Best Vacation Loans in 2025
Pay for your flight, hotel and travel expenses with a loan
| Lender | User rating | Best for | APR | Term | Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Vacation loans for excellent customer service | 7.99% – 24.99% | 36 to 84 months |
$2.5k – $40k |
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Vacation loans with no fees | 6.24% – 24.89% (with autopay) | 24 to 84 months | Not specified | ||
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Vacation loans with another person | 8.99% – 35.99% | 24 to 60 months |
$2k – $50k |
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Large vacation loans | 8.99% – 35.49% (with discounts) | 24 to 84 months |
$5k – $100k |
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Small vacation loans | 7.74% – 35.99% (with discounts) | 24 to 84 months |
$1k – $50k |
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Vacation loans for bad credit | 6.70% – 35.99% | 36 to 60 months |
$1k – $75k |
Top lenders for vacation loans
VACATION LOANS FOR EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE – DISCOVER
- 97% of LendingTree users who have used Discover recommend it
- No upfront fees
- Money available as soon as the next business day
- Only available to people with good or excellent credit
- Can’t apply with another person
If you have good or excellent credit, consider using a Discover loan to pay for your next trip. Discover will send you your money as soon as the next business day. Plus, you’ll keep costs down by skipping the upfront loan processing fee (origination fee) that many other lenders charge.
You’ll need to meet these eligibility criteria to get a Discover loan:
- Age: Be at least 18
- Citizenship: Have a Social Security number
- Administrative: Have a physical address, an email address and internet access
- Income: Minimum income of $40,000 (individually or as a household)
- Credit score: 720
VACATION LOANS WITH NO FEES – LIGHTSTREAM
- No fees
- Borrow up to $100,000.00
- Same-day funding available
- Autopay discount
- Must have good or excellent credit to qualify
- Can’t check rates without submitting application
- Must borrow at least $5,000.00
You’ll avoid the upfront and late payment fees that other lenders charge when you take out a vacation loan with LightStream. You can also get fast funding — LightStream will send you your money as soon as the same day you apply.
LightStream only works with borrowers who have good or excellent credit and several years of credit experience. Also note that LightStream will only show you your rates after doing a hard credit pull. This will temporarily knock a few points off your credit score.
LightStream doesn’t specify its exact credit score requirements, but you must have good to excellent credit to qualify. Most of the applicants that LightStream approves have the following in common:
- At least five years of on-time payments under a variety of accounts (credit cards, auto loans, etc.)
- Stable income and the ability to handle paying their current debt obligations
- Savings, whether in a bank account, investment account or retirement account
VACATION LOANS WITH ANOTHER PERSON – PROSPER
- Allows for co-applicants
- Borrow as little as $2,000.00
- Get money in as soon as one business day
- Charges fees
- Charges high rates to people with bad credit
- No autopay discount
If you want to boost your odds of approval, you can add a second person to your Prosper vacation loan application. A co-applicant with excellent credit can also help you qualify for lower rates, which would make paying for your vacation less expensive.
Keep in mind that you’ll have to pay an upfront loan processing fee (origination fee) of 1.00% – 9.99%, which is taken out of the total amount you’re borrowing.
To get a loan with Prosper, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Age: Be 18 or older
- Citizenship: Be a U.S. citizen
- Administrative: Have a U.S. bank account and Social Security number
- Residency: Not live in Iowa or West Virginia
- Credit score: 560+
LARGE VACATION LOANS – SOFI
- Borrow up to $100,000.00
- Offers same-day funding
- No required fees
- Must borrow at least $5,000.00
- May have to pay an upfront fee to get lower rates
While lenders usually only offer up to $50,000, you can take out as much as $100,000.00 from SoFi. SoFi can transfer your funds as soon as the same day you close on your loan, and the upfront origination fee is optional.
Since SoFi loans start at $5,000.00, you’ll have to look elsewhere for a smaller vacation loan. And you may have to accept an origination fee in order to qualify for SoFi’s lowest rates.
