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Which card is best for you

Find your best travel credit card

Answer a few questions for three matches, then compare the cards side by side on fees, rewards, lounge access and insurance.

Updated 8 min read Travel credit cards Canada

By TripRadr Editorial

The best travel credit card depends on how you travel and spend. Use the finder to match your trips, airline and annual fee budget to three cards, then compare them side by side on annual fee, rewards, foreign transaction fee, lounge access and insurance. Every fact is checked against the issuer, and no card is ranked by payment.

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Answer a few questions to find the travel credit cards that fit your travel style. Our recommendations are based on your answers, not affiliate payments.

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  • Personalized resultsBased on your travel style and spending.
  • 100% independentMatches are not influenced by affiliate payments.
  • Compare side by sideSee key benefits, fees and rewards in one place.
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Best by category

Best travel credit cards by category

We've compared the most popular Canadian travel credit cards to help you find the right one for your travel style. Each card is best for a different type of traveller.

View full comparison
  • Everyday rewards$191.88/yr

    American Express Cobalt Card

    American Express

    Flexible Membership Rewards points with strong earning on restaurants and streaming, plus basic travel insurance.

    Earn up to 5x pointson restaurants and food delivery
    • 5x points on restaurants and food delivery
    • Points usable for purchases, travel or transfers
    • Emergency medical, delay and baggage cover

    Annual fee $191.88 · Foreign fee 2.5% · No minimum income stated

    Offer: Up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points in the first year

    View details
  • Air Canada travellers$139/yr

    TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card

    TD

    Earns Aeroplan points on gas, groceries and Air Canada, with a free first checked bag on Air Canada flights.

    Earn 1.5x Aeroplan pointson groceries, gas and Air Canada
    • Free first checked bag on Air Canada flights
    • 1.5x points on groceries, gas and Air Canada
    • 21-day emergency medical cover under 65

    Annual fee $139 · Foreign fee 2.5% · $60,000 personal or $100,000 household

    Offer: Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points plus a first-year fee rebate

    View details
  • Flexible travel$120/yr

    RBC Avion Visa Infinite

    RBC

    Flexible Avion points for any airline, with a fixed flight redemption chart and a full insurance package.

    Earn up to 1.25x Avion pointson travel purchases
    • Points work on any airline
    • Transfer options to airline programs
    • Medical, cancellation and delay insurance

    Annual fee $120 · Foreign fee 2.5% · $60,000 personal or $100,000 household

    Offer: Up to 70,000 Avion points (ends 2026-11-25)

    View details
  • No foreign fees$150/yr

    Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ Card

    Scotiabank

    No foreign transaction fee, six lounge visits a year and a full insurance package, earning Scene+ points.

    $0 foreign transaction feeson purchases in other currencies
    • No foreign transaction fee
    • 6 complimentary lounge visits a year
    • Medical, cancellation and delay insurance

    Annual fee $150 · Foreign fee none · $60,000 personal or $100,000 household

    Offer: Up to 35,000 bonus Scene+ points (ends 2026-11-01)

    View details
  • WestJet flyers$139/yr

    WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard

    RBC

    WestJet points on everyday spending, a free first checked bag, an annual companion voucher and strong insurance.

    Earn up to 2x WestJet pointson WestJet, groceries and gas
    • Free first checked bag for up to 9 people
    • Annual companion voucher with $5,000 spend
    • WestJet points on everyday spending

    Annual fee $139 · Foreign fee 2.5% · $80,000 personal or $150,000 household

    Offer: Up to 70,000 WestJet points plus a welcome companion voucher (ends 2026-11-18)

    View details
  • Travel flexibility$139/yr

    CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card

    CIBC

    Aventura points for any airline, four lounge visits a year and a NEXUS fee rebate, with groceries and gas earning above 1x.

    Earn up to 2x Aventura pointson travel booked through CIBC Rewards
    • 4 complimentary lounge visits a year
    • NEXUS fee rebate
    • Points usable on any airline

    Annual fee $139 · Foreign fee 2.5% · $60,000 personal or $100,000 household

    Offer: Up to 60,000 Aventura points plus a first-year fee rebate

    View details
  • Groceries, no FX fee$120/yr

    Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

    Scotiabank

    A $120 everyday card with no foreign transaction fee and strong Scene+ earning on groceries and dining.

    Earn up to 6x Scene+ pointsat partner grocers
    • No foreign transaction fee
    • Up to 6x Scene+ points at partner grocers
    • Medical and trip cancellation insurance

    Annual fee $120 · Foreign fee none · $12,000 personal

    Offer: Up to 50,000 bonus Scene+ points (ends 2026-11-01)

    View details
  • Groceries and dining$139/yr

    TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card

    TD

    High earn rates on groceries, dining and bills, with four lounge visits and strong insurance, redeemed through Expedia For TD.

