How To Choose A Card For European Travel

Europe continues to be a prime journey vacation spot for 2024, however despite the fact that inflation within the U.S. is slowing, it’s nonetheless an element relating to European journey bills. That’s why it’s all of the extra essential to keep in mind that your {dollars} (and factors) can usually go quite a bit additional overseas.

Whether or not touring through the excessive season or snagging off-peak reductions, you may get pleasure from all one of the best that Europe affords with out breaking the financial institution. However why simply lean on a powerful greenback when you may tack on extra financial savings along with your bank card? From protecting airfare and accommodations to defending your greatest journey bills, the appropriate bank card could make your journey cheaper and extra handy.

However with so many card choices, it’s simpler stated than carried out. Fortunately, now we have you coated with questions you must ask and the options you must search for as you select a card for touring to Europe.

How to decide on one of the best bank card for European journey

The best journey bank card will prevent cash whereas making it simple to build up and redeem rewards. The next steps may help you slim down your decisions and discover one of the best journey card so as to add to your pockets earlier than you head to Europe:

1. Evaluate playing cards which can be broadly accepted

First, be sure that any bank card you’re taking to Europe is broadly accepted. The Visa and Mastercard networks, for instance, supply wider acceptance overseas than Uncover and American Specific.

Whilst you can actually convey your Amex and Uncover playing cards, it’s finest to pack a backup. That method, you gained’t get caught in a hectic scenario the place you may’t pay for one thing as a result of your card isn’t accepted.

Does your card have chip-and-PIN functionality?

In case you use your bank card in Europe, you could be shocked when the cashier asks for a PIN. Chip-and-PIN bank cards are extra frequent in Europe and thought of safer than the chip-and-signature playing cards now we have within the U.S. However to not fear — a lot of widespread U.S. bank cards are outfitted with this expertise. They embrace the Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card, Citi Premier® Card and Financial institution of America® Premium Rewards® bank card.

To search out out in case your bank card is chip-and-PIN enabled, name your issuer and ask when you can arrange a PIN. Many rewards bank cards permit you to set a PIN on activation. The very last thing you need throughout your journey to Europe is to your card to be rejected since you don’t have PIN functionality. Discover out forward of your journey and set it up, if attainable.

2. Prioritize playing cards with substantial welcome bonuses

In case you’re headed to Europe, take into account selecting up a brand new bank card providing a profitable welcome bonus. Whether or not you need to cowl a few of your journey bills or use your journey spending to satisfy bank card spending necessities, the timing might work out to your benefit.

A resort bank card particularly may help you cowl just a few resort nights. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit score Card* is a superb choose, as a result of it comes with an intro supply of as much as 250,000 bonus factors for 5 free night time awards (valued at as much as 50,000 factors every night time) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first three months out of your account opening. The cardboard’s $95 annual charge is affordable, particularly when you’re saving a whole bunch of {dollars} on resort bookings.

An airline bank card welcome bonus can prevent much more cash by protecting the price of airfare to Europe. For instance, the United℠ Explorer Card* affords 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 throughout the first three months of account opening. This bonus might cowl a number of round-trip tickets to Europe relying on fare class and journey dates.

Transferable rewards earned with the Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card and Citi Premier can present much more flexibility, permitting you to switch your factors to frequent flyer applications with the issuer’s companions. In accordance with Bankrate’s newest valuations, transferring factors to high-value companions is likely one of the most profitable methods to get probably the most out of your factors.

The Citi Premier bonus is among the many highest for transferable factors, providing 60,000 factors after you spend $4,000 throughout the first three months of account opening. You need to use these factors for flights to Europe by way of switch companions like:

• Avianca for LifeMiles
• Air France/ KLM for Flying Blue miles
• Turkish Airways for Miles&Smiles
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership for Virgin Factors

Virgin Atlantic has one of many most cost-effective award tickets to Europe, beginning at simply 10,000 miles every method in economic system class.

3. Ensure that the cardboard’s rewards construction affords bonus factors on journey and eating

Like most individuals who journey overseas for trip, you could be tempted to splurge a bit throughout your journey to Europe. You’ll desire a bank card that may reward you generously for these purchases. Your greatest bills will doubtless be journey and eating, which is why a card just like the American Specific® Gold Card can be ultimate to convey alongside. The cardboard earns 4X factors on eating worldwide and 3X factors on flights booked immediately with airways or by way of the Amex Journey portal.

In case you’re on the lookout for even larger rewards potential, the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card affords 10X miles on resort and rental automotive bookings by way of Capital One Journey. You’ll additionally earn 5X miles on flights booked by way of Capital One Journey and 2X miles on all different purchases. So whether or not you’re planning to buy until you drop or splurge on accommodations, you’ll earn beneficiant rewards with this card.

4. Keep away from playing cards with international transaction charges

Incomes a lot of factors throughout your Europe journey must be a precedence, however not if it’s a must to pay 3 % or extra in international transaction charges. You’ll be able to keep away from these pesky charges by choosing a bank card with no international transaction charges.

