9
Best Vacation Loans
Compare the Best Vacation Loans
| COMPANY | FORBES ADVISOR RATING | MINIMUM CREDIT SCORE | APR RANGE | LEARN MORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 
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Does not disclose
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6.99% to 35.49%* with all discounts
|
Via Credible.com's Website
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|
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700
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6.49% to 24.89%
|
Via Credible.com's Website
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|
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600
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7.99% to 35.99%
|
Via Credible.com’s Website
| |
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580
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7.74% to 35.99%
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Via Credible.com's Website
| |
|
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560
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11.69% to 35.99%
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Compare rates from participating lenders via Forbes Advisor
| |
|
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660
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7.99% to 24.99%
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Via MoneyLion’s Website
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Best Vacation Loan Lenders: A Closer Look
Best Overall Vacation Loan
SoFi®
Loan amounts
$5,000 to $100,000
APR range
6.99% to 35.49%*
with all discounts
Minimum Credit Score
Does not disclose
$5,000 to $100,000
6.99% to 35.49%*
with all discounts
Does not disclose
SoFi is an online lending platform that offers unsecured fixed-rate personal loans in every state. Founded in 2011, SoFi has extended over $50 billion in loans and stands out for allowing high loan amounts and its availability of extended loan terms.
Loans are available from $5,000 to $100,000, making SoFi a great option for those with excellent credit who need to borrow a large amount of money. Loan amounts available may vary by the state you live in. Repayment terms range from two to seven years, making SoFi an incredibly flexible option for those with sufficient credit (minimum does not disclose) and annual income (at least $45,000). SoFi also lets prospective borrowers submit joint applications—although co-signers are not permitted.
Approved borrowers are rewarded with comparatively low APRs. What’s more, SoFi doesn’t charge origination fees, late fees or prepayment penalties—a stand-out feature because personal loan lenders often charge origination or late payment fees at a minimum. The platform also offers customers several other perks and discounts.
- Offers comprehensive member benefits and perks
- Does not charge origination, late payment or prepayment fees
- Offers direct payment to creditors
- Loan amounts of up to $100,000
- Higher minimum loan amount ($5,000)
- Longer average funding time (4 days)
- High maximum loan APR ( 35.49%*)
- Live chat is limited to business hours
Lender Details
Eligibility
- Minimum credit score: Does not disclose
- Co-signers/co-borrowers: Co-borrowers accepted
Funding Speed
Funds should generally be available within a few days after signing the loan agreement.
Disclosures
*Terms and conditions apply. SOFI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen or other eligible status, be residing in the U.S., and meet SoFi’s underwriting requirements. Not all borrowers receive the lowest rate. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. If approved, your actual rate will be within the range of rates at the time of application and will depend on a variety of factors, including term of loan, evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, and other factors. If SoFi is unable to offer you a loan but matches you for a loan with a participating bank, then your rate may be outside the range of rates listed above. Rates and Terms are subject to change at any time without notice. SoFi Personal Loans can be used for any lawful personal, family, or household purposes and may not be used for post-secondary education expenses. Minimum loan amount is $5,000. The average of SoFi Personal Loans funded in 2024 was around $33K. Information current as of 06/03/26. SoFi Personal Loans originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS #696891 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). See SoFi.com/legal for state-specific license details. See SoFi.com/eligibility for details and state restrictions.
*Fixed rates from 6.99% APR to 35.49% APR. APR reflect the 0.25% autopay interest rate discount and a 0.25% SoFi Plus interest rate discount. SoFi Platform personal loans are made either by SoFi Bank, N.A. or , Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, operating from its Delaware branch, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. SoFi may receive compensation if you take out a loan originated by Cross River Bank. These rate ranges are current as of 06/03/26 and are subject to change without notice. Not all rates and amounts available in all states. See SoFi Personal Loan eligibility details at https://www.sofi.com/eligibilitycriteria/#eligibility-personal. Not all applicants qualify for the lowest rate. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on a variety of factors, including evaluation of your credit worthiness, income, and other factors.
Loan amounts range from $5,000– $100,000. The APR is the cost of credit as a yearly rate and reflects both your interest rate and an origination fee of 9.99% of your loan amount for Cross River Bank originated loans which will be deducted from any loan proceeds you receive and for SoFi Bank originated loans have an origination fee of 0%-7%, will be deducted from any loan proceeds you receive.
Autopay: The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. The benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. Autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi.
