About Travel and Vacations

 

Whether you've been dreaming of a beach resort since January or just decided on a whim to book a long weekend away, planning a trip is one of those purchases that's worth doing right. The travel and vacations category covers everything you need to go from "I should take a trip" to actually being there: flights, hotels, vacation packages, cruises, car rentals, tours, activities and the luggage to haul it all. You can book a solo adventure across Southeast Asia, a family-friendly resort week in Florida, a romantic cruise through the Caribbean or a cabin rental for a quiet mountain getaway. However you like to travel, there's something here for you. Rakuten has paid out over $4.6 billion to more than 17 million members, so the savings you earn on these bookings are real money back in your pocket.

Why Shop Through Rakuten for Travel and Vacations?

 

Travel is one of the biggest spending categories most people have, which makes it one of the best categories to shop smart.

When you book through Rakuten, you can earn Cash Back on eligible purchases from participating travel brands, including well-known booking platforms, major hotel chains, airlines, car rental companies and tour operators. That Cash Back is stackable, too. You can layer it on top of a store sale, a promo code, a loyalty rewards program or any eligible coupons that are already available. Rakuten also surfaces verified coupon codes in one place, so you're not burning time hunting for discount codes before you check out.

Travel bookings are rarely last-minute, at least when you're spending seriously. Most shoppers already know roughly what they want; they're just waiting for the right deal or the right moment to pull the trigger. Rakuten makes it easy to be ready when that moment comes, because the Cash Back is already there waiting for you.

How to Maximize Savings on Travel and Vacations

 

• Start your booking at Rakuten. Search for the travel platform or airline before heading to their site, and activate Cash Back so your eligible purchase gets tracked.
• Stack Cash Back with store sales and promo codes. Rakuten Cash Back can often be combined with a booking platform's existing promotions, seasonal sales or coupon codes, giving you more than one way to save on the same purchase.
• Book during major sales events. Many travel brands run significant promotions around Black Friday, Cyber Monday and major holidays. Pairing those sales with Rakuten Cash Back can add up quickly on big-ticket bookings.
• Sign up for hotel and airline loyalty programs. Frequent-traveler programs often offer member rates, upgrades and point accumulation that can be used alongside Rakuten Cash Back. Check the store's terms to confirm what can be combined.
• Check for verified promo codes before checkout. Rakuten surfaces eligible coupon codes from participating travel stores, so you can grab a discount without opening 10 extra tabs.
• Book in advance when possible. Many hotels, airlines and vacation package providers offer lower rates for bookings made well ahead of travel dates, giving you more room to stack savings before prices climb.
• Use the Rakuten browser extension. It can alert you when Cash Back is available at a participating travel site and remind you to activate it before you complete your booking.

Top Picks in Travel and Vacations

 

1. Flights and airfare: Whether you're booking a quick domestic trip or a long international haul, airfare is usually the first piece of any trip to lock in. Booking through Rakuten lets you earn Cash Back on eligible flight purchases from participating airlines and booking platforms.
2. Hotels and rentals: From big-name hotel chains to vacation rentals and boutique stays, where you sleep is just as important as where you're going. There's a wide range of options for every travel style and budget, and Cash Back is available on eligible bookings at participating properties and platforms.
3. Vacation packages: All-inclusive packages, resort stays and bundled flight-and-hotel deals can simplify planning and often come with real savings built in. Booking a package through a participating Rakuten store means you can earn Cash Back on top of whatever the package already includes.
4. Cruises: Cruises cover a lot of ground, from Caribbean weekend getaways to extended international itineraries. They're a big-ticket purchase where timing your booking well and stacking savings can make a meaningful difference.
5. Car rentals and transportation: Getting around once you've arrived usually means a rental car, rideshare or some combination of both. These bookings are easy to overlook when planning, but they're a straightforward way to earn Cash Back through participating providers.

Best Travel and Vacations by Trip Type

 

Trip Type	Best Booking Categories	What to Look For
Beach vacation	Hotels and resorts, vacation packages and car rentals	All-inclusive options, beachfront properties and bundled deals
Family trip	Vacation packages, theme park hotels and car rentals	Kid-friendly amenities, flexible cancellation and group pricing
International travel	Airfare, hotels and tour operators	Flight deals, guided tours and local activity bookings
Romantic getaway	Hotels and resorts, cruises and vacation packages	Couples packages, boutique properties and upgraded cabin options
Road trip	Car rentals, lodging and activity bookings	Flexible pickup locations, extended rental rates and stopovers
Adventure travel	Tours, activities and airfare	Guided outdoor experiences, multi-destination itineraries and gear-friendly accommodations

Travel and Vacations Providers to Love

Expedia

Expedia is one of the most widely used travel booking platforms around, with options for flights, hotels, vacation packages, car rentals and activities all in one place.

Booking.com

Booking.com is a global hotel and accommodation platform carrying everything from budget stays and apartments to resorts and boutique properties, with options across hundreds of countries.

