FX fee is the whole game
On a trip, almost every purchase is foreign-currency. A 1.5% FX fee on $3,000 of travel spend is $45 — more than most cashback. Optimise FX first.
Then acceptance and cash
Choose a widely accepted Visa/Mastercard, Apple/Google Pay support, and low ATM fees for local cash.
Watch the country list
Some cards block specific destinations. Confirm coverage before you fly; the travel ranking factors FX and acceptance.