Member Rate Discount: To be eligible for an additional 0.25% interest rate reduction on a Personal Loan, you must, within 31 days of loan funding, either (1) meet SoFi Plus eligibility criteria, (2) receive an Eligible Direct Deposit into a SoFi Checking or Savings account, or (3) receive at least $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits into a SoFi Checking or Savings account. You must continue to meet at least one of the above eligibility criteria every 31 days to maintain the discount. See the SoFi Plus terms for details on SoFi Plus subscription. For more details on Eligible Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits, please see https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
Once you become eligible during the initial period, the discount will be removed or reinstated depending on whether the criteria have been met. Each time your loan is re-amortized, your monthly payment amount will change based upon the interest rate that was in place. SoFi reserves the right to modify or terminate this offer at any time for unenrolled participants. You are not required to meet these criteria to be approved for a loan.
Best for Low Interest Rates
LightStream
Loan amounts
$5,000 to $100,000
APR range
6.49% to 24.89%
with autopay
Minimum Credit Score
700
$5,000 to $100,000
6.49% to 24.89%
with autopay
700
LightStream offers loans with both a low minimum and maximum interest rate, along with a rate-beat program. LightStream’s unsecured personal loans range from $5,000 to $100,000 with loan amounts varying based on the loan purpose. In addition to offering appealing and flexible terms, LightStream charges no origination, late payment or prepayment fees. The lender also offers a 0.50% rate discount for borrowers who enroll in autopay.
- Does not charge origination, late payment or prepayment fees
- Lower maximum APR (capped at 24.89%)
- Same-day funding is possible
- Offers consolidation loan amounts of up to $100,000
- Higher minimum loan amount ($5,000)
- No option for prequalification
- No option for direct payments to creditors
- No mobile app
Lender Details
Eligibility
- Minimum credit score: 700
- Co-signers/co-borrowers: Co-borrowers accepted
Funding Speed
Same-day funding may be available if you sign documents, provide a bank account and complete the loan verification process before 2:30 p.m. ET.
Best for Fast Funding & Below-Average Credit
LendingPoint
Minimum Credit Score
600
APR range
7.99% to 35.99%
with autopay
Loan amounts
$1,000 to $36,500
600
7.99% to 35.99%
with autopay
$1,000 to $36,500
LendingPoint is an online lender that offers personal loans to prospective borrowers in 48 states and Washington D.C.; it doesn’t offer loans in Nevada and West Virginia.
Why We Like It
LendingPoint offers longer loan terms than many other lenders—24 to 60 months—or two to five years—providing borrowers with more flexibility in their repayment plans.
What We Don’t Like
High maximum APRs and origination fees up to 10% may make LendingPoint more costly for less-qualified borrowers.
Who It’s Best For
LendingPoint is best for borrowers who want a longer repayment period.
- Funding as soon as the next business day
- Low credit score requirement
- No prepayment penalty
- Origination fee up to 10%
- Co-signers or joint loans not permitted
- Not available in Nevada or West Virginia
Eligibility:
- Minimum credit score. 600
- Minimum annual income. $35,000
- Co-signers. Not permitted
Customer service
After testing and evaluating LendingPoint’s customer service, we found it to be one of the most helpful and transparent lenders on our list after waiting only 46 seconds to be connected to a representative. The customer service representative we spoke with shared an in-depth perspective of their loan offers, including information about loan amounts, eligibility requirements, how interest rates are determined and prequalification.
LendingPoint’s team also disclosed late fees but didn’t confirm origination fees. While customer service didn’t share this information wasn’t, the lender discloses a fee of up to 10% on its website. LendingPoint was also one of few lenders that shared how they report payments to credit bureaus, which it typically does at the start of the month.
Best for Bad Credit
Upgrade
Loan amounts
$1,000 to $50,000
APR range
7.74% to 35.99%
Minimum Credit Score
580
$1,000 to $50,000
7.74% to 35.99%
580
Upgrade offers accessible online credit and banking services, including personal loans of $1,000 to $50,000.
Why We Like It
Upgrade allows borrowers to apply with co-signers and sets a low minimum credit requirement of 580, increasing the chances of approval.
What We Don’t Like
Upgrade’s loans only go up to $50,000. The lender also charges origination fees between 1.85% and 9.99% of the loan amount, which can decrease the total borrowed amount.
Who It’s Best For
Upgrade’s personal loans are best for borrowers with poor credit histories who may not qualify for a personal loan without a co-signer.