Priceline

Priceline is a well-known travel booking site where you can shop for flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages and cruises, often with deals on flexible or last-minute bookings.

Viator

Viator is a tours and activities platform that connects travelers with guided experiences, day trips, cooking classes, cultural tours, outdoor adventures and more at destinations around the world.

Marriott.com

Marriott.com is the direct booking site for Marriott's portfolio of hotel brands, covering a wide range of property types and price points across thousands of destinations globally.

IHG Hotels and Resorts

IHG is a global hotel company whose portfolio includes a broad range of brands, from everyday business hotels to upscale resorts, bookable directly through their site.

Sixt

Sixt is an international car rental company offering a wide selection of vehicles, from economy cars to premium and luxury options, at locations across the U.S. and abroad.

How Does Rakuten Work?

Rakuten is the most rewarding way to shop, helping you earn Cash Back every time you buy your favorite products at thousands of stores, including some of the most popular Travel and Vacations brands. It's a simple way to get value back for shopping you're already doing. Here's how to start earning Cash Back:
 

1. Join Rakuten for free. Create a free Rakuten account online, in the app or through the browser extension.
2. Find a participating store. Search Rakuten for the store where you want to shop.
3. Activate Cash Back. Click through Rakuten before making your purchase.
4. Shop as usual. Complete your order on the store's website.
5. Get paid. Eligible Cash Back is added to your Rakuten account and paid out every three months via check, PayPal, Amex Membership Rewards Points or Bilt Points.
    

How is it free? Stores pay Rakuten to send them shoppers, and Rakuten shares that money with you as Cash Back. It's as simple as that!

Why Rakuten Is a Dependable Way to Shop for Travel and Vacations

Trustworthiness and reliability are the foundation of a rewarding customer experience. Here's how you know you can always count on Rakuten:
 

1. It has been around for decades. Rakuten has been helping shape the way people shop online since its founding in 1999.
2. It has a huge member base and has paid out billions of dollars. Rakuten has more than 17 million members and has paid out over $4.6 billion in Cash Back in the U.S.
3. It has strong user reviews. Rakuten has a 4.6 rating on Trustpilot with over 36,000 reviews, including more than 27,000 five-star reviews.
4. It has thousands of partners. Rakuten partners with over 3,500 stores in a huge range of shopping categories, including clothing, shoes, beauty, travel, electronics, pets, experiences and more.
5. It has a straightforward model. Rakuten's structure may seem confusing at first, but it's really quite simple: Stores pay Rakuten for sending them shoppers, and Rakuten shares that money with its members as Cash Back. That's it!
6. It has a clear payment schedule and multiple payout options. Rakuten pays its members their Cash Back every three months through one of four payment options: check, PayPal, American Express Membership Rewards points or Bilt Points.
7. It publishes its privacy policy and terms. Rakuten provides a formal privacy policy that explains how its tracking works when you click through to a store. The company also publishes terms and conditions for its browser extension that describe how extension-collected data is handled in accordance with its privacy policy.

The travel and vacations category on Rakuten covers flights, hotels, vacation packages, cruises, car rentals, tours, activities and luggage. You can earn Cash Back on eligible bookings across all of these types when you shop at a participating store.

For most destinations, booking flights and hotels well in advance, typically several weeks to a few months out, tends to produce lower prices than last-minute booking. Major sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday also bring strong promotions from travel brands, making them good windows to lock in plans for the year ahead.

Booking directly can sometimes offer perks like loyalty points, flexible cancellation or member-only rates. Booking through a platform gives you the ability to compare multiple options at once and may come with its own deals. Both approaches can work well alongside Rakuten Cash Back, as long as you activate Cash Back through Rakuten before completing your booking and confirm that your purchase qualifies.

Vacation packages can be a practical way to save, especially when flights, hotels and sometimes activities are bundled together. The savings vary by destination, travel dates and provider, so it's worth comparing a package deal against booking each piece separately before you commit.

Look at the total cost including fees, the cancellation policy, the pickup and drop-off locations and what's included in the base rate versus what's an add-on. Booking in advance usually gets you a better rate than booking at the counter, and Cash Back is available on eligible car rental purchases through participating Rakuten stores.

Yes. You can earn Cash Back on eligible travel purchases when you start your shopping trip through Rakuten and complete your booking at a participating store. This includes flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages, cruises and tour bookings, depending on the store.

In many cases, yes. Rakuten Cash Back can often be stacked with eligible loyalty rewards, member rates and promo codes. Always check the store's terms and Rakuten's details before completing your booking to confirm what can be combined.

Start at Rakuten and search for the travel platforms or brands you're already considering. Check what Cash Back rates are available, look for any active coupon codes through Rakuten and then browse the store's current promotions. Stacking a store sale or promo code with Rakuten Cash Back is one of the most straightforward ways to get more value from any travel booking.