The Best Travel Credit Cards for 2024 (2024)

Last Updated: 5/17/24 | May 17th, 2024

Nomadic Matt has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Some or all of the card offers on this page are from advertisers and compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. Nomadic Matt and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

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.

With so many choices out there, it can be difficult to choose the best travel credit card. There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of options out there — and so many of them seem to be the same! 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?

Is elite status the most important perk for you? Do you want points you can use like cash for anything?

You get the cards that match your goal.

I have an entire post on picking the best travel credit card.

Obviously, the airline and hotel cards you’ll pick are going to be based on those you use a lot. For example, I have a Marriott card and a Delta card because those are my brands of choice.

But, for those general points credit cards, some are way better than others. If you don’t have any specific goals in mind and are just looking for some you can use in your day-to-day life, here’s a list of what I think the best travel credit cards are, their features, and why and when you should have them.

MY TOP PICK: Chase Sapphire Preferred®

This award-winning card is one of the best all-around travel cards out there. It’s the “starter” version of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (one of my favorite premium travel credit cards). It’s great for the more infrequent traveler (this is the card I got my mother) or anyone who is dead-set on not paying a high yearly fee (this card is only $95 a year). .

This card offers:

• bonus_miles_full
• 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)
• Earn up to 5x on Lyft rides
• 10% anniversary points boost (earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year)
• Free DoorDash DashPass subscription
• $50 Annual Chase Travel(SM) Hotel Credit
• No foreign transaction fees

It’s a simple, easy-to-use credit card. I wrote a comprehensive review of the card here if you want to read more about it.

Bilt Mastercard®

The Bilt Mastercard is the only credit card that allows you to earn points by paying your rent (up to 100,000 points each year). It’s what I use to pay my rent each month as you can earn points without any transaction fees just by making your regular rental payments. It’s also the only card that transfers to American and Alaska Airlines. And there are no annual fees either!

This card offers:

• 1x points on rental payments (up to 100,000 points per year)
• 2x points on travel
• 3x points on dining
• 5x points on Lyft rideshare when you link your Bilt account and pay with your Bilt card
• American and Alaska Airlines as transfer partners (the only card that does)
• Rent Day benefits: monthly giveaways and challenges as well as 6x points on dining, 4x points on travel, and 2x on other spending on the 1st of the month
• Access to the Bilt Milestone Rewards program (where you get more perks and earning power the more points you accumulate)
• No foreign transaction fees

It’s a simple card with no annual fee that’s a must-have for anyone paying rent. It’s important to note that you must use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points. Click here for a full breakdown of Rewards and Benefits and Rates and Fees.

American Express® Gold Card

This card is a great choice for travelers who enjoy dining out, as it offers 4x points on restaurants and groceries, 3x points on flights, and $120 Uber Cash (which you can use on rides or UberEats). You’ll earn Membership Rewards® points, which you can transfer to any of their 16 travel partners, some of which overlap with Chase’s transfer partners and some which Chase does not have (like Delta).

This card offers:

• bonus_miles_full
• 4x points on restaurants worldwide (plus takeout/delivery in the US)
• 4x points on US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x)
• 3x points on flights (when booked directly or on amextravel.com)
• $120 in Uber Cash ($10 in Uber Cash distributed each month when you add your Gold Card to the Uber app)
• $120 in dining credit (earn up to $10 in monthly statement credits when you use your card at select companies/restaurants like GrubHub or The Cheesecake Factory; enrollment required)
• $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel
• No foreign transaction fees

If you are a foodie, this is a great card to have in your wallet. It does come with a $250 fee, but if you make use of the credits and other perks, it’s more than worth it. See Rates and Fees.

Capital One Venture

This is one of my favorite credit cards. I absolutely think you should get this card, especially if you’re looking for an easy-to-use card with a high earning rate on everyday purchases.

This card offers:

• bonus_miles_full
• 2x miles on every dollar spent
• 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Transfer miles to any of their 15+ travel partners
• Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
• No foreign transaction fees
• $95 annual fee

With 2x points on all purchases (a rarity in a travel card) this is a card that should be in your wallet. When they relaunched it, I liked it so much I got one myself!

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

If you’re looking for something more in the ways of cashback and/or want to stick with Chase points over Amex points, this is the best card for you. It’s simple and easy to use. And for more avid collectors of points and miles, the cashback is accrued as Chase points, which can be used for travel rewards (and if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can transfer these points to one of Chase’s many travel partners for an even better value).

This card offers:

• No annual fee
• 1.5% cash back on all purchases
• bonus_miles_full
• 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel^(SM)
• 3% cash back on restaurants and drugstores

If you’re like my dad (who doesn’t fly a lot and just wants a no-fee cashback card), then this card is for you!

One thing to remember is that there’s not one card to use for all occasions. Each card has its perks, so you want to maximize your point earning by sticking and matching your spending. 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.

Advertiser Disclosure: “Nomadic Matt has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Some or all of the card offers on this page are from advertisers and compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. Nomadic Matt and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.”

Editorial Disclosure: “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.”

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, See Rates and Fees.