Carmen
Travel editor at Reisedrop · 2026-09-19
2027 is a year with two faces: some public holidays annoyingly fall on weekends – but May brings one of the best bridge-day streaks in years. Plan now, request the right four days of leave, and you can turn them into up to nine consecutive days off. Here is the planner for Germany and Austria, including the dates not worth your leave.
Easter in late March: the classic opener
Easter Sunday 2027 falls on 28 March. With Good Friday (26 March) and Easter Monday (29 March) you get the usual four days off in a row – take the four working days before or after and you're at ten. For travellers from Switzerland, the UK, Ireland or Canada who like to lock in spring plans early, this is the first really useful block of the year. Late March is ideal for a city break to Lisbon, Seville or Rome: usually mild enough for long days outside, but still before the busiest high-season rush.
May 2027 is pure gold: the best bridge-day run of the year
Ascension Day falls on Thursday 6 May – a single bridge day on Friday 7 May turns it into four days off. Just over a week later comes Whit Monday on 17 May, and in Austria and the Catholic German states Corpus Christi on Thursday 27 May adds another chance: one more bridge day, another four-day break. If you compare 2027 with many other years, this is the sweet spot. The dates line up unusually well, and that matters if you want a proper trip without burning through too many holiday days.
The smart move: 12 days away for 4 days of leave
The standout trick is the gap between Ascension and Whitsun. Request the four working days from 10 to 14 May; because Whit Monday on 17 May is a holiday, that gives you time off from 6 to 17 May almost continuously – twelve days for four days of leave. That is long enough for more than a city hop: think a proper road trip, a week on an island with travel days either side, or a multi-stop journey where you combine beach and city. For Swiss travellers especially, this can be one of the easiest windows to stretch a medium-haul holiday without needing a full two weeks of annual leave.
Who gets which opportunity?
Not every date works the same way everywhere, so it helps to separate the universally useful holidays from the regional ones. Germany and Austria share some obvious bridge-day favourites, while Corpus Christi and All Saints' Day depend on where you live or work. If you're booking flights from nearby airports across borders, the travel demand can still spill over: popular departure days around long weekends tend to fill faster even when the holiday is regional.
| Holiday window | Where it helps | Leave needed | Time off potential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easter: 26–29 March | Germany and Austria | 4 working days before or after | Up to 10 days off |
| Ascension: 6–9 May | Germany and Austria | 1 day | 4 days off |
| Ascension to Whitsun: 6–17 May | Germany and Austria | 4 days | 12 days off |
| Corpus Christi: 27–30 May | Austria and Catholic German states | 1 day | 4 days off |
| National Day + All Saints: late Oct/early Nov | Austria, partly Germany for All Saints' Day | 1 day for 26 October window | 4 days off, then another long weekend |
Autumn: Austria's Fenstertag moment
Austria's National Day 2027 falls on Tuesday 26 October – the Monday before is the perfect Fenstertag: one day of leave, four days off. Right after that comes All Saints' Day on Monday 1 November, a public holiday in Austria and five German states, which creates a long weekend with no bridge day at all. Put together, this is a very appealing late-autumn travel window. If you want warmth without going long-haul, the Canaries make sense; if you want a simple no-fuss break, a short cruise from Mallorca fits neatly into the calendar.
The 2027 dates you can skip
Not every public holiday deserves your annual leave. In 2027, 1 May falls on a Saturday and German Unity Day on 3 October falls on a Sunday, so both effectively disappear without replacement. Christmas is awkward as well: 25 December is a Saturday and 26 December a Sunday. That means the classic festive bridge-day strategy is much weaker than in other years. The useful bit at the end of the year is the stretch between Christmas and New Year: if you take 27 to 29 December off, you can extend through to New Year's Eve, which lands on a Friday. New Year's Day 2028 then falls on a Saturday again.
How to use these windows well
The main rule for 2027 is simple: protect your leave for May unless you already know you want an Easter or autumn trip. A one-day bridge can be perfect for a nearby break from Germany, Austria or Switzerland, while the 6 to 17 May run is strong enough for a proper holiday further afield. If you're flying from the UK, Ireland or Canada to meet family or friends in Europe, the same logic still applies: travel on the holiday itself can be easier than the obvious Friday departure, and flexible airport choices often help around these peak dates. The earlier you request leave, the more likely you are to get the exact bridge days that everyone else will want too.
FAQ
What is the best bridge-day period in 2027?
For Germany and Austria, the strongest stretch is in May. If you take leave from 10 to 14 May, you can combine Ascension Day and Whit Monday into almost continuous time off from 6 to 17 May – twelve days for four days of leave.
Is Easter 2027 still worth using for a longer holiday?
Yes. Good Friday on 26 March and Easter Monday on 29 March already give you four days in a row. Add the four working days before or after, and you reach ten days off, which works very well for a spring city break or an early sun trip.
Which 2027 public holidays are poor for bridge days?
The weak ones are the holidays that land on weekends: 1 May is a Saturday, German Unity Day on 3 October is a Sunday, and Christmas Day plus Boxing Day fall on Saturday and Sunday. Those dates are usually not the best use of your leave.
Does this planner apply equally across Germany and Austria?
Not completely. Easter, Ascension and Whit Monday are broadly useful, but Corpus Christi is only relevant in Austria and the Catholic German states. All Saints' Day on 1 November is also regional in Germany, while it is a public holiday in Austria.
Find the cheapest flight days in the schedule
Fancy exactly this? Zazou, our travel assistant, puts flights, hotels and a route together in seconds - and tells you honestly when it gets cheaper.
Plan this trip with Zazou