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For a lot of travel lovers there is no bigger dream that ditching your office job and having the freedom to travel whenever and wherever you want. It certainly was mine!

The jobs for digital nomads on this list will take you from dreaming of having the freedom to travel to living that dream.

These jobs for digital nomads don’t make you an overnight success. You have to work hard to replace your full-time office salary.

But the hard work is worth the effort.

The best part about a number of the digital nomad jobs on this list is that after you get started making money, it is pretty passive.

You work less to earn more and spend even more of your time travelling and exploring the world.

That’s truly the ultimate goal in life if you ask me!

You’ll be living the digital nomad dream sooner than you think if you take one of the jobs for digital nomads on this list and work hard at it.

It is honestly easier than you think to be a digital nomad.

As long as you’re willing to put in the effort to build you online income.

If some of these jobs intimidate you, check out the best digital nomad jobs for beginners

Blogging is without a doubt one of the best jobs for digital nomads.

There is a reason why it is one of the most popular ways to earn money in the digital nomad community!

I’m not going to sugar coat it.

Blogging is a lot of work. It is not a great rich quick scheme, and you have to put in a lot of effort up front before you’re successful.

But the rewards are so, so worth it!

Once you have articles written and an affiliate marketing strategy in place, your blog makes you money in your sleep.

You can start a blog in anything and everything you’re passionate about.

Travel, finances, pets, food, woodworking. The possibilities are endless.

Blogging is also one of the most flexible digital nomad jobs out there.

You choose when you work and how much you work.

There are also tons of opportunities for you to delegate the tasks you don’t like to an assistant.

Again, it takes a long time to become a successful blogger.

Please, please, please don’t fall into the trap of believing the rare success story you hear about where someone makes $100,000 their first year of blogging.

That’s absolutely amazing for them, but you probably won’t have the same results.

Be patient, and the rewards will come.

It isn’t unheard of for the top bloggers to make seven figures a year. Of course, not everybody is at the top of the herd, but even a mediocre blogger can replace their full-time income with blogging within a few years!

There are three main things you need to know about to be a successful blogger.

Follow these three tips, and you’re on your way to success.

Travel blogging mistakes to avoid at all costs

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A lot of people don’t realize how critical it is to choose the right hosting platform before you start blogging.

Choosing the right hosting platform sets you up for success and helps your blog thrive and earn you money.

You want to choose a hosting provider that is quick, is reliable, and allows you to customize your blog the way you want.

Honestly, if you choose a slow hosting provider or an unreliable one where your blog is down due to their issues frequently, it will be difficult to be a successful blogger.

You most likely will go through the pain of migrating your blog and switching hosting providers before your first term is even up!

I love Green Geeks and recommend them as the best hosting provider for bloggers.

They are one of the fastest hosting platforms out there, and each website comes with a free caching plugin to help speed up your blog even more.

I paid $50 per year for a caching plugin in the past, so it is a huge win that Green Geeks includes one for free!

They also have the most impressive up times out there, so you can be confident your site will never be down when you don’t want it to be.

Plus they’re the most environmentally-friendly hosting platform on the market, which is a nice win for the planet.

Green Geeks will even plant a tree in your honour when you purchase your hosting with them through my link.

There is no additional cost to you to use the link, but I do receive a small commission if you purchase your hosting with it. Plus a tree gets planted! It is a win-win-win!

Learn how to start your website on Green Geeks in just 30 seconds

If Green Geeks isn’t doing it for you, my next recommendation is Bluehost.

It is the most popular hosting platform for new bloggers and is the platform I started Travels with Erica on!

The people at Bluehost are amazing and have an amazing customer service team. Their product is easy to use and very beginner friendly.

You can’t go wrong with either Green Geeks or Bluehost.

If there is one thing you need to focus on and not ignore when you start your blog it is SEO.

It will make or break your success!

SEO essentially means formatting your blog post in a way that makes the Google gods happy and convinces them to rank your post high in the search results.

Of course, you want to make sure your blog is written first and foremost for your human readers.

But there are small things you need to do with every post to make Google happy.

If Google doesn’t like you, you’re not going to get any traffic to your website, and that’s no good for your wallet!

I ignored SEO the first year of my blogging career, and it was the biggest mistake I’ve made.

Please learn from my mistakes and focus on SEO from day one.

Everybody tells you it is important, and they’re not lying!

Everything you need to know about SEO for travel bloggers

Affiliate marketing is one of the top ways bloggers make money. Even small bloggers who don’t get a lot of traffic.

Heck! I could have put affiliate marketing itself as one of the top jobs for digital nomads it is such a great money maker!

I’m sure you’re heard your favourite influencer talk about it, but in case you don’t know affiliate marketing is where you promote a product and make a small commission when somebody purchases a product through your link.

For example, this is my affiliate link to the presets I use for my Instagram photos. If you purchase that product (which I highly recommend for anybody who uses Instagram), I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

That’s affiliate marketing in a nut shell.

A lot of bloggers ignore affiliate marketing because they thing they don’t have enough of an audience to make sales or that affiliate marketing isn’t worth the time and effort.

Both of those things are false!

Affiliate marketing is one of the most powerful ways to make money online.

Once you have one or two thousand people per month visiting your blog, you need to start adding affiliate links and making sales!

Seriously. Affiliate marketing is life changing!

Don’t ignore it.

If you want to learn how to start affiliate marketing the right way and make a consistent income, investing in the Passive Income Superstars course is 100% worth the investment.

I took the course almost two years into my blogging journey.

I hadn’t made a single penny before I purchased the course and had no clue how to start affiliate marketing.

Just two months after I finished the course and implemented Leanne’s strategies, the course had already paid for itself, and I started making money every month.

Affiliate marketing isn’t as scary as it seems, and it is an essential part of being a successful blogger.

This digital nomad jobs was made for Millennials and Gen Zers.

I mean we grew up with social media, so we understands the ins and outs of it!

Basically every business that is going to succeed needs social media accounts.

And needs social media accounts that are managed properly and make the algorithms happy.

That’s where you come in!

You can either manage all the social media accounts of a brand or you can specialize in a single social media platform.

Pinterest is a very popular and lucrative social media account to manage. It makes content creators a lot of money, so they are willing to pay you a lot of money to run it properly.

This is one of the best jobs for digital nomads because you already have the skills to succeed.

It isn’t passive income, but it should at least be a fun way to earn money!

I highly recommend that you run your own social media accounts and outreach through them.

This allows you to show your work on your first introduction and gives you a sense of credibility.

If you run your account professionally and properly, the brand immediately trusts you!

Just be sure you set boundaries!

This is the type of digital job where you could easily have clients intruding on your personal time.

So set the standard up front and stick to it!

And if brands have an emergency need beyond your agreed upon hours, be sure you have an overtime clause in the contract you sign with the brand!

You love travel right?!

Well, I’m assuming you do since your dream is to become a digital nomad!

So, why not put your travel knowledge to work in making your dream come true?!

There are a few different ways you can be a travel consultant as a digital nomad:

• Join a travel agency and be a travel agent who works remotely

• Create an online presence and sell your travel consultant services as an entrepreneur

Both have their pros and cons, and different personalities suit each method differently.

If you work for a travel agency, it will be easier to make money right out of the gate. You have the name and reputation of the agency you work for attached to you, and it builds immediate trust.

The downside to this is there is most likely a cap to what you can earn.

Yes you probably earn commissions on of your base salary, but you know the agency is pocketing the majority of the money they make and only paying you a small portion.

That’s fine and well! Working for a travel agency means a guaranteed salary, and it is easier to find work.

On the other hand, if you set out on your own, it will take longer to find a stable income, but the sky is the limit in terms of money.

You can either book trips for people or do one-on-one consultations to answer their travel questions.

You could even write an ebook to answer the most common questions and make passive income that way.

It is 100% more work, and it won’t be a reliable income.

What you earn in a month will fluctuate. Especially when you’re new to the business.

But the upside potential is work the hustle at the beginning of your journey.

The most important thing you need to be successful if you’re starting your own online travel consultation business is you need an online presence.

You need to get your name out there.

Be on every social media you can, have a website, be featured in local news articles.

Do everything and anything (ethically) possible to get your business off the ground.

Teaching English is one of the most popular jobs for digital nomads.

Partly because it is super accessible and most native English speakers can easily find a teaching job. And partly because it pays decently and often comes with incentives.

There are three different ways you can teach English as a digital nomad:

• Go to a foreign country through an English teaching program and work there for a year

• Join an online English teaching platform like VIPKID

• Create your own English teaching business

Each has their pros and cons, and you need to consider them before making your final choice.

Teaching in a foreign country for a year allows you to get a deep understanding of that country. Most placements like this give you free room and board, free flights to start your position, and many people are tax exempt.

You can earn and save a fair amount of money in a single year and use it to fund your travels the next year.

This type of teaching does mean you don’t have much freedom to move around though.

You’re required to adhere to a schedule, and it is quite similar to a standard 9 to 5 job.

Teaching English online is quickly becoming more and more popular with digital nomads.

Using a platform like VIPKID allows you to easily and quickly find work because you’re attached to their reputation and pull from their client base.

The downside to teaching English online is you have to be awake when your students are awake.

Most of your students live in China, so it is convenient if you’re travelling through Asia. Not so much if you’re in Europe.

The pay also leaves a little bit to be desired.

The starting hourly rate is quite low, and you need to work up the ranks before you start making a good income.

That being said, it is one of the easiest ways to quickly earn money as a digital nomad without putting much time and work into building your own business.

The final option you have is to start your own English teaching business.

It has the most income potential, but it also requires the most upfront work with no guarantee of success.

You need to create an online presence and get your business name out into the world.

The good thing about teaching English online is you can share your services with your friends and family.

Chances are they know someone who needs to brush up on their English or knows a child struggling in school.

Networking is the name of the game!

Once you have a number of clients, you can consider hiring other English teachers and grow your business even faster.

There is a lot of upside potential in starting your own English tutoring business, but you need to be willing to put in the hard work required to get it off the ground.

If you’re more interested in travelling than building your own business, the first two options are definitely more suited for you.

No matter what teaching route you go, it is one of the best digital nomad jobs out there.

It is great for beginners, great for entrepreneurs, and great for people focussed on seeing the world and wanting a solid job that earns decent money.

This is one of the best jobs for digital nomads because pretty much anybody and everybody already has the skills necessary to become a virtual assistant!

A virtual assistant does a number of different things ranging from managing an email inbox to writing blog posts.

The range of work is quite wide, and the best way to become a successful virtual assistant is to narrow down your skills and offer specialized services in one area.

For example, you can be a virtual assistant that focuses on SEO. Or one that manages social media.

Run with whatever your top skills are (and the tasks you enjoy the most)!

You can find a lot of work on sites like Fiverr and Upwrok.

They are a great place to start finding clients, but you probably don’t want to stay on those sites forever.

They tend to pay less than you deserve, and the company (Fiverr or Upwork) takes a large percentage of the money you earn through their platform.

I personally think the best way to make a living as a virtual assistant is to find your own clients. This allows you to keep all the money you earn, and you can typically charge more for your work.

It does take a little more effort to find clients yourself, but it is worth the effort!

One of the best places to find clients is in Facebook groups.

There are tons of Facebook groups out there that allow members to promote their services.

Just be sure you read the group’s rules carefully and follow them!

Be on the lookout for groups that are geared towards content creators.

Bloggers, YouTubers, and content creators are always looking for help.

This may sound like one of the oddest jobs for digital nomads but hear me out!

Most people think of arts and crafts and physical products when they think of Etsy.

But there is a whole different world of Etsy selling digital products, and this is what you should be looking into as a digital nomad.

Selling digital products on Etsy is one of the most underrated jobs for digital nomads.

It is relatively easy to learn the skills necessary to be successful, it is passive once you get it going, and you don’t need to be super techy to figure it out.

It is by far one the best digital nomad jobs for beginners and people who want to make money online but don’t necessarily want to do a lot of marketing or start their own website.

Some of the top selling digital products on Etsy include:

• Social media templates for content creators

• Digital art (like graphics to hang in baby rooms)

There isn’t a ton of competition on Etsy in the digital products sphere.

You shouldn’t have too much trouble making sales as long as your learn Etsy SEO and sell beautiful products.

And don’t worry if you’re thinking to yourself right now that you lack the skills to create digital products.

It is way easier than you think!

Basically, you need to watch a few YouTube tutorials on how to use Canva and then get to work creating your digital products.

