About Vacationist
Vacationist is a free group trip planner for iOS, Android and the web, built by Gary Lude, an independent developer based in Switzerland. It launched in 2026.
What Vacationist is
A group trip planner: vote on activities, split expenses with receipts attached, share packing and shopping lists, manage flights, rental cars and public transport, and keep everyone in sync — from the first idea to the last flight home. Anyone can join a trip with a single link, without creating an account. The full feature list has the detail, and the pricing page explains what it costs (nothing).
Why we built it
I built Vacationist together with my wife. Over the last three years we've organized more than 30 trips — as a couple and with friends — and we were the ones running every one of them: searching for places, booking stays and flights, finding and planning activities.
Before Vacationist, that meant chaotic WhatsApp chats, documents on a local PC, tickets scattered across our phones, and to-do lists in Todoist. Everything that mattered was in a different place.
So we collected everything we had learned about organizing trips and put it into an app. Then we kept improving it: on our last several trips we used Vacationist ourselves, together with our friends, and new ideas and features came straight out of those real trips. Today it all lives in one place.
— Gary Lude
Who builds it
Vacationist is built by Gary Lude, an independent developer based in Switzerland. The imprint has the operator's details. You can reach Gary directly at [email protected] — for questions, bug reports or feedback.
Where your data lives — and what protects it
"Built in Switzerland" describes where Vacationist is made, not where its data is stored, so here is the difference plainly:
- Trip data is stored on Supabase infrastructure in the EU (Paris, France).
- Travel documents — passport and ID details — are encrypted at rest with AES-256 and protected by biometric unlock. Organizer access is temporary and can be revoked at any time. The travel document safety guide explains how that works.
- The mobile apps contain no ads and no third-party analytics SDKs. The website loads analytics only after you accept its cookie banner.
The privacy policy has the complete, authoritative account.
Plan your next group trip with Vacationist
Vote on activities, split expenses and attach receipts, and keep everyone in sync — free, no ads, and friends can join without an account. Available on iOS, Android, and the web.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes Vacationist?
Vacationist is built by Gary Lude, an independent developer based in Switzerland, together with Gary's wife.
Why was Vacationist built?
It grew out of more than 30 couple and friend trips organized over three years. Those trips ran on WhatsApp chats, documents on a local PC and tickets scattered across phones; Vacationist puts all of it in one place, and its features came from using it on real trips.
Where is my trip data stored?
On Supabase infrastructure in the EU (Paris, France). Passport and ID details are additionally encrypted at rest with AES-256.
How do I contact Vacationist?
By email at [email protected]. The imprint lists the operator's full details.
Is Vacationist free?
Yes — free, with no ads and no paid tier. See the pricing page.