Writer: Ashley Fricker
Editor: Lillian Guevara-Castro
Traveling is something almost everyone loves to do – whether it’s hitting the open road, flying the friendly skies, or cruising the ocean blue – and it’s always a welcome break from our everyday routines. The catch, of course, is that vacations can get expensive, so many of us don’t travel as often as we’d like.
Finding the best travel credit cards can be extremely valuable when you’re establishing your next vacation budget. Simply use the card to make your everyday purchases, and you’ll simultaneously earn points and miles that can be redeemed for things like free or discounted hotel stays, plane tickets, rental cars and more, making the cost of your next vacation that much more affordable.
Different travel rewards cards serve different purposes, so there are definitely some considerations to think over, mostly dependent on what kind of travel you’re into. We’ve compiled all of our experts’ top picks — including air miles, hotels, car rentals, travel insurance, travel points, and more — which you can skip ahead to using the links below:
International Travel | Air Miles | Hotel Stays | Car Rentals | Welcome Bonus
Travel Insurance | Prepaid/Debit | Travel Points
Best “International Travel” Credit Cards
When it comes to traveling abroad, there are a few things to be cognizant of when using credit for your purchases. For one, chip-n-pin technology has been used in Europe and other countries long before it made its way to the U.S., so if you’re carrying an older card around without chip-card technology, you may find yourself asking the cashier to enter the card manually (which can be tricky in a foreign language).
Another key factor — maybe even the biggest one — is foreign transaction fees. You’ll want a card that doesn’t charge them, since those fees can add unexpected costs to your trip. Here are some strong options for international travel that come with no foreign transaction fees:
These cards will ensure you don’t pay an additional fee every time you swipe your card in another country. Plus, the Visa and Mastercard branding offers wider acceptance internationally, as opposed to their American Express and Discover counterparts.
Best “Air Miles” Credit Cards
This is your Captain (obvious) speaking: Air miles cards give you the opportunity to earn and redeem air miles for free or discounted flights. There’s actually a community of people who churn through these cards as a hobby/lifestyle, earning enough miles to fly the globe, mostly in first class, for free! Most of us, however, would be thrilled with just a free pair of tickets to Anywhere, U.S.A., and these cards can certainly help you achieve that.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $300 to use on hotel and vacation rental bookings through Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that’s more than $1,000 in travel value
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and participating Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Top rated mobile app
With the ability to fly any airline, anytime, these cards won’t restrict you to a certain airline or certain times of the year, which many air miles cards are known to do. Imagine not being able to redeem your points for a summer vacation you’ve been planning for months, because, unbeknownst to you, it falls on a blackout date.
Best “Hotel” Credit Cards
Hotel travel rewards, similar to air miles, allow you to earn and redeem points good for free or discounted hotel stays. While a card that won’t restrict you to a certain hotel chain is definitely nice, some hotel co-branded offers are tough to beat, and generally offer elite status perks for its hotels, including room upgrades and additional discounts on stays.
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $300 to use on hotel and vacation rental bookings through Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that’s more than $1,000 in travel value
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app
If you already have a favorite hotel for your trips, it’s worth looking into that hotel’s co-branded card if one is available (Marriott and Hilton do), since it can help you earn rewards for the stays you actually want.
Best “Car Rental” Credit Cards
When using a credit card to pay for a rental car, one of the biggest advantages is the included rental insurance that comes with some credit cards, which typically acts as secondary coverage to your own auto insurance policy.
However – and this part really matters – some cards provide only secondary coverage, and many won’t include rental insurance if you pay for the car entirely with rewards, which means you may need to charge at least one day of the rental to your card.
But you’re in luck because the Chase Sapphire cards not only offer primary rental car insurance, but cardholders still qualify for the rental coverage when the vehicle is booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Reserve® was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
Another benefit of using a Chase card for car rentals, according to CreditCards.com, is that they have no exclusions for rentals outside of the U.S., whereas some issuers limit coverage in other countries.
Best “Welcome Bonus” Credit Cards
Some people sign up for a travel rewards card just long enough to spend the minimum required to earn the bonus, redeem said bonus, and either stow the card away or cancel it altogether — that’s how powerful a welcome bonus can be. In fact, the cards below offer such impressive bonuses that they can be redeemed for hundreds of dollars’ worth of travel right off the bat.
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
Travel credit cards are known for offering some of the best welcome bonuses — but they’re always changing — so if you find a good deal you’re happy with, jump on it before it’s gone.
Best “Travel Insurance” Credit Cards
Chase Bank tops our list of cards offering the best travel insurance protection. While many issuers limit coverage to you and your immediate family (spouse and children), Chase includes the whole gang. According to Chase’s guide benefits, this includes your spouse or domestic partner and their children, including adopted children or step-children; legal guardians or wards; siblings or siblings-in-law; parents or parents-in-law; grandparents or grandchildren; aunts or uncles; nieces or nephews. The following Chase cards provide travel accident insurance, luggage protection, and trip cancellation insurance:
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Reserve® was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
Be aware that issuers vary wildly in both their policies and deadlines for filing claims — you can refer to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® guide to benefits here and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card guide to benefits here.
Best “Prepaid” Travel Credit Cards
The benefits of using a prepaid card for travel are many. For one, some would argue that making purchases on a prepaid card is safer than using a debit or credit card because your bank account is not tied to the card. It also allows you to budget for your trip, being that you can only spend the amount loaded onto the card (though you can continue to load the card as needed), and you can still withdraw cash from an ATM as you would with a debit card — just be mindful of ATM fees. Additionally, the currency will automatically be converted in other countries, avoiding pesky foreign transaction fees. Below are some of our favorite prepaid travel cards:
*Terms and conditions apply. GO2bank™ cards are issued by Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A., Inc. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association. Overdraft fees may apply. Click Apply Now to learn more.
We suggest choosing a prepaid card you won’t have to worry about not being able to use, like a Mastercard or Visa-branded card, as American Express and Discover are not as widely accepted.
Best Overall “Travel Points” Credit Card
In case you haven’t noticed, there’s one card, in particular, that’s appeared in many of these categories, and that’s the Sapphire Preferred, offered through Chase Bank. Between the awesome sign-up bonus, travel insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and being named MONEY Magazine’s “Best Credit Card” for travel rewards, it’s an all-around great card.
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
The card requires applicants have excellent credit scores to be approved, though some have claimed they were approved with a credit score in the high 600s. And it does carry an annual fee — as do most cards with awesome perks — but it is waived the first year for new cardholders.
Are Your Bags Packed Yet?
Wherever your next vacation takes you, the right card in your wallet can help make the trip more affordable and a little less stressful. When you choose a card with rewards and perks that match how you like to travel, you’ll earn valuable points, miles, and protections you can actually use, without the usual restrictions.
Editorial Note: Our site content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed on CardRates.com are the author's alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by credit card issuers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information; however, all credit card offer details, including information about rewards, signup bonuses, introductory offers, and other terms and conditions, is presented without warranty. Clicking on any offer on CardRates.com will direct you to the issuer's website, where you can review the current terms and conditions of the offer.
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