Vote on activities. Stop arguing in the group chat.
Every group trip has the same problem: ten people, thirty ideas, and no way to decide. Vacationist replaces the endless "so what do you all think?" messages with a voting system built for real groups.
How activity voting works
Anyone in the trip can suggest an activity — a restaurant, a hike, a museum, a beach day. Then everyone votes on it with one of five options:
| Vote | What it means |
|---|---|
| Must do | "I really want this — plan around it." |
| Like | "Sounds good, count me in." |
| Open | "No strong opinion either way." |
| Skip | "Not for me, but don't let me stop you." |
| Group blocker | "I have a real problem with this one." |
The results are visible to everyone in real time. You see at a glance which ideas the group is excited about and which ones quietly died — without anyone having to argue in public.
Why five tiers instead of thumbs up / thumbs down
A simple yes/no vote hides the information that actually matters in a group. "Skip" and "group blocker" are completely different answers: one means go without me, the other means we need to talk. Separating them protects the group from two classic failure modes:
- The silent objector — someone who quietly resents a plan they never felt able to veto. The group blocker vote gives them a legitimate, visible way to raise a real objection.
- The accidental veto — one lukewarm "nah" killing an activity nine people wanted. A "skip" doesn't block anything; the nine can still go.
Everyone has that one friend who says "I'm easy, whatever you all want" and then torpedoes every plan. The voting system makes preferences explicit before anyone books anything.
Built for how groups actually decide
- Real-time results. Votes sync instantly to everyone's device, so the picture is always current.
- No account needed to vote. Friends who join via invite link can vote as guests — no sign-up wall between them and participation.
- Works offline. Cast votes on the plane or in the mountains; they sync when you're back online.
- Tied to the calendar. Winning activities go straight into the shared trip calendar, so deciding and scheduling are one motion.
Plan your next group trip with Vacationist
Vote on activities, split expenses, and keep everyone in sync — free, no ads, and friends can join without an account. Available on Android and the web today; iOS is in development.
Frequently asked questions
Do my friends need to install the app to vote?
No. Anyone can join a trip through its invite link and vote as a guest — in the web app, without creating an account. Installing the Android app just makes it more convenient.
What happens when someone uses the group blocker vote?
The activity is clearly flagged so the group knows there's a genuine objection to discuss. Nothing is auto-deleted — the point is to surface the conflict early, while plans are still flexible, instead of at the restaurant door.
Can we vote on accommodations and transfers too?
Yes. Vacationist supports voting on accommodations and transfer flights as well as activities, so the group can decide on the big-ticket items together.
Is voting anonymous?
Votes are visible to the group. In practice this keeps the process honest — the system is designed to make preferences explicit and discussable, not to hide them.