Price the trip first
A vacation fund works best when the target is specific. Look up rough flight prices for your dates, multiply a realistic hotel rate by the number of nights, and set a daily food budget for the whole group. Activities, local transport, travel insurance and souvenirs go in the last box, and a 10% buffer covers the things you forget. Food is counted for one more day than the number of nights, since travel days need meals too.
Then divide by the months left. A trip that costs about $5,350 and is six months away needs about $890 a month. If that is too much, the bars show which piece of the trip is largest and therefore the best place to trim.
Paying before you go
Saving ahead means the trip is fully paid when you get home, with no card balance to drag the memory down. Many people keep a separate high-yield savings account for travel and book flights and hotels from it as the balance builds. If your destination uses another currency, see how far your budget goes there with our travel budget by country calculator.
Common questions
How much should I budget for a vacation?
Add flights, lodging, food per day, activities and a 10% buffer. A week abroad for two commonly runs $3,000 to $7,000 from the US, depending on destination and season.
How far ahead should I start saving?
Six to twelve months works for most trips and keeps the monthly amount manageable.
Should I use a travel credit card?
Rewards can help if you pay the balance in full every month. Carrying a balance wipes out the benefit.
This calculator gives estimates for planning. Real returns, rates and prices change, so treat the result as a guide rather than a promise. Read how we build and check our calculators.