Fly to Rome for Free With These 3 Credit Cards
Planning your next cross-country getaway to Rome? With the right credit card, your flight might not cost you a thing.
Several top travel cards offer welcome bonuses and perks that can fully cover a round-trip flight from the U.S. to Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (FCO).
Here are three standout options based on their current welcome offers and perks.
1. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorEarn 100,000 points + a $500 Chase Travel℠ credit when you spend $5,000 in 3 months — this is Sapphire Reserve’s best-ever bonus!
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
20.24% - 28.74% Variable
Rewards Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
8x points on Chase Travel℠, 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct, 3x points on dining, 1x points on all other purchases
Annual Fee
$795
Welcome Offer Earn 100,000 bonus points + $500 Chase Travel℠ promo credit after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
100,000 bonus points + $500 Chase Travel℠ promo credit
-
All the perks we've come to expect from a top travel card, including a $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge access, and big bonuses on travel and dining. Points are transferable to airline and hotel partners or worth up to 2x if you book through Chase Travel℠. The annual fee is hefty, but if you can use all its features, this card could be well worth the cost.
Read Full Review -
- Travel credits
- Airport lounge access
- Travel and dining rewards
- Welcome offer
- Flexible travel points
- Annual fee
- Limited-time benefits
-
- Earn 100,000 bonus points + $500 Chase Travel℠ promo credit after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music - all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 - a value of $250 annually
- Member FDIC
The recently-updated Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) currently offers 100,000 bonus points + $500 Chase Travel℠ promo credit after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. The bonus points alone are worth at least $1,000, but potentially more through Chase Travel using the new Points Boost program (up to $0.02 per point). This might be the biggest Chase welcome bonus we've ever seen.
You'll also get a versatile annual travel credit worth $300, plus 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠, and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Other benefits include:
- Airport lounge access
- TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
- Extensive travel protections
The newly increased $795 annual fee is high, but the value of perks and travel credits can more than offset it -- especially if you fly regularly. And remember, this offer won't be around forever. Click here to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
2. The Platinum Card® from American Express
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorOn American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®. 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases. Terms apply.
1X-5X Membership Rewards® Points
Annual Fee
$695
Welcome Offer You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
As High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.
-
This luxury travel card has some of the most prestigious perks you'll find — access to over 1,400 airport lounges, elite status with Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy (enrollment required), and spending credits worth over $1,500 in value every year. Just be ready for the hefty annual fee, which can be offset in the first year with a welcome offer. Terms apply.
Read Full Review -
- Big welcome offer
- Substantial spending credits
- Airport lounge access
- Hotel benefits
- Flexible travel points
- Annual fee
- Limited bonus categories
- Spending credits can be complicated to manage
-
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- Enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with over $500 of annual value if you visit Centurion Lounges and each of our partner lounges including Delta Sky Club® lounges when flying an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations) , select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges, and enroll in Priority Pass Select. See terms.
- A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card®.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
Apply and find out if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. An offer like this could be worth a whole lot in travel rewards at $0.01 per point, and potentially more when transferred to Amex travel partners.
You'll earn 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, plus enjoy premium perks like:
- Up to $200 in annual airline fee credits
- Up to $200 in hotel credits on eligible prepaid bookings
- Access to Centurion, partner, and Priority Pass lounges
- Hotel elite status and room upgrades
- Terms apply; enrollment may be required
The $695 annual fee (see rates and fees) is steep, but frequent flyers who take advantage of the credits and perks will find it worth it. Apply today and start planning your trip to Rome.
3. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
2025 Award Winner
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorGood/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
20.24% - 26.24% Variable
Rewards Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases-with no limit to the amount you can earn.
Earn 3 points per $1 in select business categories
Annual Fee
$95
Welcome Offer Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 90,000 bonus points
-
This card offers excellent earning potential for businesses looking to earn valuable rewards on everyday expenses. You’ll earn 3X points on travel, shipping, and advertising purchases (up to $150,000 per year), making it a great fit for businesses that invest in growth. With an impressive 90,000-point welcome bonus and access to the Chase Ultimate Rewards® ecosystem, this card helps you maximize rewards. Plus, we like that points are worth more when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel℠, further boosting the card’s value.
Read Full Review -
- Huge sign-up bonus
- Advertising rewards
- Shipping rewards
- Cell phone protection
- Flexible travel points
- Card perks
- Annual fee
- No intro APR offer
- Spending minimum for sign-up bonus
-
- Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Points are worth more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Member FDIC
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees) is one of the best business credit cards around, offering 90,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 in the first 3 months. That should be enough to cover a round-trip ticket to Rome and then some.
This card earns 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. You can also transfer points to top airline partners, including Flying Blue, United, and British Airways, for flexible booking options.
It's a business card, but freelancers and side hustlers can qualify too. And with a $95 annual fee, it's one of the best values available for earning travel rewards. Apply for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card now.
Booking tips
To get the most value from your points, stay flexible with your travel dates. Flying midweek or during shoulder seasons can help you find lower fares or reduced award pricing. Before transferring any points to an airline, always check that award seats are available for your desired route and dates.
Also make sure you give yourself enough time to earn the welcome bonus.
Earn toward your getaway today
By applying for one of these top credit cards, you could earn a big enough welcome bonus -- and use enough additional perks -- to cover your next cross-country flight, to Rome or elsewhere.
Ready to fly for free? Apply for one of our favorite travel cards today and use the welcome bonus to book your next getaway.
Our Research Expert
Ryan is a full-time Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money. He’s been covering topics like credit cards and savings since 2022, focusing on helping people who are new to the world of personal finance.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
For rates and fees for the The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here