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Best Travel Credit Cards for Canadians Travelling to Europe

Four things decide how well a card works in Europe: the fee on foreign purchases, whether it is accepted, the insurance, and what happens if something goes wrong.

Updated 6 min read Travel credit cards Canada

By TripRadr Editorial

Start with the foreign transaction fee

Most Canadian credit cards add a fee to purchases in another currency, commonly 2.5%. On $3,000 of spending in Europe that is $75. Cards with no foreign transaction fee, such as the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ and the Scotiabank Gold American Express, remove that cost, though the exchange rate still applies.

Note that the Scotiabank Gold card earns only the base rate on foreign-currency purchases, so you save the fee but not the bonus points.

Choose a network that is widely accepted

Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere in Europe. American Express is accepted in fewer places, particularly smaller shops and restaurants, so treat an Amex as a second card rather than your only one.

Most European terminals use chip and PIN, so set up a PIN with your issuer before you leave and keep a backup card in a separate place.

Check the insurance before you rely on it

Credit card medical insurance is limited by days per trip. A three-week trip can exceed a 15-day or 21-day limit, and the limit is much shorter at age 65 and over. Trip cancellation and delay cover usually require the trip to be charged to the card.

If your trip is long, you are 65 or older or you have a medical condition, a standalone policy is often the safer choice.

Lounges and rewards on the way

If you connect through airports, a card with lounge visits can make the journey easier. The Scotiabank Passport includes 6 visits a year, and the TD First Class Travel and CIBC Aventura cards include 4. Visits are limited, so count the airports you will use before you count on them.

For rewards, flexible points from cards such as the RBC Avion or CIBC Aventura can be used for flights to Europe through their redemption charts.

A simple plan for most travellers

Use a no-foreign-fee card for everyday spending abroad, carry a second card on a different network, and buy travel insurance that matches the length of your trip and your age. Compare current terms on each issuer's site before you apply.

The cards in this guide

Facts come from each issuer's own pages and were last verified October 28, 2026. Confirm current terms with the issuer before you apply.

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TripRadr is not a lender, broker or financial adviser. This guide is general information, not financial advice. Rates, fees and benefits change, so confirm them with the issuer. See how we compare cards.