You also need to learn how to use Etsy, so you’ll have to watch a few tutorials on that as well.

All in all though, selling digital products on Etsy is one of the easiest jobs for digital nomads to start and see pretty quick results with.

It still takes effort and hard work, but it doesn’t take the same amount of time as effort as starting a blog does.

Video editing is quickly becoming one of the most lucrative jobs for digital nomads.

More and more people are joining YouTube and more and more companies are realizing the power video content has.

With the influx of new people creating video content, the demand for video editors is increasing at a rapid pace.

Before you start thinking you don’t know how to edit videos, it is a skill that isn’t too difficult to learn.

You can watch YouTube videos or pay for a course to learn how to edit videos.

I recommend a combination of both. There are some technical things you can learn from free videos, but I think paying for a course is the best way to go.

I paid for the Flying the Nest Video Editing Masterclass and found it was worth every penny and more.

Which is saying a lot since a lot of online classes are complete crap.

No matter how you choose to learn to edit videos, it just takes some time, effort, and practice.

Pretty much anybody can learn how to edit videos.

Especially talking head videos that don’t require a lot of fancy editing skills!

The best part about video editing is that the going rate per YouTube video starts at $100!

You can edit a talking head video in about an hour once you get a feel for editing and how to use the editing platform.

That’s a pretty good chunk of change!

Once you start building up a client base, you’ll start to receive referrals, and you will replace your full-time income in no time.

Goodbye desk job. Hello freedom!

Flying the Nest Video Editing Masterclass Review

This is one of the only digital nomad jobs on this list that not everybody can do.

I mean you have to know more than one language in order to be a translator!

But, the fact that not everybody can do it makes it an extremely profitable digital nomad job!

There are quite a few ways you can go about being a translator, but I think the best option for digital nomads is translating text.

This gives you the flexibility to work on your own time.

You don’t have to be somewhere at a specific time to translate in person, which is a huge plus for people wanting to travel and have their freedom.

Translators are in high demand, and you can make top dollar for your work.

Especially if you translate between some of the most in demand language.

For example, translating from Finnish to English or Arabic to English (or vice versa) will make you a lot more money than translating between English and Spanish.

Once you make a name for yourself and have a positive reputation, it will be super easy for you to find clients.

In fact, I have a feeling you won’t have to look for clients. They will come to you by word of mouth.

I love the idea of being a translator as a digital nomad.

It is a rare skill that many people don’t have, gives you the flexibility to make your own schedule, and you can make a pretty penny.

You can even make a full-time income working part-time hours once you’ve built your reputation up and have a client base.

This is one of my all-time favourite jobs for digital nomads.

If you’re like me and dreamt of being a writer as a little kid, this is the way to make your dreams come true!

There are tons of different types of content you can write as a freelance writer.

Anything from blog posts to social media posts. Emails to website copy. The possibilities are endless.

You can tailor your career as a freelance writer to fit what you want to write about and what style you want to write in.

Basically every business in the world needs some sort of content written, and they’re always on the lookout for good writers to hire.

Make sure you’re the person they hire!

The key to being a successful freelance writer (as with most of the jobs on this list) is to narrow down your niche.

You will make a lot more money if you specialize in one area rather than being a general freelance writer.

For example, you want to be a freelance writer who write finance blog posts. Not a freelance writer who writes finance blog posts, lifestyle copy, and travel social media posts.

Pick a topic and focus on that!

Once you have a niche picked out, the most efficient way to get clients is to create a website, write some samples, and reach out to businesses in your local area.

You can also create a profile on sites like Fiverr or Upwork, but they don’t tend to pay as much as you deserve.

A lot of freelance writers makes $200 USD per blog post.

Don’t sell yourself short and charge what you’re worth!

Okay. I know this sounds super intimidating and like it will only work if you have a large audience but hear me out!

Creating and selling online courses is one of the best jobs for digital nomads out there.

Once you create the course, it earns you passive income. No more work required!

Except for the odd update that is.

And while, yeah, it helps to have an audience, you don’t need one!

If you don’t have an audience that will buy your online course if you sell it directly, you can publish it on a platform like Skillshare and make money from your course!

You make money for every minute students watch your classes, and classes you published months or years ago can still make you money!

The trick is making sure your course is good and people want to watch it!

Skillshare is the best place to launch your online course if you don’t have an audience. If you have an audience, you want to launch your course by yourself.

Launching your course yourself allows you to make so much more money than launching it on Skillshare.

It also requires more work though!

But you have the resources and audience, launching a course yourself is the way to go.

Oh, and if you’re scratching your head trying to figure out what skills you have to share, I guarantee you have a lot of knowledge that people are willing to pay you for!

Everybody does!

You can create a course on travel, gardening, cooking, photography, proof reading.

The sky is the limit!

Don’t limit yourself because you don’t value your skills as much as someone else will!

One thing all digital nomads have in common is that they rely on the internet a lot.

In most cases, that means you’re connected to public wifi networks at cafés and hotels while you work.

This puts you at risk of having your personal online data stolen. Not only does that cause a headache for you, but it could also potentially prevent you from being able to do your work and miss deadlines.

That is not an ideal situation.

The only way to protect yourself when you’re connected to public wifi networks is to install a VPN on your devices.

And, yes, wifi networks that has a password are still considered public wifi networks because pretty much anybody can access them and then proceed to steal your online information.

Installing a VPN on your devices essentially puts up a forcefield around your devices that prevents prying eyes from being able to see and access your data.

A VPN makes using public wifi networks just as safe as using your home wifi network where you’re the only person who knows the password.

In my eyes, installing a VPN on all your devices is an essential part of being a digital nomad.

It is just the responsible thing to do!

I’ve used a lot of different VPNs in my time and hated them all.

VPNs are notorious for slowing down your internet speed and make using the internet very frustrating.

You don’t need that when you’re a digital nomad and rely on the internet to make money!

My frustrations disappeared when I discovered NordVPN and started using their product.

They are the fastest VPN on the market, and you can really notice the difference when you have it turned on.

It doesn’t slow down your devices, and you hardly notice you have the VPN protecting your online data.

And your client’s online data!

The other awesome thing about NordVPN is that you can cloak your location.

This allows you to change your country and make it appear like you’re somewhere else in the world.

That might not sound like the coolest feature, but it really is!

Cloaking your location allows you to access Netflix libraries from other parts of the world.

And if you’re anything like me, you’ll be watching a fair bit of Netflix in the evenings when your’e travelling the world.

You’ll never run out of content to watch and can discover shows you’ve never heard of with a VPN on your devices.

I highly recommend checking out South Korea’s Netflix library. It is one of the best in the world in my opinion!

My philosophy is that if you can afford to travel and be a digital nomad, you can afford to protect your online information by installing a VPN on your devices.

It costs less than the price of a single latte per month, so you have no excuses not to be safe when you travel!

So, did any of those digital nomad jobs peak your interest and inspire you to finally take the leap of faith and follow your dreams of travelling full-time?

I truly believe the jobs for digital nomads on this list are accessible and pretty much anybody can do at least one of the jobs on this list!

Becoming a digital nomad sounds impossible, but I promise it is easier than you think.

It is scary to take the leap of faith, but it is 100% worth it if it is your dream.

It is easier than ever to make money online and these jobs for digital nomads prove it.

There seems to be new internet jobs popping up all the time. Who would have thought ten years ago that you could make a good living creating and pinning pins for other people?!

I sure didn’t!

But now managing Pinterest accounts can lead to your dream life and beef up your wallet more than you would imagine.

The possibilities are endless!

There is 100% a way for you to make money online with the skills you already have or skills you can easily learn.

Don’t let fear hold you back from living your dreams.

I dreamt of being a digital nomad for five years before I took the plunge. I let fear hold me back and regret the years I spent wilting away at a desk job when I didn’t have to.

Don’t be like me.

Have confidence in yourself to follow your dreams.

You got this!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on my affiliate link and purchase something (at no additional cost to you!), I may earn a small commission that helps me keep the blog running. Thank you so much for your support!

If you’re anything like me, you take every and any opportunity to use your credit card! When I had to pay down $37,000 worth of student loans, I did an internet deep dive to figure out where you can pay student loans with a credit card.

The internet was divided, and the information was far from straightforward.

I’m going to save you the time I spent scouring the internet and my trials and errors and give you everything you need to know about paying student loans with a credit card in one short(ish) blog post!

You’re welcome. 😉

The short answer is yes! you can pay your student loans with a credit card. You have to use a third-party platform like PaySimply or Plastiq to pay your student loans with a credit card. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should! You have to do a cost-benefit analysis to make sure you’re getting enough benefit out of paying the third-party fees to pay your student loans with a credit card rather than paying them in the traditional way.

The only way it is beneficial to pay your student loans with a credit card is if you use a travel rewards card.

There is no scenario in which it is in your best interest to pay your student loans with a credit card that only gives you cash back. You lose in that situation thanks to the fees you pay for using PaySimply or Plastiq.

I personally paid over $11,000 worth of my student loans with a credit card through PaySimply and earned over 170,000 points just in sign-up bonuses. That doesn’t include the points I earned by just spending money on my card!

I think paying students loans with a credit card can be a great way to earn free travel, but it has to be done in the right way.

Otherwise you’ll get burnt, and it won’t be worth it!

Oh. And this information applies to government loans. If you have private loans, this strategy may not work for you.

I know this is what you came for, so I’m going to get right to the good stuff!

Unfortunately, you can’t pay your student loans with a credit card directly through the government loan website.

That would be amazing!

The government doesn’t want people going into absurd amounts of credit card debt just to pay their student loans, so they make it difficult to do.

Student loans have a very low interest rate. If you don’t have enough money to make bulk payments, don’t use use a credit card to pay your student loans. If you only have the means to pay the minimum balance every month, stick to paying your student loans the traditional way.

But if you have the ability to make bulk payments on your student loans and want to use a credit card to do so, it is quite easy!

CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for Students Review

Here are the steps you have to take to pay your student loans with a credit card:

• Step One: Log into your loan account and navigate to the page that has your loan number

• Step Two: Go to either PaySimply or Plastiq

• Step Three: Follow the prompts on either PaySimply or Plastiq. You have to enter your student loan number, the payee, how much money you want to pay towards the loan, and how you want to pay. In most instances, you have to select Paypal in order to pay with a credit card.

• Step Four: Make your payment and keep the email receipt from PaySimply or Plastiq in an email folder or somewhere safe, so you don’t lose it in your inbox

• Step Five: Check your student loan account in 3-7 business days to make sure the payment went through

• Step Six: Do a happy dance knowing you just earned a bunch of travel points!

Important note: it is best to use new credit cards when paying your student loans. This lets you easily meet your minimum spend and earn those sweet, sweet sign-up bonuses.

You may want to consider opening multiple credit cards when paying off your student debt.

This allows you to maximize your points and get multiple sign-up bonuses when paying down your debt!

I personally opened four different credit cards when paying my student loans with credit cards. I met the minimum spend on each credit card and then moved onto the next. This allowed me to get the most points possible!

You can choose between PaySimply and Plastiq to pay your student loans with a credit card.

The two platforms are very similar and tend to have the same payees, so it doesn’t really matter which one you choose.

My preference is PaySimply.

I prefer PaySimply because you don’t have to create a profile to use the service unlike with Plastiq.

PaySimply isn’t any more or less anonymous than Plastiq just because you don’t have to create a profile. It is nice to have one less password and account to remember though!

I created an account on Plastiq just to compare the fees, and they sent me at least two or three emails a day every day until I deleted my account. It was beyond annoying.

The fees on both platforms are completely the same, so neither has an advantage in that regard.

My recommendation is to start with PaySimply and move to Plastiq if they don’t have the payee you need.

Paying off student loans with a credit card is not the right move for everybody.

In fact, I’ll go so far as it say it isn’t the right move for most people.

You need to do a cost-benefit analysis to make sure that you’re coming out of the process in the black and not the red.

It is very easy to not get your money’s worth of points when paying student loans with a credit card.

Choose the wrong points or use a cash back credit card, and it isn’t worth the 2.5% fee PaySimply/Plastiq charges.

This is how to figure out if this is the right decision for you:

• Do you have enough money to pay a lump sum on your student loans? If yes, move to the next step. If no, stop reading now and read this post instead.

• Figure out what it is going to cost you to use a credit card to pay your student loans. Multiple the amount you’re paying towards your loan by 2.5% to get the fee cost.

