Build your budget from transport and accommodation costs, then add meals, local travel, activities, insurance and a contingency amount. Booking flights and stays 2 to 3 months ahead can give you time to compare options, but actual prices depend on your dates and availability.
Worked example: Ananya in Kolkata
Ananya is 36 and works as a salaried school principal in Kolkata. She earns Rs. 75,000 per month and has a CIBIL score of 758. She plans a seven-day December trip to Kutch and Udaipur with her husband and two children. Her budget is Rs. 2.1 lakh, based on her own travel estimates.
| Expense | Ananya's budget (Rs.) |
|---|
| Total trip budget | 2,10,000 |
| Contribution from savings | 50,000 |
| Amount to borrow | 1,60,000 |
Ananya plans to borrow Rs. 1.6 lakh at an illustrative interest rate of 15.5% per annum. Before selecting a repayment tenure, she compares the monthly equated monthly instalment (EMI) with the total interest payable.
EMI formula: EMI = P × R × (1 + R)^N ÷ [(1 + R)^N − 1]
P is the loan amount in rupees, R is the monthly interest rate expressed as a decimal, and N is the repayment tenure in months. For an annual interest rate of 15.5%, R is 15.5 ÷ 12 ÷ 100. The formula calculates equal monthly payments covering principal and interest. The interest component is higher in the earlier instalments and declines as the outstanding principal reduces. All figures below use the supplied illustration and are rounded to the nearest rupee.
| Tenure | Monthly EMI (Rs.) | Total interest (Rs.) | EMI as share of salary (%) |
|---|
| 18 months (1.5 years) | 10,019 | 20,347 | 13.4 |
| 24 months (2 years) | 7,796 | 27,102 | 10.4 |
Last updated: 16th October, 2026
The 24-month option reduces Ananya's monthly EMI by Rs. 2,223 but adds Rs. 6,755 in total interest. The processing fee on a Rs. 1.6 lakh loan is up to Rs. 6,608, inclusive of applicable taxes.
Ananya chooses the 24-month tenure in this illustration because its lower EMI takes up a smaller share of her monthly salary. She must still account for the processing fee, household expenses and existing financial commitments when assessing affordability.
What can delay approval? A CIBIL score below 650 or existing EMIs that take up a large share of your income can affect the lender's assessment. Inconsistent names or addresses across documents can delay verification. Multiple loan applications within a short period can also affect the assessment process.
Booking a December trip? With a Bajaj Finance Personal Loan, you can borrow Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 75 lakh, subject to eligibility. Check your loan offer with your phone number and a one-time password (OTP) → apply online in about 5 minutes → receive funds within 24 hours* of approval.
