Whether you’re taking a gap year, traveling during the summer or just trying to get home for Christmas, travel can put a strain on your budget. Your best bet is to find a card that works as hard as you do. By finding something with perks, low interest, and flexible options, you’ll never have to miss spring break in Boca or Thanksgiving with the fam. We’ve rounded up our favorite travel cards here.
Best travel credit card for flexibility: Capital One® Venture®
Why it’s best
Some cards force you into brand loyalty, which could mean spending more for travel just to get your points and discounts. But the Capital One Venture card transfers your points to 14 different travel partners, so you get to shop around for the best deals. And, with two miles for every dollar you spend, you’ll rack them up even faster. Capital One really hangs their hat on being fuss-free, and the Venture card is one of the easiest for point redemption on travel, cash back and upgrades.
Bonus Points
- 50,000 bonus points if you hit $3K in spending the first three months
- Your first year is free ($95 annual fee after that)
- Up to $3K in lost luggage insurance and $250K in travel accident insurance
Best travel credit card for points on a budget: Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Why it’s best
If you love the idea of getting points fast, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a low-cost credit card with a great points allowance program without the high annual fee. You’ll get an extremely generous double points for travel and restaurants, and one point for everything else. It’s easy to rack up points quickly and Chase makes it easy to redeem them (and at a 1.5x rate if you choose to redeem them for travel with any of their airline transfer partners).
Bonus Points
- 50,000 bonus points if you spend $4K in the first three months (which equals $750 in free travel).
- No foreign exchange fees
- Low annual fee of $95
Best travel credit card for VIP perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Why it’s best
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the hottest travel cards on the market because it comes with some incredible VIP perks. From airline lounges throughout the world to a $300 annual travel credit (that offsets the relatively high $450 annual fee), the Sapphire Reserve makes it easy to rack up points with 3x on travel and food purchases. You’ll also get a 1.5x point bonus if you redeem your points for travel through their rewards portal.
Bonus Points
- Waived Global Entry and TSA Pre-check fees
- No blackout dates for travel or redemption
- 60,000 bonus points after spending $4K in the first three months.
Best travel credit card for no-fee travel rewards: Wells Fargo Propel®
Why it’s best
Love the idea of a points card but can’t stomach the high fees? The Wells Fargo Propel card offers the most without any pesky nickel-and-diming. There’s no annual fee and what’s more, you’ll still get 3x the points on travel, dining, and streaming services. It might not be as exclusive as other cards, but you’ll still bonus points and flexible travel.
Bonus Points
- 30,000 bonus points after spending $3K in the first three months
- No foreign transaction fees
- 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first year
Best travel credit card for ridesharing: American Express® Platinum Card®
Why it’s best
While it’s one of the most expensive credit card options (a $550 annual fee), the American Express Platinum is heavy on the perks. You’ll score VIP status with Uber and $15 in free rides every month. The card also offers a whopping 100,000 bonus points for spending $5K in the first three months. With a $200 travel credit and $200 baggage allowance each year, this card also gives you 5x the point if you redeem them for travel and VIP benefits at a bevy of hotels around the world.
Bonus Points
- Gold Elite status with Marriott and Hilton hotels
- Access to partner airport lounges all over the world
- $20 bonus Uber credit in December and up to $100 in statement credits at Saks Fifth Avenue
Best travel credit card for newbies: Discover it® Miles
Why it’s best
If you’re just learning about travel rewards cards, all of the terms, conditions and rewards redemption options can be confusing. The Discover It® Miles card helps relieve some of that confusion by making travel and points simple. You don’t need to worry about which categories earn which points: every transaction earns 1.5 miles per dollar, period. Each mile is worth one cent, and you can redeem them for a credit after booking travel. No need to worry about blackout dates. Simple, easy, and no confusing small print.
Bonus Points
- No annual fee and no interest for the first 14 months
- You can use miles for travel or for a statement credit
- Discover matches mile earnings for the first 12 months
Jae Curtis
Personal finance writer