You must meet the requirements below in order to get a loan from SoFi:
- Age: Be the age of majority in your state (typically 18)
- Citizenship: Be a U.S. citizen, an eligible permanent resident or a non-permanent resident (a DACA recipient or asylum-seeker, for instance)
- Employment: Have a job or job offer with a start date within 90 days, or have regular income from another source
- Credit score: 680
SMALL VACATION LOANS – UPGRADE
- Available to borrowers with fair credit
- Borrow as little as $1,000.00
- Autopay discount
- People with fair credit will pay high rates
- Charges fees
You should only borrow as much as you need to pay off your vacation, and Upgrade allows you to take out as little as $1,000.00. Besides small loans, Upgrade also offers an autopay discount, which could make your trip even less expensive.
While Upgrade loans are available to people with fair credit, these borrowers will likely pay high rates. You should also keep in mind that Upgrade charges an upfront loan processing fee called an origination fee, which will add to the cost of your loan.
To qualify for an Upgrade loan, you must meet the requirements below:
- Age: Be at least 18 years old (19 in some states)
- Citizenship: Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or live in the U.S. with a valid visa
- Administrative: Have a valid bank account and email address
- Credit score: 580+
VACATION LOANS FOR BAD CREDIT – UPSTART
- People with bad credit may qualify
- Competitive starting rates
- Get money as soon as the next business day
- May charge high fees
- Only offers two repayment periods
Borrowers with bad credit have better odds of getting a vacation loan from Upstart, an online marketplace. Upstart heavily weighs factors like employment, income and level of education when deciding whether to offer you a loan. Plus, Upstart has one of the lowest credit requirements currently on the market.
People with bad credit may qualify for an Upstart loan, but they’ll likely pay high rates and fees. Upstart’s origination fees go up to 12.00%, and repayment periods are limited to just two options: 36 to 60 months.
Upstart has transparent eligibility requirements, including:
- Age: Be 18 or older
- Administrative: Have a U.S. address, personal banking account, email address and Social Security number
- Employment: Have a job or job offer that starts within six months, or have regular income
- Credit-related factors: Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio no higher than 50% (45% in Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Vermont), no bankruptcies within the last year, fewer than six inquiries on your credit report in the last six months and no current delinquencies
- Credit score: 300+ (unless you’re an eligible college student or graduate, in which case Upstart could approve you with no credit)
What is a vacation loan?
A vacation loan is a personal loan you use to pay for travel expenses like plane tickets, hotel stays and rental cars. These loans can come with interest rates as high as 36% and range from $1,000 to $100,000.
Personal loans for vacation aren’t backed with collateral like a car or savings account. Instead, lenders compare you to their eligibility requirements in order to decide what rates you’ll get and whether to offer you a loan at all.
Pros and cons of using a personal loan for vacation
PROS
- Can make your travel plans a reality if you’re unable to save up in time
- Build credit with consistent payments
- Come with fixed monthly payments and a specific end date
CONS
- Your vacation will cost more than it would if you saved up in advance
- It will likely take years to pay off your vacation
- It’s not a smart financial decision to take on debt for things you don’t need
- Missing payments will damage your credit score
How to find a vacation loan with LendingTree
Fill out a single form
You only need to complete one application through LendingTree to qualify for vacation financing with up to five lenders. The form should take about two minutes to complete.
Compare your rates
Review your vacation loan offers, paying close attention to the rates. Choose the lender that offers the lowest rates with a monthly payment that fits in your budget.
Get your money
You’ll need to submit a formal loan application and sign a loan contract. After that, the lender will send you your money, usually by direct deposit.
How to save money on a vacation loan
The best way to save money on any loan is to qualify for lower rates. Here are three of the best ways to get a cheaper loan with lower rates:
- Work on your credit. If you have time before takeoff, spend a few weeks or months improving your credit score. According to a LendingTree study, personal loan borrowers could save an average of $1,925 by raising their credit scores from fair to very good.
- Apply with another person. Adding a second person to your loan application can decrease your risk in the eyes of a lender. If you choose to take out a loan with a cosigner, remember that both of you will be legally responsible for paying off the loan.
