Fancy doubling your holidays next year? Here’s how

Would you like to double or even triple the blocks of time you have off next year? Of course you would, who wouldn’t? Well, if you use all of 2017’s bank holidays wisely you could do just that.

The key to more extended breaks is bridging.

Take Easter for example. Good Friday and Easter Monday will give many people a four-day weekend but the smart person who opts to take four days leave ahead of Good Friday and four days leave after the bank holiday Monday will give themselves a 16-day stretch away from work while only using eight days annual leave.

But Easter is not the only time to be focusing on. There are seven chances to do this over the course of next year all of which have been laid out in a helpful infographic from the folk at holidayguru.ie.

Before Easter there is St Patrick’s Day. Next year it falls on a Friday so anyone who takes the four days before that as annual leave will be able to have a nine day break - once the weekends at either end are included.

A further nine days off - using only four days leave on each occasion will be available in May, June, August and October.

And then comes Christmas. In 2017, the big day falls on a Monday which means both it and the next day are public holidays. A person who takes three days off on the 27th,28th and 29th will get themselves a block of 10 days off while using just three days of annual leave.

When all this time is added together, a person taking 27 days leave will get themselves 71 days off split into five different blocks.

“We examined the tourism culture and practices of people in certain European countries and discovered that the so-called ‘bridging days’ were an important factor which influenced when people in these countries travelled,” said Martin McKenna, the head of holidayguru.ie.

“We then applied this to the Irish calendar year and saw that there were many opportunities to do something similar, which is why we decided to bring this to the attention of the public. Sitting down and planning ahead can really make a difference.”

It should be pointed out, however, that if everyone employed this tactic then all business would grind to a halt and employers do have the right to turn down holiday applications if too many people want the same time off.

But if you get in there ahead of the posse, you’ll be the one laughing come the end of next year.

You’re welcome.