Employees in Germany have an average of 28.3 vacation days per year. But if you're smart about it, you can take up to 63 days off a year if you plan your vacation a little ahead.This is possible by combining vacation days with public holidays. Employees in Bavaria are particularly lucky - there are 13 extra public holidays in addition to the vacation days. But planning is also worthwhile for everyone else:

New Year's Day

The first public holiday of the year on January 1 falls on a Saturday of all days. If you still want to take it easy in the new year, you can take a total of nine days off with four vacation days.However, this is only possible in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt, where the Three Kings holiday falls on January 6. Those who still have vacation days in these states at the turn of the year can even take 16 days off: from December 25 to January 9, 2022.

Easter

A relaxing short vacation at Easter is good for you - at least for those who don't mind school vacations. Good Friday falls this year on April 15, Easter Monday on April 18. If you plan well in advance, you can take a total of 16 days off with just eight vacation days.This is possible if employees take four vacation days each before Good Friday and after Easter Monday. If you don't want to invest eight vacation days so early in the year, you can organize a total of ten days off at a stretch by taking four vacation days after Easter Monday.

Ascension and Whitsun

May 1 falls on a Sunday - but at the end of the month, with a few cleverly placed vacation days, almost a week and a half of free time can be achieved. Ascension Day falls on May 26, a Thursday. With four vacation days in the corresponding week, a total of nine free days can be achieved.

Whit Monday falls this year on June 6. Here, too, a total of nine days off can be achieved with just four vacation days. In Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, June 16 is also a public holiday - Corpus Christi. So if you use the week after Whit Monday in these states and also invest four vacation days in the week of June 13, you will have a proud 16 days of vacation ahead of you.

German Unity Day and Christmas

A public holiday in October also offers employees the chance to make more of their vacation days. German Unity Day on October 3 falls on a Monday in 2022.Here, too, this means: If you take the rest of the week off, you can go on vacation for a total of nine days with just four vacation days.Nine days of vacation with only four vacation days will then only be available again at the end of the year. The second Christmas holiday on December 26 falls on a Monday in 2022. If you take the rest of the week off, you can extend the Christmas spirit a little longer and take a total of nine days off - and start the year 2023 refreshed.

Image by Joshua Woroniecki