5 Reasons the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Is a Travel Rockstar

Last year, in the middle of making travel plans for a few different vacations, I decided that I needed a new travel rewards credit card. I had a lot of options, but ultimately, I decided to go with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) .

I've had it for over a year, and use it for some of my spending at home (mostly on dining), but it has really been a standout on trips I've taken recently. I just recently got home from a week spent exploring Northern England, and I put my entire trip on this card. Here's why the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a true travel rockstar.

1. Earnings on travel booked through Chase: 5X

The top bonus points category for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is travel bookings made through the Chase Travel portal. This is where you can put those Chase Ultimate Rewards points to work for you -- and book flights, hotel stays, and experiences.

I've used the Chase Travel portal to book all three, and I've been impressed by how easy it is to use. Earning 5X points per $1 on the money I spend through the portal just sweetens the deal.

2. Earnings on restaurant purchases: 3X

I love a good restaurant meal when I'm not traveling, but even more when I'm on vacation. Dining out when you're visiting a new place is a great way to expand your culinary horizons and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card pays 3X points per $1 on restaurant purchases.

This also extends to takeout, so you can use it to get some chow delivered to your hotel room if you're worn out from a day of exploring a new city. Dying for a salad after a week of heavy British cuisine while you're killing time on your layover? This Chase card has you covered there, too.

3. Earnings on other travel: 2X

As great as the Chase Travel portal is, you can't book an Airbnb stay or train trips there. So it's nice that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card pays 2X points per $1 on travel booked elsewhere. On my last trip, I enjoyed earning this rewards rate for several car trips through Uber in two different cities, as well as tram and bus transit in the city I spent the most time visiting.

4. Earnings on everything else: 1X

While the bulk of my spending on vacation falls into the above categories, I also spend money on groceries, museum admission, and souvenir purchases when I travel. The base rewards rate for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is 1X point per $1, which certainly isn't the highest base rate out there -- but it's pretty standard for a travel rewards card. After all, most people have more specialized spending on a trip, and I'm no exception. For when I'm at home, I have other cards that pay a higher rate on my typical spending, so I don't sweat this lower rate for non-travel spending.

5. Other perks

Even aside from the rewards program on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, there are other excellent reasons to consider this card before your next vacation. It charges no foreign transaction fees -- and since those tend to amount to 3% of every transaction for cards that do charge them, this Chase card has the potential to save you a lot of money if you travel abroad often.

And the Chase mobile app is absolutely top notch. It's user-friendly, is updated immediately after every transaction, and it converts your spending in foreign currencies for you automatically. Plus, you can easily reach customer service, access Chase Travel, or make credit card payments from anywhere. Thanks to the app, it was very easy to track my spending on my last trip, too -- and see how many points I'm earning.

If you're an aspiring world traveler and not opposed to paying an annual fee for a card (just $95 -- a downright bargain compared to some cards), take a closer look at the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It offers the kinds of perks and rewards that can make your vacations even better.