According to our analysis of the market, the following cards stand out as objectively the best for certain purposes. The best card for you will depend on your individual situation and spending patterns. Please use the information in this guide to learn about differences between products and to help you decide which features are most suitable for you. If you're planning to travel, this article might be useful as well for you: How to get the best foreign currency rates.

Why trust our picks? Our analysis is based on a review of more than 100 UK credit cards from 25 providers, assessed across fees, APRs, rewards, introductory offers and other key features. Latest rolling analysis conducted between January and July 2026. See our full methodology here.

Best Travel Credit Cards for No Foreign Transaction Fees

If you don't want to pay any fees when you make purchases overseas, a no-fee travel card may be just what you need. Features such as the treatment of cash and interest can vary widely, so be sure a card meets your needs before making a decision. If you're primarily interested in a no-foreign-transaction-fees card, you may want to look at our in-depth article that covers a wider selection of no-fee travel cards, in order to learn more.

Best No-Fees Travel Credit Cards

Barclaycard Rewards Credit Card

The Barclaycard Rewards Credit Card charges no fees on non-sterling cash withdrawals or transactions, making it an ideal travel card. The only aspect of the card to be aware of is that, like most credit cards, interest on cash ATM withdrawals starts accruing immediately. By getting online and paying back your cash withdrawals ASAP (even while you're still abroad), you can mitigate this potential cost. One added bonus of this card is that cardholders earn 0.25% cashback on all of their purchases.

Representative example: Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 at a purchase rate of 28.9% p.a. (variable) and an annual fee of £0, the representative APR is 28.9% variable.

• Earn 0.25% cashback on purchases

• No fees on non-sterling ATM withdrawals or transactions abroad

• No interest charges on non-sterling cash withdrawals, if balance paid off in full and on time

• 23.9% variable cash withdrawal APR

• Eligibility checker

• No annual fee

• Representative 28.9% APR (variable)

Halifax Clarity Credit Card

The Halifax Clarity Credit Card is another solid card to use abroad because you won't need to pay a fee for non-sterling transactions (e.g., purchases and cash withdrawals). While ATM withdrawals won't incur a fee, they will be charged interest from the date of a withdrawal. The interest rate on cash withdrawals on this card is lower than average, at 23.9% variable APR. Since interest charges on cash transactions start accruing immediately, it's best to pay back any ATM withdrawals as soon as possible.

Representative example: Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 at a purchase rate of 23.9% p.a. (variable) and an annual fee of £0, the representative APR is 23.9% variable.

• No fees on non-sterling ATM withdrawals or transactions abroad

• Lower-than-average variable 23.9% interest rate on cash withdrawals

• Eligibility checker (where you can see your rate, as this is not currently advertised on their website)

• No annual fee

Best Travel Credit Cards for Air Rewards

In the past few years, the Virgin Black and White, Lloyds Avios, Miles & More and Hilton HHonors credit cards have closed to new applications. That leaves the UK with a shortage of air rewards and hotel rewards credit cards, but perhaps one of the remaining options can still suit your needs.

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card

Virgin Atlantic Reward and Reward+ cards offer some of the best potential rewards of any rewards card. The £160 per year Rewards+ card comes with an easy-to-earn welcome bonus of 18,000 Virgin Points miles (potentially worth £180), high rewards rates around 1.5% on general spending, 2x the rewards on qualifying Virgin Atlantic/Holidays spending and the chance to earn perks like a flight upgrade or companion ticket.

Representative example: Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 at a purchase rate of 26.9% p.a. (variable) and an annual fee of £160, the representative APR is 69.7% variable.

(Alternatively, the free Reward card has a smaller 3,000 Virgin Points welcome bonus and lower earning rates on regular spend, and a higher £20k minimum spend each year to earn the flight upgrade or a companion ticket - but it is a free card with no annual fee.)

• 18,000 Flying Club miles upon first purchase within 90 days

• Earn 3 Virgin Points per £1 spent with Virgin Flights/Holidays (online or Contact Centres)

• Earn 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 spent elsewhere

• Flight upgrade or companion ticket by spending £10,000 per card year

• £160 annual fee

Best Air Rewards Travel Card: British Airways American Express Premium Plus Credit Card

The British Airways American Express Premium Plus card is a solid airlines reward card for frequent BA flyers who spend more than £10,000 a year on their cards (or half that on British Airways purchases) in order to earn the Companion Voucher. Depending on how you redeem your Avios points, you can see rewards rates around 1.5% on everyday spend and 3% on BA flight and Holidays spend. Greater value can be found by redeeming your earned Avios points for Premium Economy to Business upgrades, the sweet spot for Avios. Used in this way, it is sometimes possible to achieve rewards rates topping 6% on your BA purchases, but you'll need to spend more money buying the Premium seat first. But the £300 annual fee means only those spending tens of thousands of pounds are likely to get more value out of this card compared to the free BA Amex card.