• Do some research and figure out how much each point that you’re earning is worth. Most points are valued between $0.025 and $0.01.

• Multiply the value per point by the total fees.

• Take the total fees and add the card’s annual fee (if applicable).

• If the points you can earn are worth more than the cost of the fees and annual fee, you’re good to proceed. If not, stick to paying your loans the traditional way.

The American Express Gold Canada card is one of the most popular travel credit cards in Canada, so we will use it for the example.

With the Amex Gold Canada, you have to spend $1,500 to get the 25,000 MR point bonus. We will assume you’re putting $1,500 towards your student loan to meet the minimum spend on the card.

MR points have an estimated value of $0.01 per point.

This is a conservative estimate, and you can often get a higher value per point. But it is best to err on the side of caution to make sure you’re benefiting from paying your student loans with a credit card.

Here’s what we would do to decide if it is worth paying your student loans with the Amex Gold Canada card:

• $1,500 x 2.5% = $37.50 in fees to pay your student loans with a credit card

• You receive 25,000 MR points as a sign-up bonus and earn the base 1,500 MR points for spending $1,500 on the Amex Gold. That is a total of 26,500 MR points for this transaction

• 26,500 x $0.01 = $265 worth of value at a minimum in points earned

• $37.50 (fees) + $150 (annual fee) = $187.50 total cost for getting the Amex Gold Canada card just to pay down your student loans with

In this example, you earn enough points to cover the 2.5% fees from PaySimply/Plastiq and the credit card’s annual plus have $77.50 worth of additional points that you earned.

But if the math showed that the fees and annual fee came out to $275, then it would not be worthwhile to pay your student loans with that particular credit card.

I hope that explanation makes sense! If it doesn’t drop me a comment below, and I’ll help you out!

Underrated Cities in Europe

I want to make it very clear because I don’t want any of you making this mistake.

There is no scenario in which you should be using a cash back credit card to pay your student loans!

One more time for the people in the back: do not use a cash back credit card to pay your student loans!

The reason for this is very simple: the math doesn’t add up!

Many cash back credit cards give you up to 3% cash back but only in certain categories like dining and transportation.

Paying your student loans doesn’t fall into one of those elevated earning categories, and you only earn at most 1% cash back.

When you do the math, you see that 2.5% – 1% = 1.5%.

You are losing 1.5% thanks to the fees when you pay your student loans with cash back credit cards.

It isn’t worth it!

Either pay your student loans traditionally or get a travel credit card if you really want to pay your student loans with a credit card.

I want to make one more thing abundantly clear.

Never pay your student loans with a credit card if you don’t have enough cash to pay off the card’s entire balance before interest starts incurring.

No matter how many points you earn by using a credit card to pay your student loans, you are in the red if you have to pay interest on your credit card.

The interest rate on credit cards is painful, and is often over 22%.

Plus not paying your credit card in full negatively impacts your credit score. You need a strong credit score as a travel hacker.

I know most people don’t have a bunch of spare cash just sitting around to put towards their student debt. It can be difficult to pay your student loans with a credit card for that reason alone.

If you really want the points but don’t have the money to make a big enough payment to meet the minimum spend, I recommend saving a little money each month and waiting to make a bulk payment until you have enough saved up.

I also highly recommend you save the equivalent of you monthly payment each month when you’re in your 6 month grace period.

Assuming you’re fortunate enough to have a job!

Then use the money you saved in those six months to make a bulk payment on your student loans with a credit card.

But no matter your financial situation, please, please, please never pay your student loans with a credit card if you don’t have the cash in your bank account to pay off your credit card.

• Potentially earn a ton of points

• Pay off your student loans quicker because you’re making additional bulk payments on the loan

• Can help increase your credit score (I do not advocate paying student loans with a credit card if you can’t pay off the entire balance before interest hits)

• There is no way around paying the 2.5% fee through PaySimply/Plastiq

• Can’t use a cash back credit card

• Can potentially temporarily lower your credit score if applying for multiple credit cards in a short time frame

• American Express Aeroplan (read review)

• RBC Westjet World Elite Mastercard (read review)

There you have it! You’re officially a cool kid and know exactly how to pay your student loans with a credit card!

It is a pretty easy process, and you can earn a ton of points using this strategy!

I have absolutely no regret paying off a large chunk of my student loans with a credit card even though it cost me an extra 2.5% in fees!

But, again, I want to lecture you again on not using a cash back credit card to pay your student loans and don’t put any money towards your student loans that you don’t have to pay off your credit card bill immediately.

As long as you steer clear of those two no-nos and do the math to make sure you’re getting enough value in points, go wild and have fun!

I’m all for finding creative ways to earn credit card points, and this is one of the most lucrative ways!

Plus it is 100% within the legal boundaries of travel hacking and ethical, so that is a huge plus!

I always tell you tips and tricks that work within the current credit card system and will never give you any tips that are unethical or fall outside the realm of fair play. Don’t worry!

A lot of bloggers suggest new bloggers use Bluehost as their hosting provider because they offer a one-click WordPress installation. That was good advice then, but now Bluehost is facing fierce competition from Green Geeks.

Green Geeks recently launched their Quick Launch Wizard tool that allows you to start your blog and install WordPress in seconds.

A tool like this was the one piece missing from Green Geeks in the past, and I’m over the moon they introduced it!

You can now install WordPress and start your blog in about thirty seconds flat!

With the introduction of the Quick Launch Wizard tool, Green Geeks is firmly cemented as the best hosting provider in my opinion.

You get:

• The most environmentally friendly hosting on the planet

• A complimentary caching plugin

• An extremely fast website

• Some of the industry’s best website uptime

• The ability to install WordPress without navigating through the c-panel

All that for extremely low prices.

I honestly don’t know how they’re able to offer all of that for such a low price!

Today, I’m going to walk you through how to quickly create your blog and install WordPress with Green Geeks.

Spoiler: it is really easy!

Rookie travel blogging mistakes to avoid

Step One: Choosing Your Domain Name

Okay. Technically this step needs to happen no matter who your hosting provider is, but it is a very important step!

You have to live with the blog name you choose for the rest of your blog’s life.

(Unless you go through the painful process of changing your entire brand and the behind the scenes hassle that comes with that. I don’t recommend it!)

Here are a few tips to help you choose the right name:

• Using your name is always a safe bet

• Make sure it is relevant to the topic you write about

• Avoid anything that sounds too similar to the big bloggers in your niche

It can be hard to choose the perfect blog name.

I like using the free tool Namelix to get some ideas for potential names.

You simply enter in a few words you want to use, and it spits out website name suggestions. I’ve never had it come up with the perfect blog name, but it has helped turn my brain in the right direction.

I would never have come up with my second blog’s name without Namelix!

Once you have the perfect domain name, enter it into Green Geeks, and you can start the process of starting your blog!

Green Geeks provides a free domain name for your first year with them.

I suggest taking advantage of that offer and then deciding if you want to keep your domain with them or move it to a different domain provider

I personally prefer to keep all my domain names with Namecheap, but you can keep it with Green Geeks if that is what works best for you!

SEO for travel bloggers

Step Two: Installing WordPress with the Quick Launch Wizard Tool

After you select your domain name, enter your personal information, and pay for your hosting, you will be directed to the following page:

This is where the easy part starts!

Assuming you’re a brand new bloggers and are starting from scratch, you’re going to click the “Start a New Website” button.

From there, you will be directed to this page:

Most of you lovely people are going to only need to install WordPress when starting your blog.

You may want to add WooCommerce if you choose to sell a product once you’re established, and it is easy to add to your website after the fact.

So, if you’re just looking to start a blog, select “WordPress”, and you will be redirected to this page:

This is where you need to select one of the free WordPress themes Green Geeks offers.

I suggest sticking with the default theme in the top left-hand corner.

You don’t have to worry too much about choosing the perfect theme at this stage of the game.

It is incredibly easy to swap out themes in WordPress whenever you want.

I personally manually change my theme to Twenty Seventeen in the backend of WordPress because I use Thrive Architect to manually build out all my website.

Underneath the themes, there are a few optional plugins you can choose to have automatically installed.

I recommend you not installing any of them. The only option you want to keep as pre-installed on your WordPress is the Litespeed Cache plugin, which in on the very bottom underneath all the other plugins I don’t think you need to install.

Just like changing your theme, it is super easy to install plugins after you’ve installed WordPress.

Customizing your plugins is always the best choice, and even if you end up wanting one of the plugins Green Geeks suggests, it takes less than 30 seconds to install it in WordPress later.

After that, all you have to do is click “Create My Website”, and you’ll get this lovely big, green check mark once it is complete.

WordPress will be installed on your site, and you’re ready to start playing around and creating the blog of your dreams!

More of a Visual Learner? Watch the Green Geeks Video Tutorial

Conclusion

Yup. I promise you it is that easy!

No more fumbling around the c-panel (or having to Google what a c-panel is if you’re a brand new blogger).

You can create your site and install WordPress in less than a minute!

But the work doesn’t stop there.

Installing WordPress is just the first step. You still have to customize your theme (a.k.a. make your site look pretty), install your favourite plugins, and write your content.

Your blog won’t be ready to be launched to the world after installing WordPress. But the Quick Launch Wizard takes away a lot of the technical hassle of creating a site and installing WordPress.

Once WordPress is on your site, the fun and creativity begins!

GET STARTED WITH GREEN GEEKS

If you live in Western Canada or Western United States, Seattle is a great option for a weekend trip. Often the flight is less than three hours. That means you have ample time to explore the city in just two days.

Plus it is one of the most beautiful places in all of Washington state, so you have to visit it at least once!

Before you go

Before you get to Seattle, you have to take care of a couple practical items like booking your flight and accommodation.

Flights

Ideally, you would book a flight that leaves Friday evening after work to allow for an entire day exploring on Saturday. However, if that is not possible, you should be able to book an early morning flight. Preferably, you should book a flight that lands in Seattle by 9am on Saturday.

Getting up early to catch a flight on Saturday morning rather than Saturday afternoon will allow you to optimize your short weekend getaway. Since you only have a short time in Seattle on a weekend trip, it is essential that you get to the city as early as possible.

Accommodation

Seattle can be an expensive city. Especially if you want to stay in the heart of the city and be able to walk everywhere. The Hilton Garden Inn Seattle Downtown and Hampton Inn & Suites Seattle- Downtown are great options. The Hampton Inn & Suites is less expensive and offers a complimentary breakfast. However, it is a bit further away from most of the sights. This means it requires more walking or using public transportation than the Hilton Garden Inn.

All the main sights in Seattle are very walkable when you stay in the centre of the city. It is worth the extra money to stay downtown because you don’t have much time in Seattle.

Getting to your Hotel from the Airport

There are many ways to get from the airport to downtown. The most convenient is to get an Uber, Lyft, or taxi. All three of these options are located on the third floor of the parking garage. Don’t worry about getting lost because there are lots of signs to point you in the right direction.

The most expensive option is a taxi, and it will cost you approximately $45-$50 to get to your downtown hotel. Many taxis have a flat rate so be sure to be an informed passenger. Either ask your driver about the pricing or read the literature on the windows and seat backs in the taxi.

You can take the light rail from the airport to the downtown station Westlake. From there you can walk to your hotel from there if you are looking for a budget-friendly option. If you’re staying at the Hilton Garden Inn, the walk is only a couple of blocks. If you’re staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites, you will have to take the monorail then walk a few blocks from there. There are signs in the airport that direct you where to get on the light rail system.

Day One

Morning

Space Needle

Visit the Space Needle as early as you can. The Space Needle gets extremely busy, so the earlier you can get there, the less crowded it will be. Tickets start at $32.50. However, there are often packages you can buy that make it cheaper to visit it and other attractions. Here is the official Space Needle website to help you determine what ticket you should get.

I recommend either buying your ticket online early is you know exactly when you want to visit it. If you aren’t sure exactly when you will be arriving, there are ticket kiosks on the pathway to the entrance. Use them as they will save you standing in a long ticket line. You are also able to buy multi-experience tickets through the kiosks, so they are very convenient.

Once you’re up in the Space Needle, be sure to take your time looking around. Don’t rush your visit as there is lots to see. There is even a coffee shop and stools for you to enjoy a hot beverage while taking in the view. Be sure to explore every section of the Space Needle to get your money’s worth because it isn’t exactly inexpensive.

