Do you dream of globetrotting but feel limited by your annual leave – and budget?
You may be surprised to learn that it’s possible to visit 30 destinations across seven countries in 55 days – using just 25 days of annual leave. And the total cost for travel? Under £1,400.
The itinerary has been dreamt up by flight-deal subscription service Jack’s Flight Club, which divides it into five separate 2024 holidays, spanning key dates that take advantage of UK bank holidays, from Easter to May Bank Holiday and Christmas.
It also combines flight deals and Trainline prices to create a trip with a starting price for travel of £1,358. This includes return flights to various European locations and New York, as well as all internal train fares to each destination.
Here is how it works…
EASTER – 16 DAYS OF EUROPEAN ADVENTURING
This 16-day break uses just eight days of annual leave and covers 11 cities – including Amsterdam, pictured – across four countries
| Date | Location | Travel details | Train price | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 23 | Cologne, Germany | Fly from London Stansted to Cologne Bonn | ||
| March 24 | Dusseldorf, Germany | Early train to Dusseldorf | From £9 | 25m |
| March 25 | Dortmund, Germany | Early train to Dortmund | From £19 | 1h10m |
| March 26 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Midday train to Amsterdam | From £18 | 3h45m |
| March 27 | Amsterdam | |||
| March 28 | Utrecht, Netherlands | Early train to Utrecht | From £9 | 26m |
| March 29 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Early train to Rotterdam | From £12 | 37m |
| March 30 | Antwerp, Belgium | Early train to Antwerp | From £14 | 1h5m |
| March 31 | Brussels, Belgium | Early train to Brussels | From £10 | 52m |
| April 1 | Brussels | |||
| April 2 | Luxembourg, Luxembourg | Midday train to Luxembourg | From £23 | 3h17m |
| April 3 | Luxembourg | |||
| April 4 | Frankfurt, Germany | Mid-morning train to Frankfurt | From £28 | 4h15m |
| April 5 | Frankfurt | |||
| April 6 | Bonn, Germany | Early train to Bonn | From £20 | 1h24m |
| April 7 | Cologne / London | Early train to Cologne. Return flight to London Stansted | From £9 | 1h7m |
This 16-day break uses just eight days of annual leave and covers 11 cities across four countries from March 23 to April 7.
Fly from London Stansted to Cologne, Germany, and then take the train to Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Luxembourg, Frankfurt and Bonn, before ending back in Cologne for your return flight.
Airfares start from £30 return for a 1h15m flight with Ryanair, according to Jack’s Flight Club.
Annual leave dates to book: March 25, 26, 27, 28 and April 2, 3, 4, 5.
Overall travel cost: From £201 per person.
USA TRIP FOR EARLY MAY BANK HOLIDAY
Book a return flight from London Gatwick to JFK Airport and explore New York City (pictured). Then hop on a train to explore Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C
| Date | Location in U.S | Travel details | Train price | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4 | New York City | Fly from London Gatwick to JFK International | ||
| May 5 | New York City | |||
| May 6 | Philadelphia | Early direct train to Philadelphia | From £8 | 1h25m |
| May 7 | Philadelphia | |||
| May 8 | Baltimore | Early direct train to Baltimore | From £4 | 1h17m |
| May 9 | Baltimore | |||
| May 10 | Washington D.C | Early direct train to Washington D.C | From £4 | 40m |
| May 11 | New York City | Early direct train to New York | From £26 | 3h20m |
| May 12 | New York City / London | Return flight to London Gatwick |
Use just four days of annual leave for a nine-day trip in the U.S from May 4 to 12.
Book a return flight from London Gatwick to JFK Airport and explore New York City. Then hop on a train to explore Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C before returning to the Big Apple for your flight home.
Airfares start from £400 return for an eight-hour flight with Virgin Atlantic or British Airways, according to Jack’s Flight Club.
Annual leave dates to book: May 7, 8, 9, 10.
Overall travel cost: From £442 per person.
SPRING BANK HOLIDAY IN ITALY
Go on a mesmerising interrailing journey through the beautiful Italian countryside, stopping at the cities of Venice (pictured), Bologna, Florence, Pisa and Milan
| Date | Location in Italy | Travel details | Train price | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | Milan | Fly from Manchester to Milan Malpensa | ||
| May 26 | Milan | |||
| May 27 | Venice | Midday direct train to Venice | From £40 | 3h5m |
| May 28 | Venice | |||
| May 29 | Bologna | Early train to Bologna | From £27 | 2h5m |
| May 30 | Florence | Train to Florence | From £10 | 37m |
| May 31 | Florence | Early train to Pisa | From £9 | 54m |
| June 1 | Pisa | Early train to Milan | From £17 | 54m |
| June 2 | Milan / London | Return flight to London Gatwick / Stansted |
Enjoy a nine-day break using just four days of annual leave, exploring five cities across Italy from May 25 to June 2.
