Sun’s out…uh, card’s out.  With apologies to the muscle shirt fans among us, the rising value of initial rewards bonuses makes credit cards the weapon of choice for the upcoming summer season.  Having your “guns out” won’t help you save $500 on your summer vacation plans, after all, but the right credit card will.

Credit card companies have made it a habit to offer new customers a whole mess of points, miles or cash for opening certain credit cards for excellent credit.  The thinking:  Bring aboard people who maintained elevated credit standing throughout the downturn and be better insulated from any future economic turmoil because defaults won’t be as much of a concern.

The motivation probably doesn’t matter much to you, though.  You want to know which card to get, so we compared more than 1,000 credit cards in search of the most valuable initial bonuses for summer travelers, and settled on the following six offers:

Type of Travel:  Any

Card:  Chase Sapphire Preferred

Initial Bonus:  40,000 bonus points, equal to $500 in travel or a $400 statement credit, in return for spending $3,000 within the first three months

Ongoing Rewards:  2 points per $1 spent on travel and at restaurants and 1 point per $1 on everything else

Annual Fee:  None during the first year and $95 after that

Foreign Transaction Fee:  None

Type of Travel:  International

Card:  British Airways Credit Card

Initial Bonus: 50,000 Avios miles after first use, redeemable for a free round-trip transatlantic flight, and up to 50,000 more, depending on how much you spend during the first year.

Ongoing Rewards:  2.5 miles per $1 spent on British Airways purchases, 1.25 miles per $1 on everything else, and a free Travel Together voucher every year in which you charge at least $30,000.

Annual Fee:  $95

Foreign Transaction Fee:  None

Type of Travel:  Hotel stays

Card:  Hilton HHonors Surpass Credit Card

Initial Bonus: 40,000 HHonors points after your first purchase and 20,000 more points after you charge $3,000, redeemable for 1-8 free nights, depending on how nice of a hotel you wish to stay in.

Ongoing Rewards:  9 points per $1 spent at Hilton properties, 6 points per $1 on purchases made at gas stations and drug stores, and 3 points per $1 everywhere else.

Annual Fee:  $75

Foreign Transaction Fee:  2.7%

Type of Travel:  Road trip

Card:  PenFed Platinum Rewards

Initial Bonus:  25,000 points, which is redeemable for $250

Ongoing Rewards:  5 points per $1 spent on gas, 3 points per $1 on groceries, and 1 point per $1 on everything else.

Annual Fee:  None (a one-time $15 fee is required to join the Pentagon Federal Credit Union).

Foreign Transaction Fee:  None

Type of Travel:  Camping/road trip

Card:  American Express Blue Cash Preferred

Initial Bonus:  $150 cash back if you charge $3,000 within the first three months

Ongoing Rewards:  6% cash back at supermarkets, 3% at gas stations and department stores, and 1% everywhere else.

Annual Fee:  $75

Foreign Transaction Fee:  2.7%

Type of Travel:  Frequent

Card:  Capital One Venture Card

Initial Bonus:  10,000 bonus miles, equal to $100, after you spend $1,000 during the first three months

Ongoing Rewards: 2% cash back, as long as you redeem miles for travel-related purchases

Annual Fee:  None during the first year and $59 after that

Foreign Transaction Fee:  None

Based upon the type of travel you plan to undertake, it’s clear which card is the best for your needs.  Keep in mind, however, that if you don’t always pay your credit card bills in full, a 0% credit card might prove more beneficial than a rewards card given the detrimental effect of interest charges on your bank account.

No matter which card you choose, one thing is ultimately clear:  Summer just got a lot less expensive!

By Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO of Card Hub, the Arlington-based website that helps match consumers with the best credit cards and prepaid cards for their needs.