Planning your trip to Europe is full of complex decisions, but choosing the right credit card for your European experience doesn’t have to be one of them. While you may want to carry cash for small vendors and attractions, Europeans are still plastic payment fans. In 2024, cards made up 39 percent of point-of-sale payments across European countries, according to a recent report by the European Central Bank.
Even though credit cards are popular, you may notice that networks like Discover aren’t as widely accepted in some European countries compared to the U.S. So when you want to see sweeping cityscapes, world-class art and ancient landmarks, you’ll want to pick a credit card that handles it all.
Comparing the best cards for traveling to Europe
| Card Name | |||
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| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
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| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Welcome offer |
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| Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card | Intro APR offer |
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| Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card* |
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| U.S. Bank Altitude Connect® Visa Signature® Card* |
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Top cards for European travel
Best for premium travel features
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The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a highly rated travel card offering impressive rewards and premium travel benefits without a massive annual fee. Although you’ll pay $95 a year, you’ll offset more than half of it with a $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit. You’ll enjoy travel perks such as baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement, trip cancelation and interruption insurance, and auto rental coverage.
While you might not get lounge access or Global Entry reimbursement with this card, there is a substantial welcome offer if you meet the spending requirements within the first three months. There’s also an annual 10 percent points bonus on your total net purchases that repeatedly makes the card worth it.
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Pros
- Chase Ultimate Rewards points have a 1:1 transfer value with several European airlines, which could make your rewards more valuable.
- The welcome offer on this card could help you pay for part of your vacation.
- Hiccups with your baggage or travel are easily handled through the card’s perks.
Cons
- It doesn’t have lounge access or reimbursement for Global Entry, which other cards may offer.
- Without booking through the Chase travel portal, you’ll earn a lower rewards rate on your travel purchases.
Best for welcome offer
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The Capital One Venture Rewards card is one of the top travel cards with a low annual fee. The unlimited 2X miles on purchases makes it simple to build your rewards stash wherever you choose to swipe. When it’s time to purchase hotels or rental cars, you’ll earn 5X miles by booking through the Capital One Travel portal. No matter how you rack up rewards, you can use them to book future travel or “erase” travel purchases while you gallivant around Europe.
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Pros
- The card almost immediately pays for itself with up to a $120 Global entry or TSA Pre-check reimbursement every four years.
- The hefty welcome offer could cover the cost of your next flight or hotel stay.
- There are no foreign transaction fees to cut into your trip budget.
Cons
- It’s light on other travel benefits besides Global Entry reimbursement.
- The spending requirement for the welcome offer could be challenging to meet within three months without overspending.
Best for intro APR offer
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The Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card is a solid pick for vacationers who don’t want to second guess their rewards while roaming around Europe. You’ll earn a flat rate of rewards on all purchases and there are no annual fees or foreign transaction fees to weigh you down. This card presents value from the start with an intro APR offer plus a welcome offer valued at $250 towards travel via statement credits. However, if you were hoping to transfer those points to an airline or hotel partner for added value, you might be out of luck as Bank of America’s points are only valued at 0.0 cents per point when redeemed for travel.
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Pros
- This card has an intro APR offer that could help you save upfront costs while booking your trip.
- The welcome offer is easy to reach within the first 90 days.
- If you’re a Bank of America Preferred rewards member, you can earn up to a 75 percent bonus on your rewards.
Cons
- Bank of America rewards points aren’t as valuable as other issuers’ points.
- The travel perks on this card are minimal, so you won’t get lounge access, Global Entry reimbursement or common travel insurances.
Best for flexibility
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The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey is one of the most flexible cards for traveling to Europe. It doesn’t make you use the issuer portal to book your travel, so you can choose whichever flights work best for you. The rewards are equally flexible with redemption options like covering previous purchases, paying with rewards through PayPal or gift cards. You might not be looking forward to the annual fee, but it does come with several perks that could come in handy on your trip.
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Pros
- You don’t have to book your travel through a portal to earn in boosted rewards categories.
- The annual $50 statement credit offsets over half of the annual fee.
- Most of Wells Fargo’s travel partners are European airlines.
Cons
- There are only six airline partners and one hotel partner to transfer your points with.
