How to Plan the Perfect Long Weekend: A Country-by-Country Guide to Maximizing Days Off
Nothing compares to a well-planned long weekend. Making a regular public holiday into a longer vacation is one of the best travel tips available, whether you're organizing a quick trip abroad, a family vacation, or a solo retreat. But what if you could schedule several long weekends in accordance with your nation's official days off and bank holidays, rather than just doing this once or twice a year? With the help of our expanding network of regional websites, we'll demonstrate in this guide how to make the most of your vacation time by utilizing national holiday calendars. You can travel more, get better sleep, and recharge frequently without using up all of your vacation days if you plan ahead a little.
What Makes a Perfect Long Weekend?
Three elements come together to make the perfect long weekend: Using paid leave sparingly Ideal holiday dates (Friday or Monday) Options for stress-free travel or staycations Holidays are purposefully planned by many governments worldwide to give citizens a run of consecutive days off. Others provide "substitute holidays" when a national holiday falls on a weekend or "bridge days," which are extra days off when a holiday falls in the middle of the week. Here's how you can use the data that we track across all of our platforms.
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Check if holidays fall near weekends
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Align one or two annual leave days for a 4–5 day trip
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Avoid holiday congestion at airports and transport hubs
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Jamhuri Day (Dec 12)
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Madaraka Day (June 1)
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Mashujaa Day (Oct 20)
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See how Carnaval creates a five-day break
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Plan trips around Tiradentes Day, Labor Day, or Republic Day
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View regional holidays to catch local festivals
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Weekend-adjusted observances
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National travel suggestions
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Cultural events during major holidays
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HR teams to help staff plan time off
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Travelers looking to escape city life
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Families scheduling school holidays
Example 1: Public Holidays in Nigeria
Holidays such as Eid al-Fitr, Good Friday, and Independence Day can create built-in long weekends. Since Nigeria often announces multi-day religious breaks, savvy locals and travelers use our site to:
Example 2: Public Holidays in Kenya
Kenya offers great long-weekend opportunities around:
Domestic tourism booms during these dates, and our site helps users plan early to avoid inflated prices.
Example 3: Public Holidays in Hungary
Hungary is famous for its “pihenőnap” system—government-designated bridge days. When a holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday, a nearby workday is sometimes moved or exchanged to create a long weekend.
For example: March 15 (National Day) or August 20 (St. Stephen’s Day) often create natural four-day breaks.
Example 4: Public Holidays in Brazil
Brazil is packed with opportunities for long weekends, thanks to dozens of national and state-level feriados (holidays). With our platform, travelers can:
Example 5: Public Holidays in Tanzania
Major holidays like Union Day, Independence Day, and Eid al-Adha offer great opportunities for weekend getaways. Our site highlights:
Example 6: Public Holidays in Serbia
Serbia’s Statehood Day (Feb 15–16) often creates a perfect four-day window. Add in Labor Day, Christmas (Orthodox), and New Year, and you have excellent opportunities to travel or rest.
Example 7: Public Holidays in Albania
National holidays like Independence Day (Nov 28) and Liberation Day (Nov 29) often fall together—giving you a guaranteed long break. Add in Easter Monday or Bajram, and the potential for 4–5 day vacations is high.
Example 8: Public Holidays in Uganda
Martyrs’ Day (June 3) and Independence Day (Oct 9) are ideal for creating staycations or short domestic trips. Our site is used by:
Example 9: Public Holidays in Zimbabwe
Heroes Day and Defence Forces Day come back-to-back in August, forming an automatic long weekend—perfect for visiting nature reserves, Victoria Falls, or attending cultural events.
How to Make Better Plans:
A Short Checklist Start with a calendar: Use our websites to mark official holidays. Identify weekend overlaps: Draw attention to holidays that fall on either Friday or Monday. When feasible, bridge: To extend a break, use a single vacation day. Make reservations in advance because lodging and transportation costs increase close to public holidays. Recognize the local rhythm: Certain nations, such as Brazil or Hungary, have special systems for arranging workdays around holidays.