How this calculator works
The countdown is the number of calendar-day boundaries from the count date to the departure date; the count date is not itself counted. The trip length includes both the departure and return dates, so a Saturday departure and a Saturday return one week later is eight vacation days and seven nights. Working days leave out Saturday and Sunday but not statutory holidays, because holiday schedules differ by province and employer. The planning table counts back from departure so you can set booking, packing and travel-day reminders.
Formula
days until departure = O(departure) - O(count date). vacation days = O(return date) - O(departure date) + 1. nights = vacation days - 1. Working days count Monday to Friday dates in the half-open interval from the count date up to the departure date. A planning date is the departure date minus 7 x the number of weeks.
Worked example
From 2026-11-01 to a departure on 2027-07-03 is 244 days, or 34 weeks and 6 days. A return on 2027-07-17 makes a 15-day trip with 14 nights. There are 175 Monday to Friday working days before departure, and the one-week planning date is 2027-06-26.
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Frequently asked questions
Does the vacation length include travel days?
Yes. Both the departure and return dates count, because those are usually days away from home. If your travel days are mostly in transit and you want full days at the destination, subtract them yourself.
Why are holidays not removed from the working-day count?
Statutory holidays vary by jurisdiction and employer, so no single calendar is assumed. Subtract the days your workplace is closed between the count date and departure to get the days you actually work.
What if the departure has already passed?
A departure before the count date is reported as an error rather than a negative countdown. Change the count date to a day before departure to see the interval again.
How are the planning dates chosen?
The table counts back 12, 8, 4, 2 and 1 week from departure. These are common booking and preparation checkpoints, not rules. Each row also shows how many days from the count date that checkpoint falls.