In recent years a favourite activity is to jet off on short city breaks to destinations in Europe, with the increase in budget airlines and a whole host of new destinations only a few hours flying time away, there is no shortage of places to go. The bank holidays are also used to enjoy a variety of breaks in the UK including 'staycations', this can help cut journey times when time is at a premium and help reduce travellers’ carbon footprint. The expected UK Bank Holiday dates for 2016 & 2017 are shown below:
Bank Holiday Dates
England & Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland
England & Wales Bank Holidays 2016 & 2017
| England & Wales | 2016 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January (Fri) | 2 January (Mon) |
| Good Friday | 25 March (Fri) | 14 April (Fri) | Easter Monday | 28 March (Mon) | 17 April (Mon) | Early May Bank Holiday | 2 May (Mon) | 1 May (Mon) | Spring Bank Holiday | 30 May (Mon) | 29 May (Mon) | Summer Bank Holiday | 29 August (Mon) | 28 August (Mon) | Christmas Day | 27 December (Tues) | 25 December (Mon) | Boxing Day | 26 December (Mon) | 26 December (Tues) |
Scotland Bank Holidays 2016 & 2017
| Scotland | 2016 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January (Fri) | 2 January (Mon) | New Year | 4 January (Mon) | 3 January (Tues) |
| Good Friday | 25 March (Fri) | 14 April (Fri) | Early May Bank Holiday | 2 May (Mon) | 1 May (Mon) | Spring Bank Holiday | 30 May (Mon) | 29 May (Mon) | Summer Bank Holiday | 1 August (Mon) | 7 August (Mon) | St Andrew's Day | 30 November (Wed) | 30 November (Thurs) | Christmas Day | 27 December (Tues) | 25 December (Mon) | Boxing Day | 26 December (Mon) | 26 December (Tues) |
Northern Ireland Bank Holidays 2016 & 2017
| Northern Ireland | 2016 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January (Fri) | 2 January (Mon) | St Patrick's Day | 17 March (Thur) | 17 March (Fri) |
| Good Friday | 25 March (Fri) | 14 April (Fri) | Easter Monday | 28 March (Mon) | 17 April (Mon) | Early May Bank Holiday | 2 May (Mon) | 1 May (Mon) | Spring Bank Holiday | 30 May (Mon) | 29 May (Mon) | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) |
12 July (Tue) | 12 July (Wed) | Summer Bank Holiday | 29 August (Mon) | 28 August (Mon) | Christmas Day | 27 December (Tues) | 25 December (Mon) | Boxing Day | 26 December (Mon) | 26 December (Tues) |
Currently both England & Wales observe the same bank holidays, whilst both Scotland and Northern Ireland have some different days and dates although the majority of the bank and public holidays are similar to that of England & Wales. Some tourist attractions, shops, restaurants and other travel and holiday services may have different or shortened opening hours or may be closed, it is advisable to check before you set off on your journey.
The bank holiday dates are an extremely busy time for the transport network throughout the UK and travellers are well advised to check their travel plans and itinerates to help avoid getting caught up in possible delays. The transport system may have engineering works or reduced services during bank and public holidays.
There have been calls from some organisations such as the trade unions to increase the number of bank holidays in the UK to bring the UK closer in line with the European Union average. England & Wales currently have 8 regular bank holidays the fewest in the UK, followed by Scotland with 9 and Northern Ireland with 10. The European Union average is approx 11 to 12 therefore currently none of the countries in the UK meets the EU average.
Supporters of the increase point to the increased productivity of workers that take regular breaks and note that workers in the UK are already working on average longer hours than the EU average. Extra bank holidays have been argued would be good for the holiday, travel and leisure sectors of the economy and good for family life. Those against advocating extra bank holidays point to lost business and productivity of days lost to bank holidays among other concerns.
Disclaimer: The information given in on this website is given in good faith and to the best of our knowledge. If there are any discrepancies in no way do we intend to mislead. Important travel details and arrangements should be confirmed and verified with the relevant authorities.
