New year, new adventures! As 2025 winds down, your mind is likely already drifting to what next year has in store, whether it’s a long-awaited trip overseas, road tripping around the state or simply relaxing at home.
Because we all know how valuable our PTO is — and we certainly can take all the time off we can get — there’s a way to squeeze every last drop of value out of your paid leave by strategically planning around federal holidays and long weekends. Here’s how to do exactly that!
The best days to take off in 2026 for maximum PTO
It’s no secret that we’re all looking to maximize our down time. However, because office competition for holiday weekends can be
the trick is to book these specific dates before your colleagues do:
- January 2, 2026: Pair this with New Year’s Day and the following weekend for 4 days off.
- January 20, 2026: Combine this with MLK Jr. Day and the preceding weekend for 4 days off.
- February 13 or 17, 2026: Use Presidents’ Day weekend for a 4-day break.
- May 26, 2026: Ride the Memorial Day wave for 4 consecutive days off.
- June 22, 2026: Follow the Juneteenth holiday weekend for 4 days off.
- July 3 or 6, 2026: Sandwich Independence Day with the weekend for a 4-day break.
- September 8, 2026: Have Labor Day secure a 4-day weekend.
- October 9 or 13, 2026: Make Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend a 4-day break.
- November 9 and 10, 2026: Take two days around Veterans Day for a massive 5-day stretch.
- November 27, 2026: Pair this with Thanksgiving and the weekend for 4 days off.
- December 24, 2026: Use Christmas Eve to bridge into Christmas Day and the weekend for 4 days off.
Perfect plans for long weekends around Miami
If you follow this guide and land those long weekends but don’t know where to go, here are just a few ideas: