The Best Travel Credit Cards for 2026

a person using their travel credit card to shop on their laptop

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With so many card choices out there, it can be difficult to figure out the best travel credit card. There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of options! How do you know which one is right for you? Or which one gives you the best rewards? Are the fees worth it? Which gives you the best perks?

For someone who isn’t deep into the credit card industry, it can be very confusing — and a bit nerve-wracking — to figure out which card to get.

But let me say this: there is no “best card.” The best travel credit card is the one that aligns with your travel goals.

Are you interested in loyalty to a brand, free rewards, or avoiding fees?

Do you want to milk the rewards and bonus system to get free flights, or do you just want a card that won’t charge you a fee for using it at that restaurant in Brazil?

You get the cards that match your goal.

I have an entire post on picking the best travel credit card that you can read to determine how to pick the card that is right for you. (Obviously, the airline and hotel cards you’ll pick are going to be based on those you use a lot.)

But some are better than others and bonuses and offers change all the time. In this post, I’m going to list what I think are the current top cards and offers!

American Express® Gold Card

Annual Fee: $325 (See Rates and Fees.)

Up to 100,000 Bonus Points

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

This card offers lucrative rewards at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets as well as a lot of travel benefits that make it a great card if you travel and eat out a lot. Plus, it has a lot of statement credits options that can be used to offset its yearly fee.

Earn 4x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1x Membership Rewards point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin’ Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you’ll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
No foreign transaction fees

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Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Annual Fee: $95

75,000 Bonus Miles

Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of my favorite credit cards, especially if you are looking for a card with a low minimum fee. It’s an easy-to-use card with a high earning rate on everyday purchases and comes with a lot of valuable transfer partners.

Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Transfer miles to any of their 15+ travel partners
Up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
No foreign transaction fees

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Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Annual Fee: $395

75,000 Bonus Miles

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.

This card earns 2x miles per dollar earned on every purchase, annual travel credits, lots of statement credits, lounge access, and a wide variety of transfer partners. Cardholders can enjoy flexible redemptions on their rewards, too! It’s one of my favorite premium cards out there and the lower fee can make it a better option than the others on this list.

2x miles per dollar on every purchase
10x miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One’s travel booking site
5x miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One’s travel booking site
Up to $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One’s travel booking site
Up to $120 statement credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry
Up to $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date
Ability to transfer to 15+ Capital One transfer partners
Free cards for employees
Unlimited access to Capital One Lounge locations and membership to Priority Pass through the Partner Lounge Network
No foreign transaction fees

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Read My Review

The Platinum Card® from American Express

American Express Platinum Card®

Annual Fee: $895 (See Rates and Fees.)

Up to 175,000 Bonus Points

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

This is one of the best premium cards out there — if you take advantage of its luxury benefits. This card unlocks lounge access, elite status benefits (enrollment required), travel perks, special hotel discounts, and luxury goods and service credits. It’s my favorite premium credit card and, when the statement credits are used correctly, it more than pays for itself.

5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
1X Membership Rewards® points on all other purchases.
Get access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges.
Up to $200 Uber credits each year when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
Get up to $300 Digital Entertainment Credit each year after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at participating partners. Enrollment required.
Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter with the $400 Resy Credit benefit. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you, enrollment required.
Up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR® Plus with the Platinum Card®. Subject to auto-renewal.
Select a qualifying airline and receive up to $200 in fee statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account.
Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. Enrollment required.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
Up to $200 in statements credits when you use the Platinum Card^® to purchase an Oura Ring at Ouraring.com each calendar year. Enrollment required.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Annual Fee: $95

75,000 Bonus Points

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best all-around travel cards out there. It’s the “starter” version of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. This award-winning card is ideal for the occasional traveler or anyone who is determined not to pay a high yearly fee.

2x points on travel purchases
3x points on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out), online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel^SM
5x on Lyft
10% anniversary points boost (earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year)
Complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription when you activate by December 31, 2027
$50 Annual Chase Travel^SM Hotel Credit
No foreign transaction fees

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Read My Review

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If you’re looking for something more specific, be sure to check out the lists of all my other favorite cards (I update them regularly):

The Best Hotel Travel Cards
The Best Airline Credit Cards
The Best Premium Travel Cards
The Best Business Travel Cards
The Best No-Fee Credit Cards

One thing to remember is that there’s not one card to use for all occasions. I use three or four cards for all my spending. Chase for travel and restaurants, American Express for groceries, Delta for travel perks on the airline, and Marriott for my hotel stays. That way, I always get the most points possible for every dollar I spend without spreading my points around too much.

So, if you’re looking for a travel credit card, pick one of the above. They are the best in my opinion.

Stop paying full price for travel!

Download my free guide to points and miles and learn how to use points and miles for free travel! It's how all the pros travel so much! In this guide, I'll show you:

How to Pick a Credit Card
How to Earn Up to 10x Miles on Your Spending
How to Redeem Your Points
And a Ton of Other Money Saving Tips!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

SafetyWing (best for budget travelers)
World Nomads (best for mid-range travelers)
InsureMyTrip (for those 70 and over)
Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free?
Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need a Rental Car?
Discover Cars is a budget-friendly international car rental website. No matter where you’re headed, they’ll be able to find the best — and cheapest — rental for your trip!

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip?
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. This page does not include all card companies or all available card offers.

Non-Affiliate disclosure: All information about The Chase Sapphire Preferred® has been collected independently by Nomadic Matt. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is no longer available through Nomadic Matt.