The 5 Best Travel Cards for Travelers Wanting to Save

This post is about the best travel cards.

Finding the best travel cards is one hell of a challenge when faced with all of the options available! I mean it seems like every bank now has at least three cards they claim are the best travel cards you’ll ever sign up for. And the of course the sign on bonuses, the annual fees, the fun perks. It may seem impossible!

But I am going to break it down for you and give you my own personal recommendations. No need to fear! You’ll find any of these cards to be a great option for whatever your needs are. 

Chase Freedom Unlimited

($0 annual fee / 1.5-6.5% cash back / intro offer $300)

If you aren’t a fan of annual fees, then the Chase Freedom Unlimited card is a perfect option! Although you don’t get miles or rewards towards travel specifically, you get a hell of a percentage in cash back. 

I personally love having a travel card that gives cash back rather than miles because you have more freedom when using those rewards. For example, I use my cash back on random needs I don’t want to spend my money on like that piece of travel gear that’s been sitting in your Amazon cart for months. Or that excursion that is a bit out of your price range, but you still really want to do it.

And of course, don’t forget about the intro bonus offer! $300 just for signing up and using your card! What a deal. I’d say for anyone just starting out in the credit card world, this is your best option. The rest of the best travel cards listed here are a little more involved.

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard – My Favorite of the Best Travel Cards

($99 annual fee / 2x miles on purchases / intro offer 50,000 bonus miles)

I recently got this card, and I am so glad I did! The annual fee was a bit scary for me in the beginning, but after seeing how much I’m getting back, I couldn’t be happier. 

This card really shines when using it on things like gas, restaurants, and all of your travel expenses rewarding you with double the miles on all of those purchases. The amount of miles I have gotten just from using this for my everyday purchases has blown me away.

Let’s not forget the absolutely insane bonus offer! 50,000 bonus miles right off the bat! My overall plan is to save up all of these miles to get cheap airline tickets abroad, so I am very excited to put my hard-earned spending to use! 

The only negative to a card like this is that this card is airline specific. You can only use these miles on American Airlines flights. Honestly if you are planning on traveling abroad often, this is a great option in terms of a specific airline credit card because it encompasses both American Airlines and British Airways which expands the destinations you can travel to on your earned miles.

Bank of America Travel Rewards Card 

($0 annual fee / 1.5x points / intro offer 25,000 points)

Next up, we have another fantastic option, Bank of America Travel Rewards Card. There’s the enticing $0 annual fee to start off. And then lots of fun perks simply for using the card on your average spending.

This card works one a points system. So, for every single purchase you make regardless of it being for travel or not, you are rewarded with 1.5x times the points! The reason this travel card is so great is because there are endless ways for you to use these points. You can book flights, hotels, rental cars, excursions, transportation, and tons more. All with the reward points you receive when you simply use the card on your everyday spending.

Even better is the intro offer of 25,000 points just to start you off on your savings adventure! Who could say no to free points?

Capital One Venture One Card – The Best Travel Cards for Budget Travelers

($0 annual fee / 5x miles on Travel expenses / intro offer 20,000 miles)

This is probably the next card I am going to work my way towards since it has such amazing advantages as a travel card! Of course, the $0 annual fee is a huge incentive already, but the rewards you receive for simply using the card is insane!

I highly recommend this card to avid travelers. If you find yourself traveling multiple times a year, then this card will give you the most bang for your buck. Yes, you read that right. 5x times the miles on all travel expenses! So, whether you’re staying in hotels, paying for car rentals, trains, buses, excursions, flights, you are rewarded with 5x times the miles!

This is probably the best travel cards on this list in my opinion simply because there are no downsides to this card if you travel often enough. Even better is the fact that you can use these miles on almost any flight of your choosing! Plus, you get 20,000 miles as a bonus just for signing up and using the card!

I am very excited for the day when I finally get my hands on one of these beauties!

The Platinum Card from American Express 

Best Travel Cards for Luxury Travelers

($695 annual fee / VIP airport lounges / 1-5x points/ intro offer 100,000 points)

Finally, we have the Platinum Card from American Express. This card is not for the faint of heart as the annual fee comes in at a whopping $695! I truly believe this card is only for those who enjoy luxury travel and especially those that can actually afford it. 

Simply by signing up for this card, you get access to VIP airport lounges worldwide! VIP lounges include free buffet meals, comfortable seating, showers, private sleeper rooms, private transport to your gate, etc. 

Of course, the rewards are pretty nice too. Just for spending money on this card, you receive 1-5x times the points which can be used on almost anything! In the end I think this card is only truly worth it for people who know how to use those rewards points to their advantage. Plus the lounges are a nice touch.

Lastly, to entice you even more into spending your rent money on an annual fee for the best travel cards, you are rewarded with 100,000 bonus points for signing up! Not a bad way to start off a vacation, eh?

The Best Travel Cards

And there you have it! 5 of the best travel cards any traveler could use to help them on their next adventure! I love my credit cards for the benefits they offer towards my travels. Because at the end of the day, I’m always planning the next adventure, so why not have a credit card that helps me out?

Looking for more budget friendly travel tips? Go check out some of my recent posts about planning and budgeting for your next adventure!

How to Travel on a Budget

If you have any other travel cards yourself, let me know which ones you love! 

This post is about the best travel cards.