Best Capital One Travel Credit Cards

By Daria Uhlig

October 18, 2021

torwai / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Capital One travel cards reward you with unlimited miles on all your purchases, including travel spending. You can redeem any number of miles to book flights, cruises, hotel stays, car rentals and ride sharing — or receive a statement credit for travel you’ve purchased as long as 90 days ago. Miles also transfer to over 15 loyalty programs and can be used toward gift cards and online shopping. There are no seat restrictions or blackout dates when you redeem your rewards for travel. And Venture miles never expire as long as you keep your account open.

Whichever Capital One travel card you choose, you’ll get special access to sports and entertainment tickets and premium dining reservations through Capital One’s program focused on premium experiences. And your benefits don’t stop at the U.S. border — you can use your card overseas without paying a foreign transaction fee.

Keep reading to learn more about the best Capital One credit cards for travel.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card

Who it’s best for: Users with excellent credit who want a straightforward way to earn miles

If you want to earn mile rewards but don’t use a credit card often enough to justify an annual fee, consider the Capital One VentureOne Rewards credit card. You earn 1.25 miles for every dollar you spend, plus 20,000 bonus miles when you spend $500 on purchases within three months of opening your account. The miles are good toward Amazon.com purchases and purchases made via PayPal Checkout.

Pros

• 1.25 miles per dollar spent
• 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months
• Easy-to-earn bonus mile offer for new cardmembers
• No annual fee
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Balance transfers not eligible for introductory APR

Capital One Venture Rewards Card

Who it’s best for: Frequent travelers who want to accumulate miles quickly

The Venture Rewards card is a good choice for those who make heavy use of their travel rewards card, thanks in part to a generous bonus offer for new cardmembers that gives you 60,000 bonus miles, which more than offsets several years’ worth of annual fees. Use your Venture miles for flights or hotels, transfer them to a loyalty program — or use them toward purchases when you shop at Amazon.com or check out with PayPal.

Pros

• Earn two Venture miles per dollar spent on any purchase
• Generous 60,000 bonus miles for spending $3,000 in purchases within three months of account opening
• Up to $100 credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee when using Venture card
• Can use miles for shopping instead of travel
• Auto rental collision damage/theft waiver
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Steep $95 annual fee
• No introductory rate for purchases or balance transfers

Capital One VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit

Who it’s best for: Anyone who wants to earn miles but doesn’t qualify for cards with more benefits

You could potentially qualify for the Capital One VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit card if you’ve not been over 30 days late on a payment in the last 12 months. Although you get fewer perks than with the other cards in this roundup, VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit rewards you with the same number of miles as the VentureOne Rewards card targeted at customers with excellent credit, and you have the same flexibility in how you use them.

Pros

• 1.25 miles per dollar spent
• Don’t need excellent credit to qualify
• Can use miles toward purchases via PayPal Checkout
• No annual fee
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• High APR
• No bonus mile offer for new cardmembers
• No introductory APR

Which Is the Best Capital One Travel Card for You?

If you’re still working toward an excellent credit rating, the VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit card is your best bet for being approved for a travel rewards card. Both of the other cards offer excellent benefits, but the VentureOne Rewards card gets top billing for striking the best balance between value and features, with an introductory APR and a new cardmember bonus you can qualify for even with modest spending.

Methodology: GOBankingRates identified the best travel credit cards by analyzing the following factors: (1) annual fees; (2) APR for purchases; (3) promotional APR; (4) sign-up bonuses; (5) rewards and features; (6) foreign transaction fees; and (7) travel perks. All fees and rates are subject to change at the credit card issuers’ discretion. Some bonus offers may or might no longer be available on the credit card issuers’ websites, depending on how one accesses the webpage. Data was sourced from each financial institution’s website or promotional material between Aug. 18, 2021, and Sept. 24, 2021. Please verify terms and conditions before opening an account. In order to be considered, the card had to be sponsored by an airline or have travel be an option in redemption for points/cash back.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by Capital One. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Capital One.

About the Author

Daria Uhlig

Daria Uhlig is a personal finance, real estate and travel writer and editor with over 25 years of editorial experience. Her work has been featured on The Motley Fool, MSN, AOL, Yahoo! Finance, CNBC and USA Today. Daria studied journalism at the County College of Morris and earned a degree in communications at Centenary University, both in New Jersey.