The best travel credit cards help you stay on budget while traveling by offering comprehensive travel benefits and protections. Here are the top features and benefits to look for in the best rewards credit cards for international travel.
Welcome offer
Aim for credit cards with generous sign-up bonuses, but make sure you can meet the minimum requirements to earn the bonus. This will give you a solid boost if you're collecting rewards for an upcoming vacation, as many welcome offers are big enough to cover one (sometimes two) round-trip flights.
Rewards rate
You also want to pay attention to the rewards rate you'll earn on your regular spending to determine whether or not the credit card brings value past earning the sign-up bonus. Choose rewards credit cards that offer higher rewards rates (think three points per $1 spent on select categories), but also make sure that the bonus spending categories align with your spending habits.
Redemption options and point value
Travel credit card issuers will let you redeem points or miles for a variety of travel purchases or statement credits, but each issuer will assign different values to your points based on how you redeem them. Hotel credit cards, for instance, may give you more value when you redeem points for booked rooms with that hotel, while airline cards might give you better value when you redeem miles for flights. Figure out what rewards you'd like to earn upfront (rooms, flights, and general travel purchases), then do some research to find the card that will earn those rewards most efficiently.
Point value
Not all rewards points are created equal. One credit card might offer a larger sign-up bonus than another, but that doesn't necessarily mean it offers more value. Some rewards points are valued at $0.005 each while others are valued at $0.02 each. Do some research to figure out the true value of the rewards you'd be earning.
Foreign transaction fee
It's easy to rack up credit card fees while you're traveling abroad without even noticing it. The biggest one to avoid is the foreign transaction fee. The best credit cards for international travel come with no foreign transaction fee.
Rental car insurance
Most of our best international credit card picks have rental car insurance built into them, though you'll need to pay for the rental car with your credit card for the coverage to kick in. Many of these cards offer collision coverage and theft insurance, but double check to see if you're comfortable with the coverage it offers or need to complement it with your own policy.
Delayed and lost baggage insurance
Delayed and lost baggage insurance can help reimburse you for baggage mishaps, such as when your luggage doesn't arrive for several hours, or worse -- doesn't arrive at all. For this coverage to kick in, you must have charged the flight to your travel credit card.
Trip cancellation insurance
If your trip is canceled or interrupted due to eligible unforeseen circumstances, your credit card may reimburse you for any non-refundable reservations you've already made, such as flights and hotels. For this coverage to apply, you must have charged the canceled or interrupted reservations to your travel credit card.
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