Planning the vacation of your dreams but unsure how to cover the costs? Vacation loans can help you fund everything from flights and hotels to excursions, giving you the freedom to focus on enjoying your trip. Compare top lenders to find the best rates and terms for your getaway.
To create this list of the best vacation loan providers, we evaluated dozens of personal loan lenders using a clear and unbiased process. We focused on key factors that matter most to borrowers, such as interest rates, fees, loan amounts, repayment terms and eligibility requirements. Our team also considered customer reviews from trusted sources like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot to get a sense of real borrower experiences.
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How we picked theseThe Finder Score crunches 6+ types of personal loans across 50+ lenders. It takes into account the product's interest rate, fees and features, as well as the type of loan eg investor, variable, fixed rate - this gives you a simple score out of 10.
Prequalifying for a vacation loan is a simple way to check your loan options without impacting your credit score. Here’s how to get started:
A vacation loan is usually an unsecured personal loan you can use to pay for a vacation. Some providers like Uplift allow you to take out the loan while you’re booking your trip. But in most cases, you’ll have to take out a loan before you book your flight and accommodations.
These loans are available at many small banks and credit unions, but online lenders tend to have the quickest turnaround, so they might be the best choice if you’re short on time.
It depends on the situation. Vacation loans can be helpful if you have an unexpected trip and can’t pay for all the costs out of pocket — or if you want to invest in a timeshare. But if you’re planning your trip far in advance, consider saving up instead of financing your trip.
It’s possible to get a vacation loan with bad credit. Uplift offers loans specifically for travel, and they’re known to work with bad credit borrowers. But you’ll generally need a credit score of 670 or higher (what most lenders consider good credit) to qualify for a competitive deal.
You also might not qualify for the highest loan amounts if you have bad credit.
Before you take out a loan, consider these alternatives.
The cheapest way to pay for a vacation is to save up ahead of time. But you’ll need enough time before you start booking flights. How long it takes depends on your budget and how much you need. If this is your first time saving for a goal, you can use the following strategies.
A travel credit card can give you access to airport lounges, complimentary insurance coverage and frequent flyer rewards. Many new cards also come with a 0% promotional APR for over a year — giving you interest-free financing for costs you can repay in that time frame.
But you typically need good to excellent credit to qualify for a competitive offer. And after the promotional period is up, you’ll usually face higher rates than a personal loan and may have to pay an annual fee. If you travel abroad, you might also be on the hook for foreign transaction fees.
Vacation packages often come with a few ways to pay for your trip. For example, Disney offers several financing options, including savings accounts, rewards cards, loans and more that you can use to cover the cost of your trip.
These can unlock discounts you otherwise wouldn’t have access to, though they still might not necessarily be the cheapest option out there.
A layaway program allows you to make a deposit on a trip in advance and pay it off before you travel. Typically, you’ll have to pay a flat fee instead of interest. It can be less expensive than a loan, and it’s typically open to all credit types. But you’ll still need to save up for the cost of the trip ahead of time to take advantage of this program.
If your trip has a special meaning — maybe you want to climb Mount Everest or teach English abroad — you might be able to raise some of the funds by setting up a crowdfunding campaign and sharing it on social media. Or, unofficially crowdfund by asking friends and families for donations toward your trip rather than birthday or holiday gifts.
A line of credit gives you access to cash you can draw from as needed. This type of loan allows you to avoid borrowing more than you need while also giving you access to cash as you need it. They tend to come with higher limits and lower rates than credit cards, but they’re less common than personal loans.
Yes, you can get a personal loan and use the funds to pay for your vacation. Vacation loans make it easier for you to cover travel expenses like flights, accommodations and activities. Just be sure to compare interest rates and terms to make sure you can afford the loan.
Interest rates on vacation loans range anywhere from 6.99% to 39.99%. APRs vary depending on the lender you choose, loan amount, your credit score and how much you spend repaying debt every month (your debt-to-income ratio). To find the most competitive rates, try shopping around and comparing multiple offers.
Most vacation loan applications can be completed 100% online. If you have all the required information ready to go, you can complete the application in minutes.
Yes. Since most vacation loans are personal loans, how you use the funds is up to you.
A vacation club loan helps you pay for a membership in a vacation club, which gives you access to discounted trips and travel perks. You can get this type of loan from the club itself or through a personal loan from a bank or lender.
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