Budget-first vacation optimizer

Plan the whole vacation, not one flight at a time

“Given my total budget, date flexibility, acceptable destinations, travel preferences, and desired trip length, what complete vacations are realistically possible, and which is the best fit?”

That is the question Wandermath answers — a different question from conventional travel sites, which need exact dates and an exact destination before they can tell you anything.

The seed request: two adults, 13–14 nights in the Cotswolds and England, fall 2026, $5,000 all-in.

How it differs from conventional travel sites

Whole-vacation totals

Flights, taxes, bags, lodging, rental car, fuel, rail, transfers, meals, activities, and a contingency reserve — the number you see is the number the trip costs.

Flexible in, ranked out

Give a budget, a date range, and acceptable places. Get back a handful of complete, meaningfully different trips — not 400 nearly identical flight rows.

Honest about confidence

Every price carries its source, retrieval time, and confidence level. Estimates are labeled as estimates; mock data is labeled as mock data.

Four kinds of answers, explained

Every optimization run returns a small set of meaningfully different plans — and explains the tradeoffs between them in plain English.

Cheapest feasible

The lowest all-in total that still satisfies every hard constraint — no hidden fees, bags and ground costs included.

Best overall value

The highest-scoring balance of price, comfort, weather, and convenience for your stated priorities.

Most comfortable

Fewer connections, better-reviewed lodging, fewer moves — with the extra cost spelled out honestly.

Best timing & weather

Timed for the most agreeable weather, daylight, and seasonal color inside your flexible window.

An honest note about prices

Some data is live (weather normals, exchange rates, local events, sandbox airfares) and some is calibrated mock data (lodging, ground transport). Every cost line is labeled with its source and confidence, estimates are never hidden, and final prices must always be verified with the provider before purchase.