winter sun in Lanzarote where 4 days is a great amount of time to relax and see some incredible things around this volcanic island!

Read More: Here are 13 Of The Best Things To Do In Lanzarote

December

Christmas and New Year | 10 days off

3 days annual leave + 3 bank holidays + 4 weekend days

I don’t know about you but Christmas for me is for catching up with friends and family. It’s for eating all the good food, enjoying all the festive drinks, drinking hot chocolate at the Christmas Markets, lazy days in front of the TV and for quiet morning walks in the fresh air. There’s no need to get away but if you do, Christmas day is usually one of the cheapest days to fly. So if you’re looking after the budget in 2024, why not take advantage and go somewhere long haul, and warm, for a bargain price. 

There’s so much you can do with 20 days of annual leave. And of course budget comes into this too – if you can afford to do everything on this list then go for it! You’ll have such an epic year. 

However, even if you use this as a template to help take annual leave at opportune moments throughout the year to help you maximise time away from work, then that’s what it’s here for.

And of course, if you have more annual leave to play with, maybe you have 25 days annual leave, or even 30 days annual leave with bank holidays on top, then you don’t have to stick to working with the bank holidays so much. You can even go on a long haul holiday for a two week adventure.

Let me know how you plan to use and maximise your annual leave in 2024 – it’s never too early to start planning!