- Direct payment to creditors streamlines the consolidation process
- 24/7 live chat customer support available
- Offers both co-signer and co-borrower options
- Charges origination fees on consolidation loans
- High maximum loan APR ( 35.99%)
- Average 3-day funding timeline
Lender Details
Eligibility
- Minimum credit score: 580
- Co-signers/co-borrowers: Accepted
Funding Speed
Funding may occur within one business day of clearing verification.
Best for Comparing Multiple Offers
Universal Credit
Minimum Credit Score
560
APR range
11.69% to 35.99%
Loan amounts
$1,000 to $50,000
560
11.69% to 35.99%
$1,000 to $50,000
Universal Credit is an online lending platform that offers personal loans between $1,000 to $50,000 through its partners. Repayment terms range from three to seven years.
While Universal Credit makes finding a personal loan accessible even to those with damaged credit, it comes with a few tradeoffs. First, it charges high APRs, well above the most competitive rates seen on our list. Second, Universal Credit charges a 5.25% to 9.99% origination fee on all personal loans. Because this is deducted from your loan proceeds, you’ll need to factor this in when determining your loan amount to ensure you receive the necessary amount after the fact.
- Flexible qualification requirements
- Funding within one business day
- No prepayment penalty
- APRs are higher than those offered by top competitors
- Origination fees from 5.25% to 9.99%
- Lowest APR requires choosing direct payment of creditors
Eligibility:
- Minimum credit score. 560
- Minimum income. Does not disclose
- Co-signers. Not permitted
- Co-borrowers. Not permitted
Best for No Interest if Repaid Within 30 Days
Discover
Minimum Credit Score
660
APR range
7.99% to 24.99%
Loan amounts
$2,500 to $40,000
660
7.99% to 24.99%
$2,500 to $40,000
Discover is an online bank that also offers customers credit cards, retirement solutions and personal loans in all 50 states. As a lending platform, Discover stands out because of its online application and mobile banking tools, well-reviewed customer support team and quick funding.
In general, loans are available from $2,500 to $40,000 and may be issued for between three and seven years. So, while borrowers may get a larger loan from another lender, the repayment terms are fairly flexible. Discover charges a late payment fee and does not offer an autopay discount; however, it does not charge any origination fees or prepayment penalties, making it competitive with other top personal loan providers.
- No fees
- Same-day lending decisions available
- Funding as soon as the next business day after approval
- Co-borrowers are not permitted
- Must demonstrate household annual income of at least $25,000
- Lower borrowing limit than some lenders
Eligibility:
- Minimum credit score required. 660
- Minimum annual income. $25,000
- Co-borrowers. Not permitted
- Co-signers. Not permitted
Expert’s Take
It’s no surprise that Discover personal loans are popular. Discover was the original rewards credit card with a large, diverse customer base. It utilizes its app and website to make the application process easy (especially for existing customers). In some cases, the funds are available the next day. Discover doesn’t have an application fee and is flexible with repayment options. The entire process is consistent with the brand and experience Discover’s customers are familiar with.
— Herman Thompson, Jr., advisory board member
Most Popular is calculated from the number of times each affiliate product was selected by Forbes Advisor users over a six month time period.
Methodology
We reviewed 29 popular lenders based on 16 data points in the categories of loan details, loan costs, eligibility and accessibility, customer experience and the application process. We chose the best lenders based on the weighting assigned to each category:
- Loan cost: 35%
- Loan details: 20%
- Eligibility and accessibility: 20%
- Customer experience: 15%
- Application process: 10%
Within each major category, we also considered several characteristics, including available loan amounts, repayment terms, APR ranges and applicable fees. We also looked at minimum credit score requirements, whether each lender accepts co-signers or joint applications and the geographic availability of the lender. Finally, we evaluated each provider’s customer support tools, borrower perks and features that simplify the borrowing process—like prequalification options and mobile apps.
Where appropriate, we awarded partial points depending on how well a lender met each criterion.
To learn more about how Forbes Advisor rates lenders, and our editorial process, check out our Loans Rating & Review Methodology.
Tips To Compare Personal Loans for Vacations
Here are a few things to think about as you sort through your loan offers:
- APR: Use the annual percentage rate (APR) to compare the cost of different loans because it includes both interest and fees into one number, rather than having to compare those figures separately.
- Term length: Lenders may offer you a range of options, typically from one to seven years. Longer term loans have smaller monthly payments but usually cost more over time.