Chihuly Garden and Glass or Museum of Pop Culture

Both of these museums are exceptional and located steps away from the Space Needle. Chihuly Garden and Glass displays huge blown glass art pieces. It also has a garden that is a mix of plants and blown glass elements. It is gorgeous and well worth a visit. The entrance fee is $26, but there are package deals with the Space Needle that brings the cost down a little.

If blown glass isn’t your thing, the Museum of Pop Culture is a great alternative. It is filled with exhibitions ranging from Science Fiction movies and television to sports to music. There is truly something for everyone. The feature exhibit changes regularly. So even if you have been in the past, there will be something new for you to experience. The admission cost is $34 for an adult, so it is quite expensive. However, there are package deals with the Space Needle that bring the cost down a bit. This is a very popular museum, so be sure to buy your tickets ahead of time if possible.

Evening

The Space Needle and area will take you all morning and part of the afternoon if you take your time. Once you’re done, take the monorail downtown. Seattle is a sports lover’s dream city. Between baseball, football, and the soon-to-be hockey team, you can catch a sports game all year ’round. I recommend you grab some dinner downtown then go to a sporting event.

There are not a lot of food options near the football and baseball stadiums. So make sure to eat downtown if you don’t want to eat stadium food. Even for a casual sports fan, taking in a live game is always a great way to spend an evening! Baseball tickets are fairly inexpensive, so it is also a great option for travellers on a budget. Football tickets tend to be more expensive. You can normally get cheap tickets, but you will be sitting further away from the action.

Day Two

Morning

Pike Place Market and the Harbour

Pike Place Market is a must-do activity in Seattle. It is a bustling market that is open every day of the week. It is home to a variety of vendors. You can find fresh produce, fish, hand-made products, and restaurants. Not to mention, it is home to the very first Starbucks (it always has a long line, so if you’re not a die-hard Starbucks fan, it is best to give it a miss).

Pike Place Market is the perfect place to get breakfast on Sunday morning. There are tons of small cafes that offer great breakfasts. There are also vendors that sell freshly-baked pastries. Vegan and gluten-free options are available for people with dietary restrictions.

After breakfast, walk along the harbour. There is plenty to see and do. You could go on a harbour cruise, ride the ferris wheel, visit the aquarium, or simply take a stroll and enjoy the sights and sounds. There are often street performers to entertain you as well.

This is a truly relaxing way to start your last day on your Seattle weekend getaway.

Afternoon

Underground Tour

Seattle has an incredible history. Taking an underground tour is a great way to learn about how Seattle became the city it is today. On the tour you get to go underground to the original city streets. You learn how the streets that are currently in use came to be and the challengers early settlers faced. Tickets are $22 for an adult, but it is well worth the money. You can purchase tickets in advance online or walk up and purchase your tickets the day of. Tours regularly sell out. You may have to wait until the next tour if you buy your ticket the day of. There are a number of unique stores in the surrounding neighbourhood to check out while you’re waiting. Otherwise, the tour company has a pub attached to it’s office where you can grab lunch and a pint.

Evening

If you’re flight leaves on Sunday evening, this is the time when you’ll have to go back to your hotel and retrieve your stored luggage. Unfortunately, your time in Seattle has come to an end far too quickly.

If, however, you’re flight doesn’t leave until Monday morning, you can use your remaining time to either go to another sporting event, go to a local theatre performance, or check out the Seattle nightlife.

Downtown Seattle has a lot of nightlife to offer, so you will easily stumble your way into a pub, restaurant, or club that will suit your fancy. This last evening is yours to do what you wish with it. Soak up the last hours of your holiday and do whatever you enjoy most!

Conclusion

Seattle has a lot to offer, and it has something for everybody. While it is an expensive city, it has a lot of unique experiences to offer. The Space Needle is a piece of history that everybody should experience at least once in a lifetime. There are also a number of great museums to visit.

It is also a very walkable city. This makes it ideal for able-bodied travellers that like experiencing the local vibe by walking through various neighbourhoods on the way to their next destination.

If you live in the Western part of North America, Seattle is the perfect weekend getaway. You will feel like you’ve seen most of what Seattle has to offer and won’t go home feeling as if you missed anything.

If you live in Western Canada or Western United States, Seattle is a great option for a weekend trip. Often the flight is less than three hours. That means you have ample time to explore the city in just two days.

Plus it is one of the most beautiful places in all of Washington state, so you have to visit it at least once!

Before you go

Before you get to Seattle, you have to take care of a couple practical items like booking your flight and accommodation.

Flights

Ideally, you would book a flight that leaves Friday evening after work to allow for an entire day exploring on Saturday. However, if that is not possible, you should be able to book an early morning flight. Preferably, you should book a flight that lands in Seattle by 9am on Saturday.

Getting up early to catch a flight on Saturday morning rather than Saturday afternoon will allow you to optimize your short weekend getaway. Since you only have a short time in Seattle on a weekend trip, it is essential that you get to the city as early as possible.

Accommodation

Seattle can be an expensive city. Especially if you want to stay in the heart of the city and be able to walk everywhere. The Hilton Garden Inn Seattle Downtown and Hampton Inn & Suites Seattle- Downtown are great options. The Hampton Inn & Suites is less expensive and offers a complimentary breakfast. However, it is a bit further away from most of the sights. This means it requires more walking or using public transportation than the Hilton Garden Inn.

All the main sights in Seattle are very walkable when you stay in the centre of the city. It is worth the extra money to stay downtown because you don’t have much time in Seattle.

Getting to your Hotel from the Airport

There are many ways to get from the airport to downtown. The most convenient is to get an Uber, Lyft, or taxi. All three of these options are located on the third floor of the parking garage. Don’t worry about getting lost because there are lots of signs to point you in the right direction.

The most expensive option is a taxi, and it will cost you approximately $45-$50 to get to your downtown hotel. Many taxis have a flat rate so be sure to be an informed passenger. Either ask your driver about the pricing or read the literature on the windows and seat backs in the taxi.

You can take the light rail from the airport to the downtown station Westlake. From there you can walk to your hotel from there if you are looking for a budget-friendly option. If you’re staying at the Hilton Garden Inn, the walk is only a couple of blocks. If you’re staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites, you will have to take the monorail then walk a few blocks from there. There are signs in the airport that direct you where to get on the light rail system.

Day One

Morning

Space Needle

Visit the Space Needle as early as you can. The Space Needle gets extremely busy, so the earlier you can get there, the less crowded it will be. Tickets start at $32.50. However, there are often packages you can buy that make it cheaper to visit it and other attractions. Here is the official Space Needle website to help you determine what ticket you should get.

I recommend either buying your ticket online early is you know exactly when you want to visit it. If you aren’t sure exactly when you will be arriving, there are ticket kiosks on the pathway to the entrance. Use them as they will save you standing in a long ticket line. You are also able to buy multi-experience tickets through the kiosks, so they are very convenient.

Once you’re up in the Space Needle, be sure to take your time looking around. Don’t rush your visit as there is lots to see. There is even a coffee shop and stools for you to enjoy a hot beverage while taking in the view. Be sure to explore every section of the Space Needle to get your money’s worth because it isn’t exactly inexpensive.

Chihuly Garden and Glass or Museum of Pop Culture

Both of these museums are exceptional and located steps away from the Space Needle. Chihuly Garden and Glass displays huge blown glass art pieces. It also has a garden that is a mix of plants and blown glass elements. It is gorgeous and well worth a visit. The entrance fee is $26, but there are package deals with the Space Needle that brings the cost down a little.

If blown glass isn’t your thing, the Museum of Pop Culture is a great alternative. It is filled with exhibitions ranging from Science Fiction movies and television to sports to music. There is truly something for everyone. The feature exhibit changes regularly. So even if you have been in the past, there will be something new for you to experience. The admission cost is $34 for an adult, so it is quite expensive. However, there are package deals with the Space Needle that bring the cost down a bit. This is a very popular museum, so be sure to buy your tickets ahead of time if possible.

Evening

The Space Needle and area will take you all morning and part of the afternoon if you take your time. Once you’re done, take the monorail downtown. Seattle is a sports lover’s dream city. Between baseball, football, and the soon-to-be hockey team, you can catch a sports game all year ’round. I recommend you grab some dinner downtown then go to a sporting event.

There are not a lot of food options near the football and baseball stadiums. So make sure to eat downtown if you don’t want to eat stadium food. Even for a casual sports fan, taking in a live game is always a great way to spend an evening! Baseball tickets are fairly inexpensive, so it is also a great option for travellers on a budget. Football tickets tend to be more expensive. You can normally get cheap tickets, but you will be sitting further away from the action.

Day Two

Morning

Pike Place Market and the Harbour

Pike Place Market is a must-do activity in Seattle. It is a bustling market that is open every day of the week. It is home to a variety of vendors. You can find fresh produce, fish, hand-made products, and restaurants. Not to mention, it is home to the very first Starbucks (it always has a long line, so if you’re not a die-hard Starbucks fan, it is best to give it a miss).

Pike Place Market is the perfect place to get breakfast on Sunday morning. There are tons of small cafes that offer great breakfasts. There are also vendors that sell freshly-baked pastries. Vegan and gluten-free options are available for people with dietary restrictions.

After breakfast, walk along the harbour. There is plenty to see and do. You could go on a harbour cruise, ride the ferris wheel, visit the aquarium, or simply take a stroll and enjoy the sights and sounds. There are often street performers to entertain you as well.

This is a truly relaxing way to start your last day on your Seattle weekend getaway.

Afternoon

Underground Tour

Seattle has an incredible history. Taking an underground tour is a great way to learn about how Seattle became the city it is today. On the tour you get to go underground to the original city streets. You learn how the streets that are currently in use came to be and the challengers early settlers faced. Tickets are $22 for an adult, but it is well worth the money. You can purchase tickets in advance online or walk up and purchase your tickets the day of. Tours regularly sell out. You may have to wait until the next tour if you buy your ticket the day of. There are a number of unique stores in the surrounding neighbourhood to check out while you’re waiting. Otherwise, the tour company has a pub attached to it’s office where you can grab lunch and a pint.

Evening

If you’re flight leaves on Sunday evening, this is the time when you’ll have to go back to your hotel and retrieve your stored luggage. Unfortunately, your time in Seattle has come to an end far too quickly.

If, however, you’re flight doesn’t leave until Monday morning, you can use your remaining time to either go to another sporting event, go to a local theatre performance, or check out the Seattle nightlife.

Downtown Seattle has a lot of nightlife to offer, so you will easily stumble your way into a pub, restaurant, or club that will suit your fancy. This last evening is yours to do what you wish with it. Soak up the last hours of your holiday and do whatever you enjoy most!

Conclusion

Seattle has a lot to offer, and it has something for everybody. While it is an expensive city, it has a lot of unique experiences to offer. The Space Needle is a piece of history that everybody should experience at least once in a lifetime. There are also a number of great museums to visit.

It is also a very walkable city. This makes it ideal for able-bodied travellers that like experiencing the local vibe by walking through various neighbourhoods on the way to their next destination.

If you live in the Western part of North America, Seattle is the perfect weekend getaway. You will feel like you’ve seen most of what Seattle has to offer and won’t go home feeling as if you missed anything.

One of the most iconic tourist attractions in China is the Forbidden City in Beijing. It was home to the emperors of China for over 500 years and is a major part of Chinese history.

The Forbidden City is located in central Beijing and is, unsurprisingly, one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of China. It is so popular that the government of China put a cap on how many people can enter the City in a single day at 80,000.

You read that correctly. They are limiting the number of people to 80,000 people per day. You can only imagine how incredibly busy the Forbidden City was before the cap!

You should make sure to visit the Forbidden City while you’re in Beijing. It is a magnificent complex and gives you a taste of the history of China. This post will give you all the information you need to visit the palace to have an amazing day.

Where is the Forbidden City Located?

The Forbidden City is located in the heart of Beijing. You can see the Forbidden City from Tiananmen Square, and it is a 10 minute walk from Behai Park.

You can easily walk to the Forbidden City from any centrally-located hotel. The walk should be less than 30 minutes, and you will find signs pointing you in the right direction as you walk. It is pretty difficult to get lost while walking as long as you have a general idea of what direction you should be going.

Public Transportation

You can easily use public transportation to get to the Forbidden City. You are able to get there either by bus or by using the subway.

I would recommend using the subway. You are guaranteed to get to the palace on time because you don’t have to worry about a traffic jam like a bus on the street. The subway is also easier to use, can be less crowded, and is definitely less hot than the bus in the summer.