Fly from Manchester to Milan Malpensa and then embark on an interrailing odyssey through the beautiful Italian countryside, stopping at the cities of Venice, Bologna, Florence, Pisa and Milan.
Flights start from £200 return for a two-hour flight with Ryanair, according to Jack’s Flight Club.
Annual leave dates to book: May 28, 29, 30, 31.
Overall travel cost: From £303 per person.
AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA AND IN MONACO
This nine-day break uses four days of annual leave and covers four cities in the south of France, plus Monaco (pictured)
| Date | Location in France | Travel details | Train price | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24 | Marseilles | Fly from London Gatwick / Stansted to Marseilles | ||
| Aug 25 | Toulon | Early train to Toulon | From £13 | 43m |
| Aug 26 | Cannes | Early train to Cannes | From £23 | 1h13m |
| Aug 27 | Nice | Early train to Nice | From £8 | 36m |
| Aug 28 | Monaco | Midday train to Monaco | From £5 | 21m |
| Aug 29 | Monaco | |||
| Aug 30 | Marseilles | Early train to Marseille | From £38 | 3h15m |
| Sept 1 | Marseilles / London | Return flight to London Gatwick / Stansted |
This nine-day break uses four days of annual leave and covers four cities in the south of France, plus Monaco, from August 24 to September 1.
Fly from London Gatwick or Stansted to Marseille, and then take the train to Toulon, Cannes, Nice and Monaco before ending back in Marseille for your return flight.
Flights start from £130 return for a one-hour 55-minute flight with Ryanair, according to Jack’s Flight Club.
Annual leave dates to book: August 27, 28, 29, 30.
Overall travel cost: From £217 per person.
CHRISTMAS – FESTIVE FUN IN SWITZERLAND
Jet off to Geneva and explore Switzerland by rail, stopping at Lausanne, Fribourg, Bern (pictured), and Neuchatel
| Date | Location in Switzerland | Travel details | Train price | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 21 | Geneva / Lausanne | Fly from the UK* to Geneva, then catch a train to Lausanne | From £7 | 35m |
| Dec 22 | Lausanne | |||
| Dec 23 | Fribourg | Midday train to Fribourg | From £14 | 44m |
| Dec 24 | Fribourg | |||
| Dec 25 | Fribourg | |||
| Dec 26 | Bern | Train to Bern | From £8 | 22m |
| Dec 27 | Bern | |||
| Dec 28 | Neuchatel | Train to Neuchatel | From £13 | 34m |
| Dec 29 | Neuchatel | |||
| Dec 30 | Geneva | Early train to Geneva | From £13 | 1h13m |
| Dec 31 | Geneva | |||
| Jan 1 (**or Jan 2) | Geneva / London | Return flight to the UK* | ||
| *London Gatwick / London Stansted / Glasgow / Edinburgh **January 2 is a public holiday in Scotland |
||||
Use five days of annual leave for this 12-day festive break in Switzerland from December 21 to January 1 – or January 2 for Scots making it 13 days.
Book a return flight from the UK (London Gatwick, London Stansted, Glasgow or Edinburgh) to Geneva and then explore the country by rail, stopping at Lausanne, Fribourg, Bern, and Neuchatel before returning to Geneva.
Flights start from £140 return with British Airways, KLM or Jet2, and take two to four hours, depending on your airport and airline of choice.
Annual leave dates to book: December 23, 24, 27, 30, 31.
Overall travel cost: From £195 per person.
| Dates | No. of days | Annual leave days | Dates to take off work | Number of cities | Cities visited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23 to Apr 7 | 16 | 8 | Mar 25 to 28 and Apr 2 to 5 | 11 | Cologne, Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Luxembourg, Frankfurt |
| May 4 to 12 | 9 | 4 | May 7 to 10 | 4 | New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington |
| May 25 to June 2 | 9 | 4 | May 28 to 31 | 5 | Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Pisa |
| Aug 24 to Sept 1 | 9 | 4 | Aug 27 to 30 | 5 | Marseille, Toulon, Cannes, Nice, Monaco |
| Dec 21 to Jan 1 (or Jan 2*) | 12 or 13 | 5 | Dec 23, 24, 27, 30, 31 | 5 | Geneva, Lausanne, Fribourg, Bern, Neuchatel |
| TOTAL | 55 or 56* | 25 days | 30 cities | ||
| *Those in Scotland get an additional day off with this hack as January 2 is a bank holiday | |||||
Katy Maclure, editor of The Detour weekly newsletter by Jack’s Flight Club, said: ‘Many people tend to feel restricted by the amount of time they are able to take off from work.
‘Choosing the right days to book off on annual leave can feel stressful to some, with people putting pressure on themselves to make the most of their time off.
‘We understand the value of a good holiday and believe everyone should have the opportunity to travel more during their precious annual leave.’
For more information, visit Jack’s Flight Club.