- Loan amount: You can specify how much you want to borrow, but depending on your credit and income, you may not qualify for the full amount. Compare various loan offers to find one that suits your needs.
- Monthly payment: Make sure your new monthly payment fits into your budget. Remember, taking out a vacation loan now makes it even harder to save up in advance for your next vacation.
- Other features: Some lenders offer special touches like being able to choose your own payment due date or postpone a payment if needed.
What Is a Vacation Loan?
Vacation loans are unsecured personal loans, meaning they’re not backed by collateral, that you can use to pay for travel. Even if a lender doesn’t advertise a personal loan as a vacation loan, you can use the funds to pay for transportation, hotels, rental cars and other travel-related expenses.
How Do Vacation Loans Work?
If you’re approved for a vacation loan, you’ll usually receive the funds within a few days. It’ll be disbursed as a lump-sum payment typically via direct deposit or a check. You can use these funds for just about any travel-related expenses you want.
Repayment typically starts the month after you receive the money. Depending on when you receive the funds in relation to your travel dates, you might need to start repaying your loan before, during or after your trip. It’s always a good idea to sign up for autopay immediately after receiving the loan so you don’t miss a payment.
Terms typically range from one to seven years and rates range from 4% to 26%.
How to Get a Vacation Loan
Getting a vacation loan can be simpler compared to other types of debt. Here’s how to apply for a vacation loan and find the best one for you:
- Check your credit. Be sure to check your credit score first to make sure it gives lenders an accurate picture. If you know your credit score, you’ll also have some idea of which lenders may approve you.
- Gather your documents. Most lenders want to see your most recent tax return, current pay stubs and bank statements to get an idea of your financial situation. Get these together in advance so you don’t have to scramble later.
- Shop around. Check your rate with as many lenders as you can that offer prequalification. They’ll generally do a soft credit pull, which won’t impact your credit score.
- Choose the best lender. Most people go with the cheapest option. Swing back around to that lender and complete the full application. This is when they’ll generally do a hard credit check, which may temporarily drop your score.
- Keep in touch. Your lender might reach out to you for more information while they’re making a decision on your loan. Make sure you’re keeping an eye out for any phone calls or emails so you can respond quickly and speed up your loan application.
Pros and Cons of Vacation Loans
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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Require no collateral
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Makes it harder to save up for your next vacation
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Can make travel plans possible
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Interest rates increase your overall trip cost
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Builds your credit if you pay on time monthly
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Payments typically last years longer than your vacation itself
|
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Steady, fixed payments that are easy to budget for
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Damages your credit if you make any late payments or default
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Vacation Loan Alternatives
Taking out a vacation loan should be a last resort. There are many better options to try first, including:
- Saving up. We recommend setting aside money every month for vacations. Sit down and create a budget to see how much you can afford to save, then set up automatic transfers each month straight into a high-yield savings account.
- 0% APR credit card. Many credit cards have a special 0% APR offer after you open the card, often for a year or longer. If you open the card right before you travel and are diligent about repaying it all before the zero-interest period is up, you’re essentially getting a free loan.
- Scaling back travel plans. If you just need a break, there are plenty of ways to travel on the cheap. You can limit the amount of debt you take on, or even pay for it all from your existing savings.
- Travel rewards credit card. Many travel rewards credit cards offer sign-up bonuses large enough to pay for a flight within a few months of getting the card. You can also build up a pool of points from your everyday spending that you can put toward travel expenses.
Find the Best Personal Loans of 2026
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are holiday loans a good idea?
Holiday loans could make sense for necessary and urgent travel but aren’t recommended for nonessential trips. Saving up for travel is a better strategy since you can return home without having to worry about holiday debt payments.
Who should consider a holiday loan?
Holiday and travel loans are best for people who need to travel for an important event or emergency, like a death in the family. Otherwise, taking out loans for high-cost, nonessential travel like a honeymoon or cruise is risky as you’ll accumulate unnecessary debt.
Is it hard to get a holiday loan?
Holiday loans aren’t harder to get than other types of personal loans. Having good credit gives you a better shot at approval and having a high score can help you qualify for low rates. If you don’t have strong credit, applying with a co-signer who has good credit is one way to get approved for better loan offers.
Should you borrow money to go on vacation?
We don’t recommend borrowing money for a vacation, even if you’re really chomping at the bit for a post-Covid vacation.
Are travel loans a thing?
Yes, you can take out a travel loan in the form of an unsecured personal loan. However, we don’t recommend them because the benefits typically don’t outweigh the downsides.