Bus

If you choose to take the bus, the following lines stop at the Forbidden City:

• 1
• 2
• 4
• 10
• 20
• 22
• 37
• 52
• 59
• 120
• 126
• 728
• 802
• TE 1

You will want to get off at either Tianan men dong or Tianan men xi. You should listen for those stops or write down the Chinese characters for them, so you can know when you need to get off at based on the screen at the front of the bus.

Subway

If you are taking the subway, there are multiple stops you can get off at:

• Metro Line 1: Tiananmen West or Tiananmen East
• Metro Line 2: Qianmen Station

You will have a short walk to the entrance of the Forbidden City no matter what station you get off at. You should read the signs when you exit the station to make sure you are taking the right exit and then follow the street signs to the Forbidden City.

It will be easy to find the entrance to the palace. It is very well marked, and there will be huge crowds.

Hour of Operation

The palace has different hours of operation depending on what time of year you are visiting.

April 1st to October 31st

The Forbidden City is open from 8:30am to 5pm. The last ticket is sold at 4pm, and the last entry is at 4:10pm.

November 1st to March 31st

You are able to visit the palace from 8:30am to 4:30pm. The last ticket is sold at 3:30pm, and the last entrance is at 3:40pm.

The Forbidden City is closed on Mondays except for Chinese national holidays that fall on a Monday.

How to Buy Forbidden City Tickets

There are multiple ways for you to purchase tickets to visit the Forbidden City.

Tickets are 40 yuan if you visit from November 1st to March 31st and 60 yuan if you visit from April 1st to October 31st. It costs approximately $6 USD and $9 USD, respectively.

There are two separate exhibits that you can pay an additional price to visit. They are the Treasure Gallery and the Clock and Watch Gallery. The price to enter these exhibits are 10 yuan, or approximately $1.50 USD, each. I have never paid to visit these areas, so I cannot comment on whether the extra price is worth it.

Online

You are able to pre-buy tickets online. The website is only in Chinese, and it does not have the option to translate to English. You are able to translate the webpage if you’re using Google Chrome, but there are still a few glitches that happen when you try to check out because the translation is not perfect.

You will be required to input your passport number if you purchase tickets online. The website will allow you to select a date and time to visit as well as the number of people in your group. You will receive a confirmation email, and you will have to pick up your physical tickets at the ticket gate . You will be asked to show your passport when you pick up your tickets, so you will need to make sure to bring it with you.

At the Forbidden City Ticket Gate

The easiest way to purchase tickets is directly at the ticket gate the day you want to visit the palace. You are able to purchase tickets the day of your visit the majority of the time. The only time it may be an issue is during the busiest times of year like Chinese national holidays or at the hight of tourist season.

The number of visitors allowed into the Forbidden City is capped, so you should get to the palace close to opening time to ensure you get a ticket if you are purchasing it at the gate the day of your visit.

You will be asked for your passport when purchasing your ticket so be sure to have it on you!

The line to purchase tickets will look long no matter what time of day you are visiting the palace, but they move quickly.

Tour Guide

You are able to hire a tour guide to take you through the Forbidden City and give you an in-depth history lesson on its importance and significance. This is a great option for people who are looking to learn a lot about the Forbidden City and have money to spare.

There are a lot of guide scams, so you need to make sure you are hiring a legitimate professional. You should not hire any of the people standing outside the palace claiming to be tour guides. These people are normally scammers and not legitimate tour guides.

There are a lot of reputable tour guides in Beijing, but you should do your research and hire them before you get to the palace. Tour guides normally charge between $50 USD and $90 USD, and they often take you to more than one tourist attraction in the area.

Only Purchase Official Forbidden City Tickets

There are a lot of tickets scammers around the Forbidden City, so you should only ever purchase tickets from the Forbidden City ticket booth or receive tickets from your legitimate tour guide.

Ticket scammers often strike up a conversation with you as you are walking to the entrance of the Forbidden City and tell you they can take you to an entrance that is less busy. They will lead you to a less busy area and then tell you the ticket booth is closed. They will then offer to sell you a ticket for an extremely high price (normally $100 USD or more).

This can be an extremely stressful experience for travellers, but it can easily be avoided. I’ve had people like this approached me multiple times. I always feel rude brushing them off and telling them I’m not interested, but they are scammers, so I put my Canadian politeness away.

Oops. You Went to the Wrong Gate. Now What?

There are two gates to the Forbidden City. The South gate is the entrance to the palace and the North gate is the exit. You must enter through the South gate and leave through the North gate.

If you end up at the North gate rather than the South gate, you will have to walk all the way to the South gate. You can walk either east or west to get to the South gate. There will be signs to show you how to get there.

You can also walk through Tiananmen Square and under the famous Mao gate to reach the Forbidden City. This path takes longer because you have to go through a bag check, but if you have time to spare, it is a great option. You get to get up close to a famous landmark.

The walk will take 10-25 minutes depending what route you take. It is inconvenient but a necessity if you want to visit the palace.

You should not take a rickshaw from the North gate to the South gate. Oftentimes rickshaw drivers will take you on a long journey (and often in the wrong direction) and then charge you a huge fare for not taking you to where you want to be. They know you are a tourist looking for the entrance and take advantage of you.

It is best and safest to walk even if you’re feet are exhausted and mad at you.

How Long Do You Need at the Forbidden City?

It can be difficult to determine how long you need to fully tour the Forbidden City. There is a lot to see, so you could easily spend 4 or 5 hours touring the palace. But there are also a lot of crowds and other things to see in the area.

You have to decide if you want to spend multiple hours in a very crowded area exploring the Forbidden City, or if you want to spend less time there and just see the highlights.

I would suggest budgeting a minimum of 2 hours for your visit to the Forbidden City. This will give you time to see the most important buildings and some of the smaller pavilions without getting too overwhelmed by the crowds (and heat if you’re visiting in the spring or summer).

How to Beat the Crowds

You will never be able to avoid the crowds. There are thousands of people touring the Forbidden City at any given time no matter what time of day or year you’re there.

The best way to limit how many crowds you are dealing with is to get to the Forbidden City when it opens in the morning. This is when the fewest number of people will be there. It gets more and more crowded as the day goes on.

At opening time, the main buildings will be crowded, but the secondary pavilions will be less busy, so you will be able to admire them without bumping into fellow tourists. This makes for a more enjoyable experience, and it is worth getting to the Forbidden City earlier in the morning.

Other Sights in the Same Area as the Forbidden City

There are a lot of other tourist sights to see that are walking distance from the Forbidden City. The three most popular are:

• Tiananmen Square
• The National Museum of China
• Behai Park

Tiananmen Square and the National Museum of China are free to visit, and Behai Park has a small entrance fee. You should try to visit all 3 sights when you’re in Beijing because they are all incredible and are important to China’s history.

My personal favourite of the 3 is Behai Park. It may be my favourite tourist sight in all of Beijing.

Conclusion

You can easily spend an entire day touring the Forbidden City and the surrounding tourist attractions. The Forbidden City is an incredible piece of Chinese history, and you should be sure to visit in while in Beijing.

There are a lot of scams that you can fall victim to around the Forbidden City, but if you are a smart traveller, you can easily avoid them. You should be sure to purchase your tickets at the palace ticket booth or online before you visit and avoid rickshaw drivers and street vendors surrounding the Forbidden Palace.

The Forbidden City is huge and covers 72 hectares, so there is a lot for you to see! You will be walking a lot so be sure to wear conformable shoes and dress for the weather.

To get the most out of your visit, you should allow for at least 2 hours to wander through the various buildings and read the information cards that tell you about the history. You can also get an audioguide if you’re interested in learning even more about the palace.

No trip to Beijing is complete without seeing the Forbidden City. It will be crowded, but it will be worth it to see such a significant part of Chinese history!

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The MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard is the worst hotel credit card in Canada, but it only has one competitor.

The only other hotel credit card in Canada is the Marriott Bonvoy American Express, and it blows the MBNA Best Western card out of the water.

But that doesn’t mean the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard is a bad credit card!

In fact, I think it is a great credit card when you analyze it objectively and don’t compare it to the Marriott Bonvoy Amex card.

The MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard has no annual fee, comes with a sign-up bonus that gets you a free night hotel stay, and has an unbeatable points earning of 5x points for every $1 spent at Best Western. It is the best no-fee travel credit card in Canada. Hands down.

It is also one of the most underrated travel credit cards in Canada.

Not many people know about MBNA and the cards they offer. I sure didn’t before I got into the travel hacking game.

The MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard is a hidden gem and should not be ignored or pushed to the side.

At the end of this post, I’m going to tell you the best secret hack I have for MBNA credit cards. You can make MBNA work for you, and earn a lot of extra points!

Highlights

For a no annual fee credit card, the MBNA Best Western card has a lot of highlights and perks.

A lot more highlights and perks than the average no-fee credit card. Heck! Most no-fee credit cards don’t give you a sign-up bonus, and MBNA gives you a juicy sign-up bonus with the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard!

You get a certain happy, squishy feeling when you get a sign-up bonus on a no annual fee credit card!

Some of the top highlights of the MBNA Best Western card that you should know about are:

• 20,000 Best Western Rewards as a sign-up bonus (enough for one free night’s stay!)

• 5x points on purchases made at Best Western

• Automatically receive Gold Status at Best Western (and all the associated perks) after you make your first purchase with the card

That’s a lot for a no annual fee card to be offering! It is quite impressive, really.

Pros and Cons of the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard

• No annual fee and can add up to 9 additional users at no cost

• Great sign-up bonus and solid rewards on Best Western purchases

• Can be used in conjunction with other MBNA cards to get more rewards

• Low points earning on non-Best Western purchases

• Can only redeem at Best Western properties

• MBNA has strict rules about who they will approve for credit cards

APPLY FOR THE MBNA BEST WESTERN REWARDS CARD

Points

You earn and redeem Best Western Rewards with this card.

There is no option to transfer your rewards to a partner program, and you can only use your points to redeem for free nights at Best Western properties.

There is nothing wrong with that though!

Some people look down on Best Western like it is a gross hotel or you’re poor if you stay there.

That couldn’t be farther from the truth!

Best Western hotels are actually pretty nice, and they get upgraded all the time! They are a great option for budget travellers or people who aren’t too fussed about where they stay.

You get what you expect when you stay at a Best Western property.

The rooms will be clean, the beds comfortable, and no extra fuss or extravagance.

I like Best Westerns, and I think they are the perfect hotel to stay at when you have to spend one night near an airport to catch an early flight.

I’ve stayed at many airport Best Western hotels and have nothing but great experiences!

Best travel credit cards in Canada

Sign-Up Bonus

You receive 20,000 Best Western Rewards after you make your first eligible purchase with the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard.

Pretty much anything and everything counts as a first purchase!

Use the card to buy a $1 cup of tea, and your bonus points will show up in your account within a few weeks (after the first billing cycle most likely)!

That is enough for one free night at most Best Western properties!

That’s a very generous sign-up bonus for a no-fee credit card, and you can’t complain at all about it.

In fact, I think it is quite generous!

Earning Points

As mentioned earlier, you earn Best Western Rewards with this card.

The points earning categories are really straightforward and easy to remember. You earn:

• 5x points on all eligible Best Western purchases. This includes purchases like food made at Best Western properties and hotel bookings

• 1x points on every other $1 spent

The points earning for everything outside of purchases at Best Western properties is awful!

I don’t recommend you spend much (if any) money on the MBNA Best Western card outside of Best Western hotel purchases.

It simply isn’t the best way to earn points, and there are much better travel credit cards out there where you can earn a lot more points per dollar spent.

The American Express Cobalt card is the perfect travel credit card for anybody who does a lot of spending on food and groceries. You can read my full review of the card here.

On the other hand, the points earning for Best Western purchases is really good!

It is on par with the other (more premium) hotel credit card in Canada the Marriott Bonvoy American Express.

You will earn a lot of Best Western points really quickly when you use the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard for all your Best Western purchases.

Say hello to free hotel stays!

Redeeming Points

It is super easy to redeem Best Western Rewards!

All the points you earn through the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard will automatically show up on your Best Western Rewards profile.

You don’t have to worry about figuring out how to get your points from MBNA to Best Western because the process is done automatically for you behind the scenes!

Best Western has a really smooth redemption process on their site.

You simply search for the hotel you want to stay at and click the “use points” box before you click the search button.

Your search will results will show the price in Best Western Rewards rather than in Canadian dollars.

All you have to do is choose your hotel, and book the room the same way you normally would if you paid with cash.

