I built this because I got tired of manually checking calendars to figure out how to make my PTO line up with weekends and public holidays.

Holiday Optimizer helps you find the best way to stretch your time off — turning a handful of vacation days into proper breaks.

The first version got more traction than I expected, so I rebuilt it. Not a patch — just a cleaner, faster version with a few ideas people asked for.

What’s new:

• Flexible timeframes — plan for 2025, 2026, or any custom 12-month window (useful if your company runs on a fiscal year)

• Personal options — add booked vacations and customize your weekends (Fri–Sat, Sun–Mon, etc.)

• Cleaner flow — faster, tidier, and mobile-friendly

Still does the basics:

• Add company days off (summer Fridays, winter shutdowns)

• Combine public holidays + PTO for longer runs

• Automatically skips past dates so every suggestion is actually bookable

In my own setup (15 PTO days + 12 public holidays + 7 company days), the tool found a way to reach 56 total days off in 2026. That’s just one example — your number will depend on your country’s holidays and any company-specific days off. Some will get more, others less, but it’s interesting to see what’s possible when you map it out.

It’s free and runs in the browser: https://holiday-optimizer.com

Would love feedback on edge cases, performance, or any odd calendar setups it doesn’t handle well.