Bridging days in 2025 in Germany: how to optimise your holiday
Clever holiday planning - who wouldn't want that? In 2025, there are perfect opportunities to make the most of your holiday with targeted bridge days. Bridge days, i.e. days between a public holiday and a weekend, offer an ideal opportunity to enjoy more days off in one go by planning your holiday in advance. In this blog post, you can find out how to make the most of public holidays in 2025 and which tips will help you make the most of your holidays.
What are bridging days and why are they important?
Bridge days are days that fall between a public holiday and a weekend. If you take holiday on such a day, you can often achieve several consecutive days off with only a few days of holiday used. This is particularly attractive for employees who do not have a lot of holiday days or who have more recovery time without having to take a lot of holiday days. This opportunity is particularly common in 2025. With smart planning, you can turn 24-30 days of holiday into up to 60 days off! Isn't that crazy? The following overview shows how you can make the most of the 2025 bridging days in Germany.
Overview of public holidays in 2025
- 1 January – New Year's Day (Wednesday) ‒ throughout Germany
- 6 January – Three Kings Day (Friday) ‒ not throughout Germany
- Easter – 18 and 21 April Good Friday ‒ throughout Germany
- Labour Day – 1. May (Thursday) ‒ throughout Germany
- Ascension Day – 29. May (Thursday) ‒ throughout Germany
- Whitsun – Whit Monday 9 June ‒ throughout Germany
- German Unity Day – 3 October (Friday) ‒ throughout Germany
- Reformation Day 31 October (Friday) ‒ not throughout Germany
- Christmas – 25 and 26 December (Thursday and Friday) ‒ throughout Germany
1 January – New Year's Day (Wednesday)
The year 2025 starts with a good starting point: New Year's Day falls on a Wednesday. If you want to start the first few days of the year relaxed, you have the opportunity to take Monday and Tuesday (29 and 30 December 2024) as well as 2 and 3 January 2025 as holidays.
This gives you a generous, relaxing period over the turn of the year with just four days of holiday used and a whole week off.
Easter – Good Friday (18 April) and Easter Monday (21 April)
The Easter holidays are a perfect opportunity every year to plan a longer break with just a few days' holiday. This will also be the case in 2025. This is because in 2025 Good Friday falls on 18 April and Easter Monday on 21 April. If you take a week off before or after Easter, you can enjoy a total of ten days off with just four days of leave (14–17 April or 22–25 April). That sounds almost perfect for the first trip of the year.
Use the Easter period for a longer spring holiday. Many regions in Germany are particularly beautiful in April – don't forget the option of parking your car securely and cost-effectively at McParking at BER
Labour Day – 1 May (Thursday)
Next year, 1 May falls on a Thursday. If you take Friday (2 May) as a bridge day, you get a long weekend of four days. Alternatively, you can take the whole week (28 April to 2 May) off for just four days of holiday and have a full week off. This is often a good alternative to the Easter holidays, when families often take priority when planning holidays.
Why not plan a short trip into nature, for example, to enjoy the first warm days? A long weekend is perfect for hiking, cycling or a short break in a European city.
Flights are often on sale at this time.
Ascension Day – 29 May (Thursday)
Like 1 May, Ascension Day falls on a Thursday. This is traditionally a public holiday in Germany, and people often use it to take a long weekend. With a bridge day on Friday, 30 May, you can have four days off in a row. If you want to take a week off, plan the entire week (26 to 30 May) with just four days of leave again.
Why not use these long weekends around Ascension Day for a longer mini-break instead of Easter or the beginning of May? In May, the temperatures are usually pleasant and many holiday regions in Germany and Europe are not yet overrun.
Again, think of the services of McParking.
Whitsun – Whit Monday (9 June)
Whit Monday falls on 9 June in 2025 and thus offers another good opportunity for a long weekend. If you take the rest of the week (10–13 June) off, you can once again enjoy nine days off in a row with just four days of holiday.
2025 is a dream come true for those planning their holidays. Whitsun is ideal for travelling to southern regions or for outdoor activities.
The weather is often already summery warm and invites you to enjoy outdoor activities.
German Unity Day – 3 October (Friday)
3 October 2025 falls on a Friday. This means that you will automatically have a long weekend. If you want to add more days off, you can take the whole week (30 September to 3 October) off for four days of holiday and enjoy a nice break in autumn. The individual days before and after the long weekend also invite you to take a moment to catch your breath.
October is the perfect time for a city break or a tour of the German regions. Hikes through the colourful forests are also a great option at this time of year.
Autumn is usually just around the corner and sunny autumn days invite you to enjoy the fresh air.
Christmas – 25 and 26 December (Thursday and Friday)
Christmas 2025 falls very conveniently on a Thursday and Friday. If you want to relax over the period between Christmas and New Year, you can enjoy a total of twelve days off over Christmas and New Year with just five days' holiday (22–24 and 29–31 December). If that's not a good prospect for the end of the year.
Use the time for a winter trip to the mountains to go skiing or enjoy the tranquillity of the cities, which are often less busy between the years.
But we also have some more tips for planning the perfect holiday
To get the most out of your holiday, you should plan well in advance. Here are some tips on how to make the most of your holiday:
- Apply early: long weekends in particular are often booked up quickly. Plan your holiday as early as possible to maximise your chances of getting the dates you want and to snag travel bargains.
- Consider your employer and colleagues: clarify your holiday plans with your employer in good time and possibly discuss them with your colleagues. Early coordination makes planning easier and reduces conflicts. Especially if you are single or have no children! Companies are often more accommodating when it comes to planning holidays for families.
- Take advantage of flexible travel times: Many hotels and travel providers have attractive offers if you travel on a bridging day. Be prepared to be flexible if necessary and, for example, start on a Wednesday instead of a Friday.
- Make use of regional holidays: Some federal states in Germany have additional holidays that you can take into account in your planning. For example, Reformation Day (31 October) is a public holiday in some federal states, but not in others. 6 January (Epiphany) is also an extra day off in some southern federal states.
Conclusion: plan cleverly, get more days off and enjoy your free time
Bridge days offer a fantastic opportunity to maximise your free days and have more time to relax. In 2025, there are many opportunities to gain a lot of free time with just a few days of holiday by planning skilfully. Take the time to plan your annual leave early and make the most of the public holidays. This way, you can relax and enjoy your free time all year round and recharge your batteries.
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