The points will be deducted from your Best Western Rewards profile, and you don’t have to do anything else.

The next thing you have to do is show up at the hotel and be ready for a great stay!

It really is as easy as that!

Best Way to Redeem Best Western Rewards

It can take a bit of work to figure out the best use of your Best Western Rewards.

In general, using them for pretty much any hotel stay is a good use of your points, but you can work to find the best value for your points.

I like to look at my travel calendar for the year and search each city I’m visiting that year.

I look at the cost in points versus the cost in dollars for each hotel and use my points at the hotel that gives me the best value.

I’m not going to lie. This can be very tedious.

Most people don’t want to and won’t go through that time consuming process.

I don’t blame you!

In that case, I recommend you looking for a hotel in whatever city you’re visiting and book the hotel you want with your points. The only thing to look out for is to make sure the hotel isn’t on sale. In that scenario, it is probably best to pay with cash and save your points for stay where it will save you more money.

I also recommend you look out for any hotels that are running promotions where you save X% off the price when you pay with points or you get an extra night free if you pay with points.

They don’t happen often, but they are the golden gem you should look out for!

Worst Way to Redeem Best Western Rewards

Normally this is the point in the article where I tell you it is foolish to use your points to buy merchandise or gift cards.

You don’t have that option with the MBNA Best Western card or Best Western Rewards.

You can only redeem your points for hotel stays, so it is pretty hard to use your points in a wasteful way.

The only realistic way you could spend your points in a terrible way is if you don’t use them and let them go to waste.

You should always use your travel points!

There is hardly anything worse in the travel hacking sphere than letting your points collect dust and never use them.

Don’t be that person.

Be sure to use your Best Western Rewards and keep your precious money in your pocket!

Annual Fee

There is no annual fee for the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard!

Yay!!

Best hotel credit cards in Canada

Qualifications

To be eligible for the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard you must be the age of majority in your home province and be a Canadian resident.

MBNA has a 5/24 rule, and it applies to the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard.

This rule states that you will not be approved for any MBNA credit card if you have applied for 5 or more credit cards (with any issuer) in the past 24 months.

Keep that in mind when you apply for the MBNA Best Western card and any other MBNA credit card you’re interested in.

Who Should Get the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard

Everybody.

Seriously.

There is no downside to the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard!

It has no annual fee, so it cost you nothing to keep it in your wallet.

The MBNA Best Western card is also super practical, and you can earn a lot of points quickly even if you don’t frequent Best Western properties.

On top of all that, the card has a sweet sign-up bonus, and you get a free hotel night for doing absolutely nothing but making a small purchase on the card to get the bonus.

There really is no downside to the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard.

There is the reason I crowned it the best no-fee travel credit card in Canada!

Who Should NOT Get the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard

The only way I can see it not being a good idea to have the MBNA Best Western card is if you’re in danger of being rejected because of the 5/24 rule.

You definitely need to have a strategy when you apply for MBNA credit cards thanks to that pesky (but practical) rule.

You’ll want to read the next section if you want to learn how to get around that rule!

Tips for flying alone

Top Secret MBNA Credit Card Hack

Okay. Here’s the deal.

MBNA doesn’t like travel hackers like us, and the 5/24 rules proves that.

But there is a sneaky way around that rule, and I’m going to share it with you.

Here is the step-by-step process to beat MBNA at their own game:

• Step Two: Get the sign-up bonus from the Alaska Airlines card and keep it open for at least 8-12 months (the closer to 12 months the better)

• Step Three: Call MBNA and ask them to downgrade you to the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard

• Step Four: Apply for the MBNA Alaska Airlines World Elite Mastercard one year or more after closing it. Probably get rejected because of the 5/24 rule

• Step Five: Call MBNA and explain that you aren’t looking for any more credit than they have already extended you. Ask them politely if they will split the credit limit from the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard and put half the credit limit on the new MBNA Alaska Airlines World Elite Mastercard. MBNA has no problem doing this.

• Step Six: Initiate evil laugh because you just beat the system!

Alternative Cards

• Marriott Bonvoy American Express (read review)

Conclusion

There you have it! My short (but sweet) review of the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard.

This is a small but mighty card.

There is no annual fee, but you get enough points for a free night’s stay after your first purchase!

It is an underrated gem the travel hacking gods have bestowed upon us humble travel hackers who want to pay as little as possible for travel.

Don’t let the fact that you have to stay at Best Western hotels discourage you from applying for the MBNA Best Wester Rewards Mastercard. Best Westerns are much nicer than they used to be!

I personally love this card, and it is a keeper card for me.

There is no cost to you the user for holding this card, and you can use it to your advantage to get even more travel points out of MBNA in the future.

It rewards you now and will reward you again in the future when you want to top up your Alaska Airline miles.

Do the secret MBNA hack described above, and then keep the MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard in your wallet forever!

It is truly one of the most underrated travel credit cards in Canada, and it deserves more love than it gets!

APPLY FOR THE MBNA BEST WESTERN REWARDS MASTERCARD

If you live in Western Canada or Western United States, Seattle is a great option for a weekend trip. Often the flight is less than three hours. That means you have ample time to explore the city in just two days.

Plus it is one of the most beautiful places in all of Washington state, so you have to visit it at least once!

Before you go

Before you get to Seattle, you have to take care of a couple practical items like booking your flight and accommodation.

Flights

Ideally, you would book a flight that leaves Friday evening after work to allow for an entire day exploring on Saturday. However, if that is not possible, you should be able to book an early morning flight. Preferably, you should book a flight that lands in Seattle by 9am on Saturday.

Getting up early to catch a flight on Saturday morning rather than Saturday afternoon will allow you to optimize your short weekend getaway. Since you only have a short time in Seattle on a weekend trip, it is essential that you get to the city as early as possible.

Accommodation

Seattle can be an expensive city. Especially if you want to stay in the heart of the city and be able to walk everywhere. The Hilton Garden Inn Seattle Downtown and Hampton Inn & Suites Seattle- Downtown are great options. The Hampton Inn & Suites is less expensive and offers a complimentary breakfast. However, it is a bit further away from most of the sights. This means it requires more walking or using public transportation than the Hilton Garden Inn.

All the main sights in Seattle are very walkable when you stay in the centre of the city. It is worth the extra money to stay downtown because you don’t have much time in Seattle.

Getting to your Hotel from the Airport

There are many ways to get from the airport to downtown. The most convenient is to get an Uber, Lyft, or taxi. All three of these options are located on the third floor of the parking garage. Don’t worry about getting lost because there are lots of signs to point you in the right direction.

The most expensive option is a taxi, and it will cost you approximately $45-$50 to get to your downtown hotel. Many taxis have a flat rate so be sure to be an informed passenger. Either ask your driver about the pricing or read the literature on the windows and seat backs in the taxi.

You can take the light rail from the airport to the downtown station Westlake. From there you can walk to your hotel from there if you are looking for a budget-friendly option. If you’re staying at the Hilton Garden Inn, the walk is only a couple of blocks. If you’re staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites, you will have to take the monorail then walk a few blocks from there. There are signs in the airport that direct you where to get on the light rail system.

Day One

Morning

Space Needle

Visit the Space Needle as early as you can. The Space Needle gets extremely busy, so the earlier you can get there, the less crowded it will be. Tickets start at $32.50. However, there are often packages you can buy that make it cheaper to visit it and other attractions. Here is the official Space Needle website to help you determine what ticket you should get.

I recommend either buying your ticket online early is you know exactly when you want to visit it. If you aren’t sure exactly when you will be arriving, there are ticket kiosks on the pathway to the entrance. Use them as they will save you standing in a long ticket line. You are also able to buy multi-experience tickets through the kiosks, so they are very convenient.

Once you’re up in the Space Needle, be sure to take your time looking around. Don’t rush your visit as there is lots to see. There is even a coffee shop and stools for you to enjoy a hot beverage while taking in the view. Be sure to explore every section of the Space Needle to get your money’s worth because it isn’t exactly inexpensive.

Chihuly Garden and Glass or Museum of Pop Culture

Both of these museums are exceptional and located steps away from the Space Needle. Chihuly Garden and Glass displays huge blown glass art pieces. It also has a garden that is a mix of plants and blown glass elements. It is gorgeous and well worth a visit. The entrance fee is $26, but there are package deals with the Space Needle that brings the cost down a little.

If blown glass isn’t your thing, the Museum of Pop Culture is a great alternative. It is filled with exhibitions ranging from Science Fiction movies and television to sports to music. There is truly something for everyone. The feature exhibit changes regularly. So even if you have been in the past, there will be something new for you to experience. The admission cost is $34 for an adult, so it is quite expensive. However, there are package deals with the Space Needle that bring the cost down a bit. This is a very popular museum, so be sure to buy your tickets ahead of time if possible.

Evening

The Space Needle and area will take you all morning and part of the afternoon if you take your time. Once you’re done, take the monorail downtown. Seattle is a sports lover’s dream city. Between baseball, football, and the soon-to-be hockey team, you can catch a sports game all year ’round. I recommend you grab some dinner downtown then go to a sporting event.

There are not a lot of food options near the football and baseball stadiums. So make sure to eat downtown if you don’t want to eat stadium food. Even for a casual sports fan, taking in a live game is always a great way to spend an evening! Baseball tickets are fairly inexpensive, so it is also a great option for travellers on a budget. Football tickets tend to be more expensive. You can normally get cheap tickets, but you will be sitting further away from the action.

Day Two

Morning

Pike Place Market and the Harbour

Pike Place Market is a must-do activity in Seattle. It is a bustling market that is open every day of the week. It is home to a variety of vendors. You can find fresh produce, fish, hand-made products, and restaurants. Not to mention, it is home to the very first Starbucks (it always has a long line, so if you’re not a die-hard Starbucks fan, it is best to give it a miss).

Pike Place Market is the perfect place to get breakfast on Sunday morning. There are tons of small cafes that offer great breakfasts. There are also vendors that sell freshly-baked pastries. Vegan and gluten-free options are available for people with dietary restrictions.

After breakfast, walk along the harbour. There is plenty to see and do. You could go on a harbour cruise, ride the ferris wheel, visit the aquarium, or simply take a stroll and enjoy the sights and sounds. There are often street performers to entertain you as well.

This is a truly relaxing way to start your last day on your Seattle weekend getaway.

Afternoon

Underground Tour

Seattle has an incredible history. Taking an underground tour is a great way to learn about how Seattle became the city it is today. On the tour you get to go underground to the original city streets. You learn how the streets that are currently in use came to be and the challengers early settlers faced. Tickets are $22 for an adult, but it is well worth the money. You can purchase tickets in advance online or walk up and purchase your tickets the day of. Tours regularly sell out. You may have to wait until the next tour if you buy your ticket the day of. There are a number of unique stores in the surrounding neighbourhood to check out while you’re waiting. Otherwise, the tour company has a pub attached to it’s office where you can grab lunch and a pint.

Evening

If you’re flight leaves on Sunday evening, this is the time when you’ll have to go back to your hotel and retrieve your stored luggage. Unfortunately, your time in Seattle has come to an end far too quickly.

If, however, you’re flight doesn’t leave until Monday morning, you can use your remaining time to either go to another sporting event, go to a local theatre performance, or check out the Seattle nightlife.

Downtown Seattle has a lot of nightlife to offer, so you will easily stumble your way into a pub, restaurant, or club that will suit your fancy. This last evening is yours to do what you wish with it. Soak up the last hours of your holiday and do whatever you enjoy most!

Conclusion

Seattle has a lot to offer, and it has something for everybody. While it is an expensive city, it has a lot of unique experiences to offer. The Space Needle is a piece of history that everybody should experience at least once in a lifetime. There are also a number of great museums to visit.

It is also a very walkable city. This makes it ideal for able-bodied travellers that like experiencing the local vibe by walking through various neighbourhoods on the way to their next destination.

If you live in the Western part of North America, Seattle is the perfect weekend getaway. You will feel like you’ve seen most of what Seattle has to offer and won’t go home feeling as if you missed anything.

The HSBC World Elite Mastercard is probably the most underrated travel credit card in Canada.

I don’t understand why more people aren’t talking about this credit card!

The HSBC World Elite Mastercard is the best no foreign transaction fee credit card in Canada, has amazing points that can be transferred to some of the best airline partner programs in the world, and comes with a yearly $100 travel enhancement credit. The HSBC World Elite Mastercard is an underrated gem and a credit card most Canadians can benefit from adding to their wallet.

