Holiday countdown: how many days until your holiday?
Set the day you fly, sail, or set off and get a live holiday countdown clock that ticks down every second. Pick your own colours and title, then share the link with whoever you're going with. It runs in your browser, so there's nothing to download.
Holiday Countdown
Holiday countdown templates
Beach, city break, or a week closer to home — pick a style and jump straight into personalising it. Every template comes with its colours, font, and title filled in.
Beach Holiday
Sea blues and warm sand for a week in the sun.
City Break
Bold contrast for a long weekend away.
All-Inclusive
Tropical brights for the pool, the buffet, and nothing else.
Staycation
Coastal greens for a holiday closer to home.
Family Holiday
Warm and friendly for the whole family, kids included.
Set the day you go
Pick the date you fly, sail, or set off. Add a time if you want to count to the minute the flight leaves.
Make it yours
Choose the colours, font, and title — the destination works well — so it looks like your holiday.
Share it with everyone going
Drop the link in the family WhatsApp group, a text, or an email. Nobody needs an app to open it.
A free holiday countdown timer for everyone going
There's no app to install, no account, and no trial that runs out the week before you fly. You set the date once, the countdown lives at its own link, and sending that link is the whole setup. Mum, the kids, and the friends you're meeting out there all see the same holiday countdown clock, counting down in their own time zone.
It works on any phone, tablet, or laptop, including a work computer where you can't install anything. Want it parked in the corner of your screen like a widget? The tips on our vacation countdown page work the same way here.
Countdown to the next bank holiday
A long weekend is a holiday too. These are the bank holidays in England and Wales — pick a date to start a countdown to it. Book a few days of annual leave next to one and a short break gets a lot longer.
| Bank holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thu 1 Jan | Fri 1 Jan |
| Good Friday | Fri 3 Apr | Fri 26 Mar |
| Easter Monday | Mon 6 Apr | Mon 29 Mar |
| Early May bank holiday | Mon 4 May | Mon 3 May |
| Spring bank holiday | Mon 25 May | Mon 31 May |
| Summer bank holiday | Mon 31 Aug | Mon 30 Aug |
| Christmas Day | Fri 25 Dec | Mon 27 Decsubstitute day |
| Boxing Day | Mon 28 Decsubstitute day | Tue 28 Decsubstitute day |
Scotland also has 2 January and St Andrew's Day, has no Easter Monday, and takes its summer bank holiday on the first Monday in August. Northern Ireland adds St Patrick's Day and 12 July. Ireland has its own public holidays, including St Brigid's Day and the first Mondays of May, June, and August. The government occasionally adds or moves a bank holiday, so check GOV.UK before you book.
Counting down to the school holidays and half-term
Each local council sets its own term dates, and academies and independent schools set theirs, so there's no single date for the whole country. Most schools follow roughly the same pattern:
- October half-term — a week in late October
- Christmas holidays — about two weeks over Christmas and New Year
- February half-term — a week in mid-February
- Easter holidays — about two weeks, usually around Easter
- May half-term — the last week of May, around the spring bank holiday
- Summer holidays — about six weeks from late July in England and Wales, and from late June in Scotland
Find the last day of term on your school or council website, set the countdown to it, and share it with the kids.
Count down to the end of termBooked your annual leave? Start the holiday countdown clock
The countdown can start the day your leave is approved. Point it at your first day off, or at the flight itself if you'd rather count down to take-off.
Bank holidays stretch your leave further. Four days booked after Easter Monday gives you ten days off in a row, from Good Friday to the following Sunday. Four days after any Monday bank holiday gives you nine.
Count down to your time offHoliday countdown ideas
A holiday feels closer when everyone going can watch the same clock tick down.
- Summer holidays abroad with the family
- Hen and stag weekends, and holidays with friends
- City breaks and long bank holiday weekends
- Half-term getaways and the school holidays
- Staycations, caravan breaks, and camping trips
- The last few weeks before your annual leave starts
Related countdowns
More countdowns for the rest of the year.
- Vacation Countdown
- Cruise Countdown
- Christmas Countdown
- Easter Countdown
- New Year Countdown
- Birthday Countdown
Holiday countdown FAQ
Quick answers to the most common holiday countdown questions.
How do I make a holiday countdown?
Pick the date you go away, give it a title like the destination, and choose your colours. The countdown starts straight away and ticks down every second. Tap “Add time” if you want it to count to the minute your flight leaves.
Is there a free holiday countdown timer?
Yes — this one. Making, personalising, and sharing a holiday countdown is free, with no signup and nothing to download. It is a web page, so it works on any phone, tablet, or computer.
How many days until my holiday?
Enter your departure date and the clock shows the days left, along with the hours, minutes, and seconds, counting down live. Everyone you send the link to sees the same countdown.
Can I share the holiday countdown in the family WhatsApp group?
Yes. Every countdown has its own link, so paste it into WhatsApp, a text, or an email. Nobody needs an account or an app to open it.
Is this a countdown to the Christmas holidays?
It counts down to whatever holiday you set — a week in the sun, a city break, or a staycation. If you mean Christmas itself, the Christmas countdown clock already counts to 25 December.
Which days are bank holidays in England and Wales?
Eight a year: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the early May bank holiday (first Monday in May), the spring bank holiday (last Monday in May), the summer bank holiday (last Monday in August), Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. When one falls at a weekend, the next weekday becomes a substitute day. Scotland and Northern Ireland have some different days, and GOV.UK has the official list.
Can I count down to the school holidays or half-term?
Yes. Term dates are set by each local council, and by academies and independent schools themselves, so check yours and set the countdown to the last day of term. Then share it with the kids, or with the other parents on the school run.
What if our holiday dates change?
Edit the date in the builder and share the new link straight away.