Income Business

Vacation Days Optimizer

Plan your vacation smarter: combine vacation days with public holidays and weekends to get maximum consecutive days off. Three optimization schemes.

days

Work week

Allowed vacation windows

Drag on the calendar to mark periods when you can take vacation · Ctrl+click a date to mark it red (cannot take vacation)

Public holiday
Allowed window
Blackout date
Vacation day
Weekend

Mandatory company rules

Employer requirements (e.g. must have at least one 14-day period)

days

Results are informational. Calculation is based on your input and public rules, official accounting may differ. For accuracy, confirm the final result if needed from the appropriate official source or specialist.

How it works?

The Vacation Optimizer analyzes your country's public holidays, weekends, and selected vacation windows to find the best way to place your vacation days. The result is three different strategies.

Three optimization schemes

  • Maximum Leverage — finds spots where 1-2 vacation days create the longest consecutive free period. Ideal for short breaks throughout the year.
  • The Long Haul — groups all days into one single long consecutive block. Perfect for complete rest and travel.
  • Balanced — distributes days across preferred period lengths, respecting priority order and employer rules.

How to use

  1. Select country and year — the app loads public holidays automatically.
  2. Enter your vacation days count and calculation type.
  3. Drag on the calendar to mark allowed vacation windows.
  4. Add mandatory employer rules (e.g. at least one 14-day period).
  5. Click 'Optimize vacation' — you'll see three schemes with 'Days Won' statistics.

Frequently asked questions

What does 'Days Won' mean?
Days Won = total consecutive days off minus vacation days spent. For example, if 2 vacation days give you a 9-day break (Fri-Sat-Sun + 2 vacation days + Tue-Wed-Thu-Fri), you won 7 days. Public holidays and weekends do not consume vacation days.
Do public holidays use up vacation days?
No. Public holidays are automatically free days that do not deduct from your vacation balance. This is why placing vacation days around public holidays is especially efficient.
What is the difference between 'Calendar days' and 'Working days'?
'Calendar days' means weekends also consume vacation days (e.g. Estonian standard). 'Working days' means only Monday–Friday count as vacation days. Estonia typically uses calendar day counting.
What do 'Allowed vacation windows' do?
By dragging on the calendar you mark periods when you are able to take vacation. If no windows are set, the optimizer assumes vacation is allowed the whole year. Blackout dates (Ctrl+click) are marked red — no vacation will be placed on those dates.
Why is the 'Balanced' scheme useful?
This scheme splits vacation into multiple blocks according to your preferences (e.g. 14 days, 7 days, 4 days, 3 days). It suits people who want both a long summer break and several shorter breaks throughout the year.