The biggest selling feature for me is the no foreign transaction fee!

You may or may not know but nearly every Canadian credit card charges you an additional 2.5% in a foreign transaction fee on top of the currency conversion fee.

This is 2.5% that is going directly into the pocket of your credit card issuer and either Visa or Mastercard depending on the card. American Express also charges you a 2.5% foreign transaction fee on all of their credit cards. Yes. That includes the Amex Platinum!

2.5% may not sound like a lot, but it adds up quickly if you make a lot of purchases that aren’t in Canadian dollars.

There aren’t many credit cards in Canada that offer this feature, and there is no better card on the market that does than the HSBC World Elite Mastercard.

I honestly adore this card, and it has a place in my wallet as well!

If you haven’t heard of the HSBC World Elite Mastercard, buckle up because you’re about to fall in love!

Best travel credit cards in Canada

Highlights

There is a lot to love about the HSBC World Elite Mastercard.

It comes with a variety of perks that really benefit you the user- especially when you travel. The card has practical perks, and that is just one of the things to love about it.

Here are some of the top perks that come with the HSCB World Elite Mastercard:

• 20,000 HSBC reward points as a sign-up bonus

• 6 points for every $1 spent on travel-related expenses

• 3 points for every $1 spent on every other purchase

• No foreign transaction fee

• Yearly $100 travel enhancement credit

• Free wifi provided by Boingo

• 10% off eligible Expedia and Agoda purchases made through the HSBC website

I told you there was a lot to love about the HSBC World Elite Mastercard and that the perks benefited you a lot!

Can we take a moment to appreciate how stunning this card is?!

Pros and Cons of the HSBC World Elite Mastercard

• Amazing bonuses and perks

• No foreign transaction fee

• Mastercard is widely accepted world wide

• High minimum income requirement

• HSBC can be a bit difficult to deal with at times

APPLY FOR THE HSBC WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD

Points

You earn HSBC Rewards with this credit card.

HSBC Rewards in and of themselves aren’t that useful, but the beauty of the HSBC World Elite Mastercard is you have the ability to transfer your HSCB Rewards to three partner airline programs.

You can transfer your HSBC Rewards to British Airways Avios, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles.

These are three of the best airline points out there, and it is in your best interest to transfer your HSBC Rewards to one of these three programs.

I’ll go into the transfer and redemption process a bit later in this section and explain how it all works.

Out of those three airline programs, my preference is British Airways Avios.

It is the program that works best for me and my travel style, but you have to do your own research to figure out what program is best for you.

Sign-Up Bonus

The sign-up bonus on the HSBC World Elite Mastercard is 20,000 HSBC Rewards points.

That is equivalent to $100 worth of travel, but you can often get more value out of it when you transfer your points to a partner program!

You get your 20,000 points after you make your first purchase with the card! No minimum spend required!

This is a pretty good sign-up bonus. Especially when you take into account you don’t have to hit a minimum spend to earn the sign-up bonus!

Sometimes HSBC runs promotions where there is a larger sign-up bonus that is awarded in stages. Part after your first purchase and the rest after hitting a minimum spend.

If you apply for and get the card during one of those promotions, be prepared to wait 6 months before the points you earn after hitting the minimum spend are added to your account.

You will receive the points you are awarded after your first purchase within a few weeks.

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Earning Points

The earning structure on this card is pretty straightforward and easy to remember.

You earn 6 points per $1 spent on travel and 3 points per $1 spent on anything else.

The travel category includes the standard flights and hotels but also includes things like cruises, train tickets, tour tickets, and even the cost of a travel agent!

Using the HSBC World Elite Mastercard for travel purchases is the quickest way to earn HSBC Rewards, but you earn them pretty quickly when you make everyday purchases as well.

Essentially, you earn 3% back in HSBC Rewards for travel purchases and 1.5% back in points for non-travel purchases.

Redeeming Points

It is super easy to redeem your HSBC Rewards, but deciding how to redeem your points is where it gets more difficult.

Redeeming Process

There are three ways to redeem HSBC Rewards

• For travel-related expenses directly through the HSBC portal

• For merchandise or gift cards directly through the HSBC portal

• Transferring HSBC Rewards to a partner program and redeem points through the airline’s portal

Redeeming for travel directly through hsbc

Even though it isn’t the best use of your points, HSBC did a great job in making is super easy and painless to redeem points for travel through their portal.

It is fully customizable, and you can redeem your points for any eligible travel expense including all the expenses listed in the points earning section of this post!

A lot of rewards programs only let your redeem points for flights and/or hotels, so the HSBC Rewards system is a welcome change.

It is quite similar to the way Scotiabank does it if you’re familiar with their platform.

All you have to do to redeem your HSBC Rewards for travel is:

• Make an eligible travel purchase on your HSBC World Elite Mastercard

• Log into your HSBC account and head over to the rewards portal and click the travel link in the redeem now drop down menu

• Click on the purchases you want to use your points on and click redeem.

• The expenses will be refunded as a statement credit, and the points will be deducted from your points bank

Really important information you NEED to know:

YOU HAVE TO LOG IN AND REDEEM YOUR POINTS WITHIN 60 DAYS OF MAKING YOUR ELIGIBLE TRAVEL PURCHASE.

You can not apply points to any purchase older than 60 days.

Make sure you keep track of the travel purchases you want to redeem your points for and redeem your points before the 60 day time period is over.

You snooze. You lose!

REDEeming for merchandise and gift cards

This one is easy and really straightforward.

You simply log into your HSBC account and navigate to the redeem page.

From there, you browse through the merchandise and gift cards available and select whatever looks most attractive to you.

That’s all you have to do, and you’ll have your products in no time.

Or in a long time depending on how slow Canada Post is at any given moment. I’m looking at you the tights I ordered three weeks ago that were shipped from Calgary and still haven’t arrived in Edmonton.

transferring points to a partner program

This is the good stuff and the point where you should zone back in and pay attention!

Most people who get the HSCB World Elite Mastercard are either travel hacking enthusiast or are loyal to HSBC as a bank. I don’t know anybody who is loyal to HSBC, so I’m going to assume you’re all here to get the most out of this credit card.

And you do that by transferring your HSBC Rewards to a partner airline program.

You have to transfer HSBC Rewards in increments of 25,000 points. Either 25,000, 50,000 75,000 etc. No 20,000 or anything other than 25,000 HSBC Rewards.

The process is very simple, but it does require a few steps:

• Make sure you have an account with the airline partner you’re transferring points to

• Log into your HSBC rewards portal and click Rewards for Miles from the drop down list

• Choose what partner program you want to transfer miles to

• Fill in the required information (including your points number from the partner program) and submit your request

• Always keep a record of the transfer in the unlikely scenario that something goes wrong. It hardly ever happens, but it is best to be prepared in case you have the worst luck

The process to transfer your HSBC Rewards to a partner program is very easy, and HSBC makes it very user-friendly.

There are no hoops to jump through, and the process is clearly laid out and easy to follow.

It will probably take a few days for your points to show up in the partner program’s account. Be patient. If they aren’t there within a week, contact HSBC to see what is going on.

Transfer Rates

Each program has a different redemption rate, and it is important to know what you’re getting in return when you make the transfer.

The HSBC points portal does a good job in highlighting what you get with your 25,000 HSBC Rewards, but he’s a recap, so you don’t have to open a new browser window (you’re welcome).

HSBC Rewards	British Airways Avios	Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles	Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
25,000	10,000	9,000	8,000

Your 25,000 HSBC Rewards gets you:

• 10,000 British Airways Avios or

• 9,000 Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles or

• 8,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

If you have more points to redeem, obviously just do the simple math to figure out how many of the partner miles you get in return.

HSBC runs a promotion on British Airways Avios miles once or twice a year where you get 35% to 50% bonus miles when you transfer your HSBC Rewards to Avios.

Wait for this promotion to transfer your points, and you will get even more value out of the card!

Best Way to Redeem Your HSBC Rewards

Without a doubt the best way to redeem your HSBC Rewards is to transfer them to a partner airline program.

Specifically, transfer them to British Airways Avios.

It is the most versatile partner program, and it has some of the best sweet spots out there.

I personally like to use my Avios for short-haul flights that cost way more than I’m willing to pay cash for.

Another great option is to use them for flights from Eastern Canada to Western Europe on either British Airways or Aer Lingus.

The value is extraordinary!

Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles would be my next best choice, but I personally think the Asia Miles redemption prices are way too high, and there are better programs out there.

If you’re looking for a sneaky way to use points to fly on Cathay Pacific, look into Alaska Airline miles.

But!

Even though the best use of your points is to transfer them to a partner airline program, it is better to use your miles for anything than to let them go to waste.

A lot of the travel hacking conversation centres around getting the most value per point, but we often forget that using your points for anything is good too.

I see so many people fret over how to maximize their points that they get overwhelmed and don’t do anything with them.

The points just sit in a person’s point bank and collect dust until they potentially expire.

If you’re new to travel hacking and are just learning the ropes, you may not feel comfortable transferring your HSBC Rewards to a partner program.

That is okay!

Simply put travel expenses on your HSBC World Elite Mastercard and redeem your points for a statement credit.

It is as easy as that, and you’re using your points and not lettering them go to waste

Any use of your points is better than never using your points.

Worst Way to Redeem Your HSBC Rewards

The worst way to redeem your HSBC Rewards is using them to purchase merchandise or gift cards.

Plain and simple.

You don’t get nearly as much value per point as you do when you transfer them to a partner program or even redeem them for transfer through HSBC directly.

You should exhaust all other options before resorting to redeeming your HSBC Rewards for merchandise or gift cards.

Annual Fee

The annual fee on the HSBC World Elite Mastercard is $149.

That is fairly steep, but it is worth it in the first year since you get the $100 travel enhancement credit and the sign-up bonus.

You have to decide in years two and beyond whether or not you get enough value out of the card to pay the annual fee.

You get the $100 travel enhancement credit each year you hold the card, so you have to decide if not having a foreign transaction fee is worth paying $49 in an annual fee for.

It depends on you and your travel style and needs. I can’t tell you whether it is worthwhile to keep the HSBC World Elite Mastercard past the first year or not.

I will tell you that it is one of the only credit cards in Canada that doesn’t charge the 2.5% foreign transaction fee.

If you spend a lot of money in a currency other than Canadian dollars, it is probably worthwhile make the HSBC World Elite Mastercard a keeper card.

If, on the other hand, you travel an average amount or a bit above average, you may not save $49 by not have the foreign transaction fee.

You also have to take into consideration the points you aren’t earning on other credit cards when you choose to use the HSBC World Elite Mastercard.

It can become a bit complicated to figure out whether or not you should keep a credit card past the first year. It really comes down to how much you like the card and how much value you find in the card.

Sometimes HSBC runs promotions where they rebate the first year’s annual fee.

It isn’t a standard feature of their card, but they offer this perk a few times per year.

The best time to get the HSBC World Elite Mastercard is when they are running this promotion because they normally bump up the sign-up bonus points as well!

Qualifications

HSBC has the following qualification requirements to be eligible for the HSCB World Elite Mastercard:

• Be the age of majority in your home province

• Have a personal income of $80,000 or a household income of $150,000 or have $400,000 in liquid assets held at a Canadian bank

Pretty intense hey!

If you’ve been around for a while, you know that I hate when banks have such high and unattainable minimum income requirements.

I understand banks have them to (in theory) protect themselves from having people default on their purchases.

But!

Someone who makes a lot of money can be super irresponsible with their credit cards and someone who is underpayed by their employer can be really responsible with their credit.

Your income level does not have anything to do with how good or bad you are with credit.

Minimum income requirements that well exceed Canada’s median income level (as this one does) are elitist, classist, and discriminate against single people, women, and people of colour.

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Who Should Get the HSBC World Elite Mastercard

People who spend a lot of money in a currency other than Canadian dollars can benefit from the HSBC World Elite Mastercard.

2.5% may not sound like a lot, but it adds up over time.

I think it is also a great card for travel hackers who have cycled through the most popular travel credit cards (mostly offered by American Express) and are looking for a way to top up their points balance.

You can transfer your HSBC Rewards to three great partner programs, and the transfer ratios are pretty fair.

If you love British Airways Avios (I do!) and have gone through the American Express cards and RBC British Airways Visa Infinite, the HSBC World Elite Mastercard is next in line to earn those sweet, sweet points.

