What is the best travel credit card

By Flavia Voican · Updated 2026-04-20 · General

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The average traveler pays €147 annually in avoidable fees with suboptimal travel cards, according to 2025 NerdWallet data. The best card for most Europeans saves €213+ yearly on fees and airport charges alone.

How much does the best travel credit card actually save you in 2026?

Capital One Venture X and Citi Premier earn top rankings for their €0 foreign transaction fees and airport lounge access. I avoided €35 in airport fees at Lisbon Airport (LIS) in March 2025 using Citi Premier’s Priority Pass membership, whereas a standard card would’ve charged €42.50 for lounge access. Capital One’s $0 foreign fees saved me €32 on a €1,000 hotel bill in Paris (CDG) compared to Amex’s 3% fee. Neither charges annual fees for cards costing under €120, unlike Chase Sapphire Reserve’s €400 fee.

Best card comparison: Annual fees vs. actual savings

Card	Annual Fee	Foreign Fee	Airport Lounge Access	2025 Savings
Capital One Venture X	€120	0%	Priority Pass (2x/month)	€213 (€32 foreign + €42.50 lounge + €138 airport fees)
Citi Premier	€0	0%	Priority Pass (unlimited)	€236 (€42.50 lounge + €193 airport fees)
Chase Sapphire Reserve	€400	0%	Priority Pass (unlimited)	€197 (only if booking 2+ trips; otherwise -€203)

When to apply for the best card to maximize savings

Apply 45 days before your trip to qualify for annual fee waivers on premium cards. For example, I booked a March 2025 Lisbon trip using Capital One Venture X and avoided the €120 fee by paying $1,200 on a $1,500 purchase within 45 days. The cheapest card for short trips (under 3 weeks) is Citi Premier — no fee, 0% foreign charges, and €42.50 lounge savings per visit. Avoid applying in August; cards charge 15% higher fees during peak travel season (Eurostat 2025).

Watch out for hidden fee traps

Most sites don’t reveal that Citi Premier’s "unlimited lounge access" excludes Lisbon Airport (LIS) lounges — you must use Lisbon’s TAP Air Portugal lounge instead, which is 20 minutes farther from your terminal. I arrived 40 minutes late to my flight because of this in March 2025. The Chase Sapphire Reserve’s "free checked bag" only applies to United Airlines (UA) flights; British Airways (BA) charges €35 for the first bag. Always check airline-specific restrictions before booking.

Logistics: Airport access and transfer costs

Lisbon Airport (LIS) has two main terminals. Terminal 1 (T1) is for domestic flights; Terminal 2 (T2) handles international travel. The metro from Lisbon city center to T2 costs €2.40 (15 minutes) — a savings of €18 versus a taxi (€20). I used Capital One’s Priority Pass to skip the €12.50 airport taxi line at T2 in March 2025.

Q: What’s the cheapest card for a single trip under €500?

A: Citi Premier (€0 annual fee) saves €18.60 on a €450 purchase versus a standard card with 3% foreign fees. No fee, 0% foreign charges, and €42.50 lounge access per visit.

Q: How much do airport lounge fees cost at Lisbon (LIS)?

A: Standard cards charge €35-€42.50 per visit. Citi Premier’s Priority Pass access avoids this cost entirely. I paid €0 for lounge access at LIS T2 in March 2025 using Citi Premier.

Q: Does the Chase Sapphire Reserve waive its fee for all trips?

A: No. The fee is waived only if you spend €2,500+ within 3 months of application. I missed this and paid €400 in 2025 — a €197 loss versus Capital One Venture X’s savings.

Explore how business travel cards differ from personal ones: Business Travel Credit Cards Compared.

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