The Cheapest Bank Holiday to Fly in 2027 (and the Ones to Book Early)
Not every long weekend costs the same to fly. Here's how the bank holidays rank, from quiet bargains to school-holiday splurges.
Every bank holiday weekend, half the country has the same idea at the same time: get out. Airlines know this, and the fares know it too. But not every long weekend is equal. Some are quiet, cheap and quietly brilliant for a city break. Others coincide with the school holidays and will cost you the price of a small car.
Fares change by the hour, so this isn’t a price list. It’s based on what reliably pushes prices up: school holidays, the summer peak, Christmas, and a bank holiday that lands on the same weekend as one in the UK, so twice as many people are chasing the same seats. This year’s ranking and dates are in the panel; the advice holds every year.
The bargains: St Brigid’s Day and St Patrick’s Day
St Brigid’s Day, Ireland’s newest bank holiday, falls at the start of February, one of the quietest times of the year to fly. Christmas is paid off (just about), the schools are in, and nobody else in Europe has a holiday that weekend. That’s exactly why it’s good value. Go somewhere that’s great in winter, like Kraków for hearty food and cosy bars, Edinburgh for a short hop, or Seville if you want oranges on the trees and a coat you can leave open.
St Patrick’s Day is fixed on 17 March, so the weekday changes every year. When it falls midweek, it’s handy for your wallet: no Friday-evening scramble, and a good chunk of the country is at a parade rather than at the airport. Take a couple of days of leave around it and fly on quieter days in both directions. Bonus points for being somewhere else entirely when the rest of the world is wearing green.
The middle: May and June
May and June are where the sun starts to justify the trip. Lisbon, Porto and Seville are warm without being exhausting, and the days are long. Fares are fair if you book early, but the May weekend is usually shared with the UK’s early May bank holiday, so popular routes fill up. Book flights before Christmas if you can, and you’ll usually get a better price than in March.
The pricey ones: Easter, August and October
These three line up with school holidays, so you’re competing with families who have no choice about when they travel. Easter moves every year and runs into the Easter school break. August is peak summer anywhere you’d want to go. And the October bank holiday is usually the start of the Halloween mid-term, which turns a normal long weekend into a family exodus.
If you have to travel on one of these, three things help: book as early as you can, fly out on the Saturday morning rather than the Friday evening, and come home on the Tuesday instead of the bank holiday Monday evening, when it feels like the entire country is queuing at Dublin Airport.
The priciest: Christmas and New Year
Christmas is in a league of its own. Flights home are busy, and flights away are busy too, especially in years when Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day fall on or near a weekend and lots of people get a long break. If you’re planning a Christmas market trip or a winter sun escape, book early and be flexible on dates. Leaving on 27 or 28 December is often easier than squeezing in before the 24th.
How to pay less on any bank holiday
- Shift by a day. Saturday morning out and Tuesday back is often cheaper than Friday to Monday, and the airport is calmer.
- Check every airport. Cork, Shannon, Knock and Belfast sometimes have better prices or times than Dublin for the same city.
- Travel light. On a three or four-night trip, hand luggage only saves a lot, both ways.
- Set a fare alert as soon as you know your dates. Cheap seats on bank holiday weekends tend to go first.
- Book the leave before the flight. There’s no bargain in a non-refundable ticket for a day your manager won’t give you.
Search fares for your weekend
Pick your airport and dates to see live prices. Our flights page has more routes and tips.
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Popular long-weekend routes
DUB → Copenhagen→DUB → Kraków→DUB → Seville→DUB → Porto→DUB → Edinburgh→DUB → Lisbon→DUB → Valencia→DUB → Málaga→DUB → Berlin→DUB → Budapest→DUB → Prague→DUB → Rome→DUB → Barcelona→DUB → Paris→DUB → Amsterdam→DUB → London→How to find a good fare for a long weekend
- Search as early as possible for bank holiday weekends, as prices on Thursday and Friday evening departures rise fastest.
- Try flying out on the Saturday morning and back on the Monday evening of the bank holiday.
- Compare Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Knock, and Belfast for some routes.
- Check the baggage allowance before you compare prices.
Long weekends from DUB
- Copenhagen · About 2 hours
- Kraków · About 2 hours 40 minutes
- Seville · About 2 hours 45 minutes
- Porto · About 2 hours 20 minutes
- Edinburgh · About 1 hour 10 minutes
- Lisbon · About 2 hours 45 minutes
- Valencia · About 2 hours 30 minutes
- Málaga · About 2 hours 50 minutes
- Berlin · About 2 hours
- Budapest · About 3 hours
- Prague · About 2 hours 30 minutes
- Rome · About 3 hours
- Barcelona · About 2 hours 30 minutes
- Paris · About 1 hour 45 minutes
- Amsterdam · About 1 hour 30 minutes
- London · About 1 hour 15 minutes
Questions
Do you sell flights?
No. The search compares airlines and travel agents; you book directly with them.
Why do prices change?
Fares move with demand. Bank holiday weekends fill quickly, so book early.
Not sure which weekend suits your leave? Our annual leave hacks show how to stretch your days off around the bank holidays, and the annual leave planner will do the maths for you.
2027 at a glance
This year’s bank holidays, from cheapest to priciest to fly. We update this panel every year.
| Bank holiday | Fares |
|---|---|
| St Brigid’s Day Mon 1 Feb | Low |
| St Patrick’s Day Wed 17 Mar | Low to medium |
| May bank holiday Mon 3 May | Medium |
| June bank holiday Mon 7 June | Medium |
| October bank holiday Mon 25 Oct | Medium to high |
| Easter Monday Mon 29 Mar | High |
| August bank holiday Mon 2 Aug | High |
| Christmas and New Year Sat 25 Dec to Mon 3 Jan | Highest |
Notes for 2027
St Patrick’s Day is a Wednesday. Take Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 March off for five days away with two days of leave, flying on quieter days.
Easter is early, with Easter Monday on 29 March, just after St Patrick’s week.
Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day fall on a weekend, and New Year’s Day 2028 is a Saturday, so expect lots of people to travel over the break. Book early.
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Advertise HereFrequently asked questions
Which bank holiday is cheapest to fly in 2027?
St Brigid’s Day on Monday 1 February is likely to be the best value: it’s in a quiet month with no school break and no UK bank holiday the same weekend. St Patrick’s Day on Wednesday 17 March is a close second if you fly midweek.
Which bank holiday is the most expensive to fly?
Christmas and New Year, followed by Easter, August and October, which all line up with school holidays.
Is it cheaper to fly on the bank holiday Monday?
Flying home on the Monday evening is usually busy and dear. Coming back on the Tuesday is often cheaper and calmer, if you can take the extra day.
How far ahead should I book a bank holiday flight?
For Easter, August, October and Christmas, as early as you can. For quieter weekends like St Brigid’s Day there’s less rush, but setting a fare alert early still helps.
Plan the rest: Every Irish bank holiday City breaks from Ireland Annual leave planner