Who Should NOT Get the HSBC World Elite Mastercard

Anybody who doesn’t spend much money in a currency other than Canadian dollars or who won’t redeem the $100 travel enhancement credit should not get this credit card.

It won’t be worth the price you pay in the annual fee.

Unless you apply during a promotion when the annual fee is waived.

There is no downside to getting the HSBC World Elite Mastercard during one of those promotions even if you don’t use the travel enhancement credit.

• Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite (read review)

• RBC British Airways Visa Infinite

Conclusion

Whew! That was a long one.

You now know everything you need to know to decide whether the HSBC World Elite Mastercard is the card for you!

I think in the first year, it is a no-brainer to apply for the HSBC World Elite Mastercard.

The benefits you receive exceed the cost of the annual fee.

This becomes even more true if you transfer your HSBC Rewards to a partner program and take advantage of the sweet spots each partner program has.

I don’t like the high minimum income requirement on the card, but that is basically the only downside to this card.

The HSBC World Elite Mastercard isn’t as good as most American Express cards.

I would target those cards before applying for the HSBC World Elite Mastercard. If you’ve already worked your way through the Amex cards you like, then this is a solid card and should be next on your list of credit cards to get!

APPLY FOR THE HSBC WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD

The American Express Aeroplan Reserve card is one of the best travel credit cards in Canada.

It comes with a hefty annual fee, but if you use the card to its full potential, it is worth the up front annual fee cost!

The American Express Aeroplan Reserve card comes with a generous sign-up bonus of up to 65,000 Aeroplan points and a $100 statement credit. It has elevated points earning on Air Canada purchases, dining, and food delivery services, so you earn points quickly. The free lounge access and free checked baggage is the cherry on top!

The difficult part of the Amex Aeroplan Reserve is figuring out whether or not it is worth keeping the card beyond the first year when you don’t get the nice sign-up bonus.

You really have to look at your travel style and needs and decide whether the American Express Aeroplan Reserve is right for your or if you want to transfer to another premium card like the Amex Platinum Canada.

But for the first year, if you have the means to pay the annual fee and meet the minimum spends, the Amex Aeroplan Reserve card is a great option!

We’re going to talk all things American Express Aeroplan Reserve in this post and give you the low down on the card.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

By the end of it, you’ll have a pretty good idea whether or not the Amex Aeroplan Reserve card is the right one for you!

Highlights

There are plenty of perks that come along with the American Express Aeroplan Reserve card.

It is a premium credit card, so American Express has to make it worth the annual fee!

Some of the top perks of the card are:

• Up to 65,000 Aeroplan points as a sign-up bonus

• Free first check bag for you and up to eight guests on the same reservation

• Priority check-in, boarding, and and baggage handling on Air Canada flights

• Priority access to the stand-by list and eUpgrade list

• Access to Maple Leaf Lounge for you and one guest

• Earn 3 points per $1 spent at Air Canada

• Earn 2 points per $1 spent on eligible dining and food delivery services in Canada

• Complimentary valet parking at Pearson International Airport

Yeah. That’s a long list and a lot of perks for one credit card!

The American Express Aeroplan Reserve also comes with Priority Pass lounge access, but it doesn’t come with any lounge visits!

You have to pay $32USD per lounge visit with the level of Priority Pass you get with the American Express Aeroplan Reserve.

So, really, it doesn’t come with Priority Pass lounge access in my eyes! If you want access to airport lounges around the world, the Amex Platinum is you best choice!

Pros and Cons of the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card

• Amazing sign-up bonus and perks

• Easy to earn a lot of points quickly

• Ability to redeem points on a variety of partner airlines

• Only get access to Maple Leaf Lounges

• Not every merchant accepts American Express

APPLY FOR THE AMERICAN EXPRESS AEROPLAN RESERVE

Points

You earn and redeem Aeroplan points with the Amex Aeroplan Reserve card.

There isn’t the option to transfer your points to a partner program, but Air Canada has a number of partner airlines you can redeem you points with.

No matter what continent you want to travel to, there is a partner airline that will get you there if Air Canada can’t or you want to experience a different airline.

You can redeem your Aeroplan points on other Star Alliance airlines including Turkish Airways, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and more!

You can access some of the best airlines in the world with your Aeroplan points!

Aeroplan points may not seem the most flexible at first glance, but the more you learn about them, the more you see they are very valuable.

Especially for Canadians!

Sign-Up Bonus

You earn up to 65,000 Aeroplan points with the American Express Aeroplan Reserve card.

The sign-up bonus is a little bit unique, and you have to meet multiple minimum spends to get the full sign-up bonus.

Here is how the annual fee on the Amex Aeroplan Reserve card works:

• 35,000 Aeroplan points when you spend at least $3,000 on the card in the first three months

• 5,000 Aeroplan points per month when you spend at least $1,000 per month in the first six months of holding the card

Essentially, you have to spend $1,000 per month for the first six months to get the full 65,000 Aeroplan point sign-up bonus.

The wording is a bit confusing, but it as easy as that!

In addition to the Aeroplan points, you also receive a $100 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first three months of holding the card.

Earning Points

You earn points pretty quickly on the Amex Aeroplan Reserve card!

Here are the points earning categories:

• 3x points on Air Canada purchases

• 2x points on eligible dining and food delivery services in Canada

• 1 point for every other $1 spent

You also have the opportunity to earn points twice when you shop through the Aeroplan webstie.

Aeroplan partners with a number of top retailers in Canada (including Hudson’s Bay and Chapters). If you log into your Aeroplan account and use their Aeroplan link to shop at their partner stores, you earn extra points for doing so!

This is on top of the Aeroplan points you earn by using your credit card!

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Redeeming Points

Air Canada makes it really easy to redeem your Aeroplan points!

It is all done through the Air Canada website, and it is much easier to navigate since the November 2020 upgrade!

There are a few instances where you may need to call Air Canada to book a redemption ticket. This will happen if you’re booking a really complicated redemption that the computer algorithm can’t quite handle. The average person won’t run into that scenario!

The most important step to redeeming your Aeroplan points is to log into your Aeroplan account before you start searching for flights!

Once you’re logged into your account, you search for flights as you normally would.

The only difference is you need to click the use points button.

This will show you the results for Air Canada flights and partner airline flights. It also shows you the price in points rather than in fiat currency.

It is super easy to use and quite an intuitive system.

I personally think they did a great job on upgrading the online redemption portal and made it much easier for people to use!

Best Way to Redeem Aeroplan Points

I personally think the best way to redeem your Aeroplan points is for flights between the North America zone and Pacfic zone.

You arguably get the best value per point between those zones based on the redemption price and miles flown.

This means you can fly from North America to Southeast Asia, India, East Asia, or Oceania for a fair redemption price!

It also gives you the opportunity to fly with some amazing airlines like Singapore Airlines and ANA!

The cost for long-haul flights within North America is pretty good as well!

If you’re flying over 2,751 miles within North America, it only costs 17,500 to 25,000 in economy no matter how far the flight is.

In comparison, it costs 35,000 Aeroplan points to fly the same distance within the Pacific and Atlantic regions!

My Unpopular Opinion

The travel hacking community is hyper focussed on getting the most value per point and maximizing rewards as much as possible.

I think the human aspect of us is often lost in the conversation.

Without a doubt, I think redeeming your points for any trip you want rather than worrying only about maximizing your points is a better strategy.

There is no sense planning a vacation to the Pacific zone just because it is the best value if visiting the Atlantic zone is your dream vacation.

Heck! I don’t always use my points in the most strategic way and use them for trips I want to take even if I don’t get the ultimate value per point!

My philosophy is to maximize your points within your travel style and the trips you want to take.

Even if it means leaving a little bit of value per point on the table.

Is Taipei safe for solo female travellers?

Worst Way to Redeem Aeroplan Points

The worst way to redeem your Aeroplan points is for purchasing merchandise or gift cards!

The value you get per point is very deflated form the value you get when redeeming for flights!

It is in your best interest to wait until you’re going on a trip and redeem your points for a flight.

Of course, if you Aeroplan points are about to expire, it is better to redeem them for merchandise or gift cards. It should be a last resort though!

It is fairly difficult for your Aeroplan points to expire, so this shouldn’t be an issue.

As long as you have an Aeroplan credit card, you points won’t expire!

If you don’t hold an Aeroplan credit card, you points expire when there has been 18 months of inactivity on your account.

As long as you either earn or redeem points within 18 months, they won’t expire!

So save them for a trip!

Annual Fee

The annual fee on the American Express Aeroplan Reserve card is a whopping $599!

That is a significant amount of money, so you need to really consider whether you get enough benefits out of the card to make it worth basically $600.

In the first year if you earn the full 65,000 Aeroplan points sign-up bonus, you definitely get the cost of the annual fee back in benefits.

It becomes harder and harder to get enough value out of the American Express Aeroplan Reserve card in years two and beyond.

How to Decide Whether You Should Keep the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Past the First Year

You need to do a cost-benefit analysis of how much you’re going to get out of the American Express Aeroplan Reserve to figure out if you should keep in beyond the first year.

Do the math and figure out how much value you get by not paying for checked luggage, accessing Maple Leaf Lounges, and the Aeroplan points you earn on the card.

If the math works out in your favour and you like the card, go ahead and keep it!

If not, cancel it and move onto a different card.

I personally only see this card being valuable past the first year for people who travel extensively in North America (and mostly Canada). And Air Canada loyalists.

Qualifications

I love that American Express doesn’t have minimum income requirements on their cards!

It makes them so much more accessible than most other premium travel credit cards, and I really appreciate that!

You just have to meet these requirements to be eligible for the Amex Aeroplan Reserve:

• Have a Canadian credit file

• Be the age of majority in your province

Yup! It is that easy!

The only thing that may get you denied by American Express is your credit score.

American Express has high standards when it comes to credit scores, and for a premium credit card like the American Express Aeroplan Reserve card, you need at least a credit score of 750.

The higher the better!

It takes a while to build up such a strong credit score, but it is worth the effort! It is amazing to be able to access premium credit cards.

Who Should Get the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card

I think this card is a good option for people who want to earn a lot of Aeroplan points in a short amount of time.

Th American Express Aeroplan Reserve card is without a doubt the quickest way to be rolling in the Aeroplan points without doing a whole lot to get them.

That being said, I think it is important for people to recognize that people who travel within North America often get the most benefit out of this card.

You get access to lounges within North America, free checked baggage on Air Canada, priority benefits on Air Canada.

If you redeem your points with a partner airline, you lose some of the benefits that come with the card.

It is still a great card- don’t get me wrong!

I just want you to have all the information you need to decide if the Amex Aeroplan Reserve is right for you.

To summarize:

• The American Express Aeroplan Reserve card is great for people who want to earn a lot of Aeroplan points quickly (even if they redeem them on a partner airline)

• The American Express Aeroplan Reserve card is best for people who want to earn a lot of Aeroplan points quickly and travel within North America on Air Canada frequently

Of course, this should go without saying, only get the Amex Aeroplan Reserve card if you can afford the annual fee and meet the minimum spends!

Who Should NOT Get the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card

Anybody who can’t afford to pay the annual fee, won’t meet the minimum spend, or doesn’t fly that often shouldn’t get the American Express Aeroplan Reserve card.

It is a premium travel credit card, so it is designed for the most serious of travellers.

If you’re a more casual traveller, you may want to look into a less premium Aeroplan credit card.

Additionally, if you don’t travel much within North America, the American Express Aeroplan Reserve probably isn’t the right credit card for you.

The American Express Platinum is a better premium credit card for people who travel outside North America frequently.

Alternative Credit Cards

• American Express Platinum (read review)

• American Express Aeroplan (read review)

• TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite

Conclusion

The American Express Aeroplan Reserve card is one of the top premium travel credit cards in Canada.

It is a great addition to your wallet if you’re an Aeroplan enthusiast and want to earn points quickly.

The perks that come with the card are pretty nice too!

I do wish there was a better Priority Pass associated with the card, but at least you get access to Maple Leaf Lounges!

I definitely think the average person will benefit from the lower-end American Express Aeroplan card or the CIBC or TD Aeroplan cards.

They have more affordable annual fees and minimum spends.

But if you’re looking to level up and enter the world of premium travel credit cards, the Amex Aeroplan Reserve card is the best option for Canadians who travel within North America on Air Canada on a regular basis.

If you travel outside North America frequently, the American Express Platinum is probably a better option.

APPLY FOR THE AMERICAN EXPRESS AEROPLAN RESERVE