What Card Should I Travel With – how to pick the right credit card to take on vacation without paying foreign transaction fees while still building rewards points!

Now that you’re all booked and ready to travel using your rewards, how do you keep them coming, and not spend a fortune when traveling, especially internationally?

Today we’re going to talk about finding the right card to travel with- that will keep you earning for future trips, and won’t cost you an arm and a leg in foreign transaction fees. It’s so important to keep your cards working for you so you can keep traveling more – and it’s much easier than it seems!

First things first- these posts contain affiliate links.

While I do get a small payment when people signup though these links, this is the exact method I use and I believe in the products I’m linking to- your trust is worth more to me!

Also, using these links ensures you some of the best deals you will find. There’s a lot of lower signup bonus cards out there, but I’ve found the best for you!

So, let’s get you traveling the world free!!!

Be sure to really dive in through my posts in this series:

-How to Fly Free

-How To Find the Right Travel Rewards Card

-How to Use Rewards Cards for the Most Points

-How to Use Rewards Points to Fly Free

-How to Get Even More Rewards Points

-How to Keep Your Good Credit When Opening Cards

-Find the Best Credit Card to Travel With

The biggest tip for picking which card to travel with?

Make sure you have a card with no foreign transaction fees!

While they don’t seem like much, foreign transaction fees can REALLY add up quickly when vacationing outside of the US.

When my husband and I were traveling in Scotland for our honeymoon, we only brought a credit card and used our debit cards most of the time.

We thought we were being smart by only bringing two credit cards (so we didn’t lose one, get hit with identity theft, or have the unthinkable happen and get robbed…) but really, we were SO dumb- we got completely nailed with foreign transaction fees.

Sure, they were things like $1-$3 charges, but they seriously add up over time.

The solution is super simple- make sure your card has NO FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEES!

Luckily, many airline rewards cards have free foreign translation structures.

While we screwed up on our honeymoon, my husband and I quickly learned our lesson- and took our Chase cards with us the next time, since they don’t have any foreign transaction fees. View additional No Foreign Transaction Fee offers here!.
Other things to look for when considering which cards to travel with: 

-Concierge Services.

Some cards offer crazy good customer service like concierge offerings, trip insurance, and more. Really see which card offers you the best protection or advantage in any circumstance!

-Points structure. 

Will you be buying flight upgrades (economy plus, snacks on the plane, wifi in the cabin)? If so, you’ll want a card that rewards you double or triple for those! View additional travel airline credit card offers here

Will you be spending a lot on travel expenses like rental cars, hotels, restaurants, or uber? Make sure you bring a card that rewards those! View Additional Hotel Credit Card offers here!
– Cash Advance

I almost never use a cash advance off my card (you don’t get points from it, and I just about never carry cash), but you want to be sure if you’re not bringing a debit card for safety or security reasons that you have a way to get cash- and at a reasonable rate. Know the cash advance structure up front so you don’t lose your shirt when withdrawing funds.

As long as your cards have no foreign transaction fees, you’re already on the road to finding the perfect card to travel with- just make sure you’re getting the most out of it based on your trip!

Be sure to really dive in through my posts in this series:

-How to Fly Free

-How To Find the Right Travel Rewards Card

-How to Use Rewards Cards for the Most Points

-How to Use Rewards Points to Fly Free

-How to Get Even More Rweards Points

-How to Keep Your Good Credit When Opening Cards

-Find the Best Credit Card to Travel With