Representative example: Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.1% p.a. (variable) and an annual fee of £0, the representative APR is 135.7% variable.

• 30,000 Avios welcome bonus when you spend £6,000 in your first three months

• Collect 1.5 Avios per £1 spent, and 3 Avios per £1 spent with British Airways or BA Holidays

• Earn a 2-for-1 Companion Voucher when you spend £15,000 each year

• Travel accident and Travel inconvenience insurance

• Annual fee of £300

• Representative APR 135.7% APR variable, with a 29.1% variable purchase rate.

Best Air Rewards Travel Card: Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

The Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard has established itself as a premier alternative to the airline Avios/Amex cards for 2026. Its primary advantage is the Mastercard network, which offers significantly wider acceptance than American Express, ensuring you earn rewards on almost every transaction, from local independent shops to major retailers.

At a cost of £20 per month (£240 per year), it sits between the free BA Amex and the Premium Plus card in terms of price but matches the top-tier earning rate. To understand how this works, see this table of expected rewards for £2,000 of monthly spend on the two BA Amex cards and the Barclaycard Avios Plus card:

Representative APR: 80.1% APR (variable), including the monthly fee; 29.9% purchase APR. Representative example: Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.9% p.a. (variable) and an annual fee of £240 (£20 monthly fee), the representative APR is 80.1% variable.

• Earning Rate: 1.5 Avios for every £1 spent on eligible purchases.

• Welcome Bonus: 25,000 Avios when you spend £3,000 in the first three months (new customers only).

• Annual Reward: A British Airways Cabin Upgrade Voucher after spending £10,000 in a 12-month period.

• Acceptance: Mastercard network (accepted nearly everywhere).

• Travel Perks: Discounted airport lounge access (£20.50 per person) via DragonPass.

Here's How Travel Credit Cards Work

There are two types of travel credit cards: those for using abroad without fees and those for earning rewards. Unfortunately, there are currently no cards on the market which do both!

No-Fee Travel Cards

Most credit cards charge a non-sterling transaction fee on foreign purchases and cash withdrawals (typically 2.99%) PLUS another cash transaction fee (typically 3%, minimum £3 per transaction), which acts as a double whammy on foreign-currency ATM withdrawals. A no-fee travel card can help you avoid paying the non-sterling fee every time you use your card overseas, either to make a purchase or withdraw cash from an ATM. The best no-fee travel cards will also not charge a "cash transaction" fee.

Rewards Travel Cards

If you travel enough, you may benefit from an air or hotel rewards card. On these types of cards, each time you spend you'll earn rewards in the form of air miles or points. These rewards accumulate over time and can be redeemed for free or discounted travel or accommodation. Sometimes, by reaching a certain annual spend requirement, you can earn a free companion voucher or a free night stay.

Summary of Best Travel Credit Cards

Below is a summary of our top picks for best travel card across different categories.

Here are the key 2026 Benchmarks used in the calculations in the table above:

• Voucher Value: Estimated at £1,000 (standard) to £2,000 (premium) depending on class of travel.

• Avios/Point Value: 1.0p per point.

• BA Premium Plus Fee: £300/year (£600 total).

• Virgin Reward+ Fee: £160/year (£320 total).

• Barclaycard Avios Plus Fee: £20 per month (£480 total).

In fact, the Virgin Reward cards might prove to create more day-to-day value, since Mastercard is widely accepted. The BA Amex cards, on the other hand, won't be accepted by many vendors. If we adjust the earnings estimates to reflect this, by assuming Amex can be used for 80% of spend, then the Virgin Reward+ card would return more rewards.

How to Choose a Travel Card

There is no "best" credit card and choosing a credit card is a very individual decision. The right card for you will depend on your personal financial situation, needs and spending patterns. We give you some concepts to keep in mind when doing your own research.

To take some confusion out of choosing the right travel card, think of your primary goals for the card. Do you want a travel card to pay for hotels, restaurants, shopping, and other expenses while you're on holiday overseas? Learn more about No Foreign Transaction Fees cards. Do you want a travel card to earn free or discounted flights or hotel stays? Learn more about Airline Rewards cards and Hotel Rewards cards.

Keep in mind that while air rewards cards may appear to be much more valuable than other rewards cards, realizing these rewards is not always possible. Much of the value on air cards stems from companion vouchers. However, companion vouchers can be difficult to use - seats can be difficult to find on your desired routes and dates, especially if you are flying at peak times. Consequently, companion vouchers may expire before you can redeem them, massively dropping the estimated value of an air rewards card.

Beyond this, the value of a mile can vary significantly depending on route and cabin class. Poor use of miles can, again, drop the value of an air rewards card. (The same applies to hotel rewards cards.) For our calculations, we have used average values we think a savvy flyer can achieve for their rewards miles. However, the value earned on air (or hotel) rewards cards can vary significantly from one card holder to the next.