Most journey rewards playing cards, like the favored Sapphire Most popular Card and the Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card, waive these charges, permitting you to earn factors and defend your purchases with out an added value.

However you don’t must decide to a journey rewards card with a excessive annual charge to get this perk. A number of the finest no-annual-fee playing cards — just like the Capital One SavorOne Money Rewards Credit score Card — additionally supply no international transaction charges once you use your card overseas.

Most significantly, you’ll need to concentrate on widespread bank cards that don’t waive this charge, just like the Citi Double Money® Card and Chase Freedom Limitless®*. Keep away from the penalty for utilizing your bank card overseas by skipping these playing cards in favor of ones that waive the charges.

5. Get a card that improves your journey expertise

Your bank card must be useful not simply once you’re procuring in Europe, but in addition when you’re coping with the hassles and complications that come from navigating airports, public transportation and extra. The next questions may help you prioritize a card that makes touring much less hectic:

What sort of journey protections does this card supply?

Many individuals who journey internationally, together with to Europe, purchase journey insurance coverage to guard their journey. And it’s a good suggestion: In case your journey is canceled or interrupted on account of sickness or different coated causes, insurance coverage will reimburse any non-refundable journey bills. This layer of safety can prevent hundreds of {dollars} in an emergency.

However you don’t need to pay for this security internet in case you have the appropriate bank card in your pockets. Fairly just a few bank cards embrace journey safety akin to journey interruption or cancellation protection, journey delay reimbursement, journey accident insurance coverage, misplaced baggage reimbursement and first rental protection.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® affords among the most complete protection obtainable when you cost your journey bills to the cardboard, together with:

• Emergency evacuation and transportation protection of as much as $100,000 per journey
• Main auto rental collision injury waiver of as much as $75,000 for theft or collision injury
• Journey cancellation/interruption insurance coverage of as much as $10,000 per individual and $20,000 per journey
• Misplaced baggage reimbursement of as much as $3,000 per individual
• Journey delay reimbursement of as much as $500 per ticket

By selecting a card with sturdy, built-in journey protections, you may a minimum of have peace of thoughts that you just’ll be coated if not all the things goes easily throughout your journey.

Will you get a International Entry charge credit score from this card?

Having International Entry could make your return house from Europe way more nice. This trusted traveler program will get you expedited entry into the U.S. Whereas everybody else stands in a protracted line at passport management, you may skip to the International Entry kiosk, scan your passport and get waved by way of in a matter of minutes. In case you have International Entry, you’ll even be enrolled in TSA PreCheck, which will get you into an expedited line for safety screening within the U.S. the place you retain your footwear and lightweight jacket on.

The International Entry software charge is a downright cut price at simply $100 for 5 years. Nevertheless, you may get this charge reimbursed with sure bank cards. They embrace the Capital One Enterprise, Chase Sapphire Reserve and United Explorer Card. The International Entry software charge credit score alone offsets the primary yr’s annual charge on a few these playing cards. Whereas it’s not the one profit you must take into account when selecting a journey bank card for European sightseeing, sufficient bank cards supply it that it’s value being aware of.

Will this card make airport journey simpler?

Navigating new airports is usually one of the vital hectic components of vacationing overseas, particularly when you’re visiting massive hubs like these in Paris, Madrid, Istanbul and London. Many premium journey bank cards supply airport lounge entry that may make it simpler to loosen up at an airport when you’re ready in your subsequent flight. These airport lounges can embrace all the things from free meals and youngsters rooms to bathe facilities and full-service bars.

The most effective playing cards for airport lounge entry relating to European journey will usually embrace airline-specific lounge entry or entry to a broader program like Precedence Move. With Precedence Move Choose, you’ll have entry to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide versus these simply tied to at least one airline.

The Platinum Card® from American Specific is broadly thought of a best choice for luxurious journey advantages, and its sturdy worldwide airport lounge entry is likely one of the fundamental the reason why. With this card, you’ll get entry to:

• The Centurion Community, which incorporates Amex Centurion Lounges and Escape Lounges
• Delta Sky Membership lounges, when flying Delta
• Lufthansa lounges, when flying Lufthansa
• Precedence Move Choose, which is the credit score card-specific model of Precedence Move

Understand that whereas the Amex Platinum beats out loads of different playing cards relating to airport lounge entry, it additionally comes with a hefty annual charge of $695. This charge doubtless gained’t be value it except you propose on touring continuously and have the annual spending to offset the charge.

The underside line

Europe is changing into more and more cashless, and touring with a bank card is virtually necessary lately. Whereas you may get by with any bank card, choosing the proper one will make touring a lot simpler for you. You gained’t have to fret about your card not being accepted, you’ll earn factors as you spend and also you gained’t incur extra charges within the course of. In case you take it a step additional, you may even enhance your journey expertise and offset the fee completely. Better of all, you’ll have peace of thoughts and might deal with having fun with your journey.

Issuer-required disclosure assertion
*Details about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit score Card, United℠ Explorer Card and Chase Freedom Limitless® card has been collected independently by Bankrate. Card particulars haven’t been reviewed or authorized by the cardboard issuer.