Germany Is Open to Vaccinated Americans. Here's How to Get There With Credit Card Rewards

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Break your travel fast with beer and bratwurst.

Whether you want to see some of the best castles in Europe, float through the beer gardens, or just enjoy an edgy tour of Berlin, there is plenty to see and do in Germany. And now that the country has finally opened to vaccinated U.S. tourists, now may be your chance.

Of course, with everyone hitting the skies at once, it may not be the most affordable time to travel. That is, unless you have some credit card rewards to put to use. All four of the most popular transferable points programs offer options to get to Germany without paying a fortune out of pocket.

How to get there

While you may think that flying into the capital city of Berlin is your best bet, it turns out not to be the case. You'll generally have the best luck finding award flights if you're willing to fly into Frankfurt, instead. You can find flights from most major U.S. airport hubs, including JFK, LAX, and ATL.

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If you're looking to go to Germany, you'll have the most options if you have a nice stash of American Express Membership Rewards points. There are more than half a dozen different ways to use your Membership Rewards points to fly into Frankfurt, which gives you a lot of leeway to find the best dates and deals.

That said, Chase Ultimate Rewards points will also give you some decent selection. Citi ThankYou points have the fewest transfer partners, but airline alliances mean you still have a decent selection. And if you're thinking of using Capital One Venture Miles, be sure to check the transfer rates; many partners transfer at less than a 1:1 rate.

Here's a look at how to use your travel rewards to head to Deutschland.

Air Canada

Although you probably won't find a ton of Air Canada flights that head to Germany, you can use your Aeroplan miles to book on German airline Lufthansa, as well as on United Airlines. Look out for Capital One's lower transfer rate.

Rewards Program Transfer Rate
Amex Membership Rewards 1:1
Chase Ultimate Rewards N/A
Citi ThankYou N/A
Capital One Venture 2:1.5

British Airways

You can use British Airways Avios to book flights on British Airway routes (also known as BA metal) to Frankfurt and Munich, or you can use your Avios to book a flight on an American Airlines route. You may want to stick to using your Amex or Chase rewards, however, as Capital One Venture Miles have the lowest transfer rate of the three.

Rewards Program Transfer Rate
Amex Membership Rewards 1:1
Chase Ultimate Rewards 1:1
Citi ThankYou N/A
Capital One Venture 2:1.5

Delta

You can find a ton of award space for economy flights to Frankfurt when you use Delta miles, and even a few premium award spaces for the coveted Delta One suites. Amex Membership Rewards points are the only ones that transfer directly to Delta, but some of the other airlines on our list let you book Delta award flights.

Rewards Program Transfer Rate
Amex Membership Rewards 1:1
Chase Ultimate Rewards N/A
Citi ThankYou N/A
Capital One Venture N/A

Flying Blue (Air France / KLM)

This is the frequent flyer program for both Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. You can use your Flying Blue rewards to book flights on either airline. Plus, you can also book Delta flights when available. All four programs transfer to Flying Blue, but notice Capital One's lower transfer rate.

Rewards Program Transfer Rate
Amex Membership Rewards 1:1
Chase Ultimate Rewards 1:1
Citi ThankYou 1:1
Capital One Venture 2:1.5

Iberia

Ibera uses the same Avios as British Airways, so you can book both Iberia and British Airways flights to Germany at the same rate as on the BA site. If you're booking round-trip travel, American Airlines flights will also be bookable.

Rewards Program Transfer Rate
Amex Membership Rewards 1:1
Chase Ultimate Rewards 1:1
Citi ThankYou N/A
Capital One Venture N/A

Virgin Atlantic

While you're not flying directly to Germany on a flight from Virgin Atlantic, you can find some awesome award deals on Delta routes using your Virgin Atlantic miles.

Rewards Program Transfer Rate
Amex Membership Rewards 1:1
Chase Ultimate Rewards 1:1
Citi ThankYou 1:1
Capital One Venture N/A

If all else fails, use your rewards directly

Award availability can be tricky. If you can't find a transfer that works for you, consider using your credit card rewards to directly purchase your flights through the issuer's travel portal.

Amex, Chase, and Citi all have their own travel portals that let you book flights using your rewards at a flat per-point rate. Capital One Venture Miles can also be redeemed as statement credit to cover eligible travel purchases.

You can check out some of the current sign-up bonuses if you need a little boost to your rewards budget to get you flying. No matter how you choose to use your rewards, there are many routes to Germany that don't require you to say Auf Wiedersehen to your savings.

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