SOURCE:    Vacation Tracker
TITLE:     Maximize PTO 2027: Free PTO Planner for the Best Days Off
URL:       https://vacationtracker.io/tools/pto-planner/
LANG:      en
PUBLISHED: 2026-10-23
UPDATED:   2026-10-23
SUMMARY:   Free PTO planner for 2027: pick your country and PTO days, get the best days to take off, see which weeks everyone wants and export it to your calendar.

# Maximize Your PTO in 2027

Pick your country, enter your PTO days, and get the best days to take off in 2027, plus which weeks everyone else wants too.

Free · No sign-up · Updated for 2027

## Best days to take off in 2027

Public holidays vary by state, province and region, so your best dates may differ slightly. Generally, these are the best days to take PTO in 2027.

### United States

With 13 PTO days and the US's public holidays, these breaks give you 55 days off in 2027.

| Break | Take off | PTO days | Days off |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's break (Fri Jan 1 – Sun Jan 3) | No PTO needed | 0 | 3 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. break (Sat Jan 16 – Mon Jan 18) | No PTO needed | 0 | 3 |
| Washington's Birthday break (Sat Feb 13 – Mon Feb 15) | No PTO needed | 0 | 3 |
| Memorial break (Sat May 29 – Mon May 31) | No PTO needed | 0 | 3 |
| Juneteenth break (Fri Jun 18 – Sun Jun 20) | No PTO needed | 0 | 3 |
| Independence break (Sat Jul 3 – Mon Jul 5) | No PTO needed | 0 | 3 |
| Labor break (Sat Sep 4 – Mon Sep 6) | No PTO needed | 0 | 3 |
| Columbus break (Sat Oct 9 – Mon Oct 11) | No PTO needed | 0 | 3 |
| Veterans break (Sat Nov 6 – Sun Nov 14) | Mon Nov 8 – Wed Nov 10, Fri Nov 12 | 4 | 9 |
| Thanksgiving break (Sat Nov 20 – Sun Nov 28) | Mon Nov 22 – Wed Nov 24, Fri Nov 26 | 4 | 9 |
| Christmas break (Sat Dec 18 – Sun Dec 26) | Mon Dec 20 – Thu Dec 23 | 4 | 9 |
| New Year's Day 2028 break (Thu Dec 30 – Sun Jan 2) | Thu Dec 30 | 1 | 4 |

### Canada

With 15 PTO days and Canada's national public holidays, these breaks give you 35 days off in 2027.

| Break | Take off | PTO days | Days off |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's break (Fri Jan 1 – Sun Jan 3) | No PTO needed | 0 | 3 |
| Good Friday break (Sat Mar 20 – Sun Mar 28) | Mon Mar 22 – Thu Mar 25 | 4 | 9 |
| Canada break (Sat Jun 26 – Sun Jul 4) | Mon Jun 28 – Wed Jun 30, Fri Jul 2 | 4 | 9 |
| Labour break (Fri Sep 3 – Mon Sep 6) | Fri Sep 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Christmas break (Fri Dec 17 – Sun Dec 26) | Fri Dec 17, Mon Dec 20 – Fri Dec 24 | 6 | 10 |

### United Kingdom

With 25 PTO days and the UK's national public holidays, these breaks give you 54 days off in 2027.

| Break | Take off | PTO days | Days off |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's break (Fri Jan 1 – Sun Jan 10) | Mon Jan 4 – Fri Jan 8 | 5 | 10 |
| Quiet week in January (Thu Jan 14 – Sun Jan 17) | Thu Jan 14 – Fri Jan 15 | 2 | 4 |
| Good Friday + more break (Sat Mar 20 – Mon Mar 29) | Mon Mar 22 – Thu Mar 25 | 4 | 10 |
| Early May break (Sat Apr 24 – Mon May 3) | Mon Apr 26 – Fri Apr 30 | 5 | 10 |
| Spring break (Sat May 22 – Mon May 31) | Mon May 24 – Fri May 28 | 5 | 10 |
| Christmas + more break (Fri Dec 24 – Sun Jan 2) | Fri Dec 24, Wed Dec 29 – Fri Dec 31 | 4 | 10 |

Want the full plan by country? Read our guide to the best days to take off in 2027.

## How the PTO planner works

1. **Pick your country and state.** We load the 2027 public holidays for where you work.
2. **Enter your PTO days.** We start with the typical allowance in your country, so change it to your own number.
3. **Get your plan.** The planner bridges holidays and weekends into the longest breaks for the days you have, then you can export them to your calendar.

## Tips to get your PTO approved

- **Ask early for the busiest weeks.** Christmas week had 2.7 times an average week's time off in the US in our data. US employees typically booked time off 14 days ahead, so ask earlier for peak weeks.
- **Check the team calendar first.** If two colleagues are already off, ask about a different week before you send the request.
- **Use quiet weeks for flexible time.** Late January and February were among the quietest weeks in the US, Canada and the UK in our data, so they're good weeks if your dates are flexible.

## Frequently asked questions

### What are the best days to take off in 2027?

In the US, the best value is around Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Four PTO days around each gives you nine days off. With 13 PTO days and all federal holidays, the planner finds 55 days off in 2027. Pick your country above for your own plan.


### How does the PTO planner work?

It loads the 2027 public holidays for your country and state, then fills the gaps between holidays and weekends with the PTO days you have. It picks the combination that gives the most days off in total, in the break style you choose.


### Is the PTO planner free?

Yes. There's no sign-up and no email, and the calendar export is free too. You can download every break as an .ics file for Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar.


### Where do the holiday dates come from?

From public holiday data, the same data as our multi-location holiday calendar. We checked the main countries against official 2027 calendars. Your employer may not give every public holiday, so untick any it doesn't.


### What does "How busy is this week?" mean?

It compares how much time off teams using Vacation Tracker booked in a week with an average week, from November 2024 to September 2026. It's available for 35 countries. It shows past patterns, not a forecast.


### Can I add a company shutdown or days I've already booked?

Yes. Open Fine-tune to add company days off, which don't cost PTO, and days you've already booked, which come off your balance. The plan updates instantly.


### Does it work outside the US?

Yes. It covers 107 countries, with states, provinces and regions where public holidays differ.


Weekends are Saturday and Sunday. Holiday dates from public data; check your employer's holiday calendar.
Busy-week data: Vacation Tracker Leave Trends report.