- If you’re not a frequent traveler, you may have limited long-term use of this card.
Best for no annual fee
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The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card offers several benefits that make navigating airports a smoother experience and an easily attainable welcome offer sweetens the deal. With high rewards rates, complimentary Prority Pass for 12 months and no annual fee, it becomes a great card to plan trips and take to Europe.
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Pros
- There’s no annual fee or foreign transaction fees to cut into your rewards.
- This card offers premium benefits that aren’t offered by travel cards with an annual fee.
Cons
- The Priority Pass membership is only valid for 12 months. Unlike other cards, it’s not a recurring benefit.
- Starting in April 2025, your rewards will expire if your account hasn’t been active in 12 consecutive months.
How to choose the best credit card for your trip to Europe
Bringing a credit card to Europe is incredibly convenient, and the benefits extend beyond the rewards you can earn. Paying with plastic helps you avoid exchanging too much currency, or exchanging currency as you move between European destinations that don’t use the euro.
As an added benefit, the majority of travel credit cards come with zero fraud liability, meaning you won’t be on the hook for fraudulent purchases made with your card overseas. To find the right card for your trip, consider these details as you compare card options.
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If you want VIP travel benefits for your trip to Europe, you may want to consider travel credit cards with airport lounge access, annual travel credits or elite hotel status. You’ll likely pay a much higher annual fee for a card with these luxury travel perks, but doing so can be well worth it if you want traveling to feel more luxurious and hassle-free.
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Make sure any cards you’re considering offer the type of travel rewards you want the most, whether that’s airline miles, hotel points, flexible travel rewards or cash back.
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Some credit cards charge a foreign transaction fee (usually 3 percent) for purchases you make overseas. To reduce your costs and avoid these unnecessary expenses, look for credit cards with no foreign transaction fees.
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Check whether cards you’re considering offer many travel benefits, and note that many of the top cards offer an array of complimentary travel coverage just for being a cardholder. Look for benefits like trip cancelation and interruption insurance, car rental insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, travel accident insurance, emergency evacuation coverage and more.
Tips for using your credit card in Europe
Once you’re in Europe, using your card is easy. But these tips can help you enjoy your trip without added costs or inconveniences:
- Decline dynamic currency conversion. When using your card abroad, the credit card terminal screen may prompt you to choose between charging your home currency or the foreign country’s currency. In most cases, it’s cheaper to charge the transaction in the foreign country’s currency, so just decline dynamic currency conversion.
- Notify your issuer. If your credit card issuer doesn’t know you’re using your card abroad, then it might decline the transaction out of caution for suspicious activity. Call your issuer and tell them the countries you’ll be visiting before you leave so its aware of your travel plans.
- Check your credit card expiration date. Make sure your credit cards aren’t close to expiring well before your trip. If your card might expire during your travel dates, order a new one so you don’t have to worry about it while you’re traveling.
Frequently asked questions
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You don’t necessarily need a credit card to travel abroad, but having one comes with serious benefits. A credit card with zero fraud liability means you won’t be on the hook for fraudulent charges if your credit card is compromised while you’re overseas. Plus, you can earn valuable rewards on your spending.
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Some credit cards work better for international travel than others. For starters, Visa and Mastercard have the best international acceptance rates, whereas acceptance of American Express and Discover is limited in some countries.
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Paying a foreign transaction fee on overseas purchases isn’t the end of the world, but you may want to avoid these fees when possible. Most credit cards with foreign transaction fees charge around 3 percent in fees for every purchase you make, which turns every $100 you spend abroad into $103. That may not sound like a lot, but foreign transaction fees can add up quickly.
The bottom line
Finding the right credit card for your trip to Europe is relatively easy when you know what to look for. You don’t have to spend a ton on annual fees to find valuable travel perks or solid rewards either. Some of the best cards for traveling to Europe are ones that offer flexibility with earning and redeeming your rewards alongside a healthy welcome offer that can bolster your travel budget. To get the most from your credit card during a European vacation, look for one without foreign transaction fees, a welcome bonus and perhaps even a 0 percent introductory offer.
*The information about the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect® Visa Signature® Card and the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
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