May half-term 2026–27: when it is, and who differs

The usual dates

Councils that break at a different time

A council marked off-peak is on holiday in a week when most of England is still in school. That is a legal, penalty-free, off-peak window if you live there.

The best-value week in the Mediterranean

• A bank holiday is attached, so this window buys more nights away per day of annual leave than any other week in the year.
• The eastern Mediterranean - Greece, Turkey, Cyprus - is warm enough to swim and still priced below peak. For most families this is the strongest week of the year on value.
• It is also, on average, the best-weather school holiday in the UK itself, which makes it the one where a domestic trip is least likely to disappoint.
• Long evenings: sunset is past 21:00 across England.

Guidance, not a price promise — this site holds no pricing or availability data.

Councils using the usual dates