Travel

Get the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card if you’ll use its $300 yearly credit on trips booked through Capital One Travel, the issuer’s booking site. That credit plus 10,000 bonus miles each anniversary is worth $400 toward travel, more than the $395 fee, so you get lounge access and 2X miles on every purchase at no net cost.

Open the Truist Enjoy Travel Credit Card if you bank with Truist and take a few trips a year. Its 2 miles per dollar on flights, hotel stays, and car rentals come with a 10% to 50% bonus on travel redemptions, set by your Truist balances. Otherwise, pick a national no-fee card with bonus points on dining and gas.

Get the Amtrak Guest Rewards® Mastercard® if you ride Amtrak regularly and will spend your points on train tickets, since redeeming them for Amtrak travel returns 5% of the points. It has no annual fee. If you rarely ride, pick a 2% cash-back card or a general travel card instead.

Open the Amtrak Guest Rewards® Preferred Mastercard® if you’ll use its yearly upgrade, lounge pass, and companion coupon. Bought with points, the upgrade and lounge pass alone would take at least 4,000 a year. If you won’t use them, the no-fee Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard still earns points on every Amtrak fare.

Open the Princess® Rewards Visa® Card before your next Princess cruise. Spending $1,000 in the first 90 days earns 20,000 bonus points, worth $200 in onboard credit. After that, it pays just 1 point per $1 on dining and gas, while some no-annual-fee cards pay 3, with points worth a cent either way.

Open the Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card if you have a Holland America cruise coming up, since its 20,000-point bonus is worth a $200 onboard credit once you spend $1,000 in 90 days. For everyday use, pick a no-annual-fee general travel card instead, because this card pays just 1 point per $1 outside Holland America.

Carry the Best Western Rewards® Visa Signature® Card only if you already stay at Best Western several times a year. The no-fee card’s points and Gold status pay off at Best Western hotels, so if you split your stays among chains, pick a general travel card whose points work at any hotel.

Open the Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Card if you book most of your hotels, rental cars, and flights on Priceline. It earns 5 points per dollar on those bookings, worth 5% back, with no annual fee. If you book direct or use other booking sites, skip it, since everything outside Priceline earns just 1 or 2 points per dollar.

Get the Navy Federal Flagship Premier Visa Signature® Card if you’re a member who spends at least $100 a year with airlines. Its $100 airline credit covers the $95 annual fee, and the card earns 4 points per dollar on travel and 3 on dining. If you rarely travel, a no-fee card nets you more than this one does.

Get the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card if you pay for five or more Wyndham hotel nights a year. Those nights earn a 15,000-point bonus, and each card anniversary adds another. Spend one bonus on a stay that would cost more than $95 in cash, and it covers the annual fee.