- Apply for a secured loan. Secured loans come with lower rates in exchange for collateral like a savings account, a car or real estate. Keep in mind that your lender will take your property if you can’t keep up with payments.
Alternatives to vacation loans
The best way to pay for a vacation is to save your money in advance to avoid taking on bad debt for an unnecessary expense. But if you don’t have time to save for an upcoming trip, the best (and cheapest) way to pay for your vacation is to use a 0% annual percentage rate (APR) credit card. Here’s why:
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$0 in interest or fees
You won’t pay interest as long as you pay off the card in the introductory period. That means the vacation won’t cost extra money. -
Less time in debt
You should pay off your vacation in the 0% introductory period, which lasts between six and 21 months. All things considered, that’s not a long time to be in debt.
We’ll break it down for you in numbers. Here’s what you need to know about the different ways to pay for a $3,000 vacation:
| Monthly payment | Time until paid off | Total amount paid | Our verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saving up | $125 (to a savings account) | 2 years | $3,000 | Best financial choice (but you’ll need to wait to take your trip) |
| 0% intro APR credit card | $142.86 | 21 months | $3,000 | Best option if you need to travel now |
| Vacation loan with excellent credit | $107.60 | 3 years | $3,873.50 | Choose if you must, but know you’ll spend almost $1,000 on interest |
| Vacation loan with bad credit | $137.41 | 3 years | $4,946.81 | Most expensive |
- Saving up: $3,000/24 monthly payments = $125. We chose a two-year (24-month) period to save because the $125 monthly “payment” to your savings account is similar to the monthly payments for the 0% intro APR card and vacation loan.
- 0% intro APR credit card: $3,000/21 monthly payments = $142.86. 21 months is a common introductory period for 0% APR promotions, and we chose a long introductory period in order to keep the monthly payments as low as possible.
- Vacation loan with excellent credit: We used our personal loan calculator to calculate the monthly payments and total amount paid on a $3,000 loan with a 36-month repayment period and an APR of 17.43%. A 17.43% APR is the average rate that borrowers with excellent credit qualified for in the third quarter of 2024, according to LendingTree user data on personal loan statistics.
- Vacation loan with bad credit: We used our personal loan calculator to calculate the monthly payments and total amount paid using a $3,000 loan with a 36-month repayment period and an APR of 36%. Financial experts specify 36% as the highest affordable interest rate, and it’s the maximum interest rate that traditional lenders (as opposed to payday lenders) charge.
Whether you save up or take out a loan for your trip, use a travel credit card to pay for transportation and hotel stays. You’ll earn points or cash back for your travel purchases, which you can redeem to offset the cost of your vacation.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You can use a loan for most purposes, including a vacation. Your lender will likely ask how you plan to use the money during the application process.
Vacation loans are a type of personal loan that are typically unsecured (don’t require collateral), come in a lump sum and have fixed interest rates and monthly payments. Travel loans also have predetermined repayment periods that usually last between 24 and 60 months.
Unless you can afford to pay off a travel loan quickly or the trip is absolutely necessary, it’s not a good idea to go into debt in order to take a vacation.
Our methodology
We reviewed more than 30 lenders that offer vacation loans to determine the overall best six lenders. To make our list, lenders must offer competitive APRs. From there, we prioritize lenders based on the following factors:
Accessibility: Lenders are ranked higher if their personal loans are available to more people and require fewer conditions. This may include lower credit requirements, wider geographic availability, faster funding and easier and more transparent prequalification and application processes.
Rates and terms: We prioritize lenders with more competitive fixed rates, fewer fees and greater options for repayment terms, loan amounts and APR discounts.
Repayment experience: For starters, we consider each lender’s reputation and business practices. We also favor lenders that report to all major credit bureaus, offer reliable customer service and provide any unique perks to customers, like free wealth coaching.
According to our systematic rating and review process, the best vacation loans come from Discover, LightStream, Prosper, SoFi, Upgrade and Upstart. LendingTree reviews and fact-checks our top lender picks on a monthly basis.