As the summer holidays heat up, millions of Brits preparing for last-minute getaways abroad are warned to plan ahead and request time off urgently – as the most in-demand week to book off has been revealed.
By anaylsing data of more than 230,000 annual leave requests for summer 2025, a new study has found which dates during the school summer holidays are most sought after.
The most popular week to book off in summer 2025 is the week commencing 4 August, with 17.51 per cent of annual leave requests submitted during this time.
With this in mind, airports, roads, train stations and other transport hubs are expected to see increased passenger footfall throughout this period, so it’s crucial travellers allow plenty of time to get to their destinations.
The second most popular August date for holidays is the week commencing 18 August, with 16.72 per cent of annual leave requests submitted.
Following in third place is the week commencing 28 July, and in fourth place, the week commencing 11 August, with 16.55 per cent and 16.53 requests of annual leave put forward respectively.
The sixth most popular date is the week commencing 21 July, with 16.37 per cent of annual leave requests submitted.
Finally, the data also highlighted that the final week of the school holidays – the week commencing 25 August – is the least in demand, with 16.31 per cent requests submitted.
A new study has revealed which dates during the school summer holidays are most sought after
It found the most popular week to book off in summer 2025 is the week commencing 4 August, with 17.51 per cent of annual leave requests submitted during this time
Holidaymakers are urged to book a last-minute trip around this date as requests are more likely to be approved.
To avoid disappointment, Joel Beverley, co-founder at RotaCloud, who conducted the research, urges travellers to book time off for any upcoming summer holidays as soon as possible – if they’ve not already done so.
He said: ‘Our data shows that many people do plan ahead, booking in their summer annual leave many months in advance. But if you’re still considering a break during the school holidays, now is the time to act!’
James Lintern, co-founder at Rota Cloud, added: ‘The most common reason for rejected requests is clashes with colleagues that would leave your employer short-staffed, so it is worth getting your annual leave requests in as soon as possible in future.’