    Earn up to 8x TD Rewards pointson travel booked via Expedia For TD
    • 6x points on groceries, dining and transit
    • 4 complimentary lounge visits a year
    • $100 annual TD Travel Credit (conditions apply)

    Annual fee $139 · Foreign fee 2.5% · $60,000 personal or $100,000 household

    Offer: Up to 160,000 TD Rewards points plus a first-year fee rebate

    View details
  • Hotel rewards$120/yr

    Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card

    American Express

    A $120 hotel card with an annual free night, Silver Elite status and 5x points at Marriott properties.

    Earn 5x Bonvoy pointsat participating Marriott hotels
    • Annual free night award after the first anniversary
    • 5x points at Marriott properties
    • Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status

    Annual fee $120 · Foreign fee not confirmed · No minimum income stated

    Offer: Up to 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

    View details
  • Premium travel$799/yr

    The Platinum Card (Canada)

    American Express

    A premium charge card with annual travel and dining credits, global lounge access and the broadest insurance in this guide.

    $200 annual travel creditplus a $200 dining credit
    • $200 annual travel credit and $200 dining credit
    • Global Lounge Collection access
    • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance

    Annual fee $799 · Foreign fee 2.5% · No minimum income stated

    Offer: Up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points

    View details
  • No annual fee$0

    Home Trust Preferred Visa

    Home Trust

    A no-annual-fee Visa with no currency surcharge on foreign purchases: a low-cost backup for trips, without travel insurance.

    $0 annual feeand no currency surcharge abroad
    • No annual fee
    • No currency surcharge on foreign purchases
    • 1% cash back on eligible purchases

    Annual fee $0 · Foreign fee none · $15,000 personal

    View details

Tick Compare on up to 4 cards to see them side by side below.

Compare side by side

Compare travel credit cards side by side

See how Canada's top travel credit cards stack up on rewards, fees, travel insurance, lounge access and more. Cards with no foreign transaction fee suit spending abroad, while premium cards charge more to include lounge access and stronger insurance. Select up to four cards to compare.

  • American Express Cobalt Card

    American Express

    Everyday rewards

    View card details

  • TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card

    TD

    Air Canada travellers

    View card details

  • RBC Avion Visa Infinite

    RBC

    Flexible travel

    View card details

  • Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ Card

    Scotiabank

    No foreign fees

    View card details
Side-by-side comparison of the selected cards, facts verified October 28, 2026
FeatureAmex CobaltTD Aeroplan Visa InfiniteRBC Avion Visa InfiniteScotiabank Passport
Annual fee$191.88(billed $15.99 a month)$139(first year rebated)$120(additional card $50)$150(rebate with some Scotiabank accounts)
Rewards programMembership RewardsAeroplanAvion RewardsScene+
Earning highlightsEarn up to 5x pointson restaurants and food deliveryEarn 1.5x Aeroplan pointson groceries, gas and Air CanadaEarn up to 1.25x Avion pointson travel purchases$0 foreign transaction feeson purchases in other currencies
Foreign transaction feeYes (2.5%)Yes (2.5%)Yes (2.5%)No (0%)
Airport lounge accessNone includedNone includedNone included (lounge access sits with the Avion Visa Infinite Privilege)6 free lounge visits a year (Visa Airport Companion Program)
Travel insuranceEmergency medical, delay, baggage and rental carMedical, trip cancellation, interruption, delay and baggageMedical, trip cancellation, interruption, delay and baggageMedical, trip cancellation, interruption, delay and baggage
Best forEveryday rewardsAir Canada travellersFlexible travelNo foreign fees

Facts verified October 28, 2026 against each issuer's own pages. Limits and conditions are shown in full. Rates, fees and offers change, so confirm them with the issuer before you apply.

Which card is best for…

Use-case picks based on verified features, not a ranking. Several cards can fit one need.

Best for flexible travel rewards
Amex Cobalt, RBC Avion Visa Infinite, CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite, Scotiabank Gold Amex, Amex Platinum
Best for international travel
Scotiabank Passport
Best for Aeroplan and Air Canada
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite
Best for WestJet travellers
WestJet RBC World Elite
Best for airport lounge access
Scotiabank Passport, Amex Platinum
Best for avoiding foreign transaction fees
Scotiabank Passport, Scotiabank Gold Amex, Home Trust Preferred Visa
Best for built-in travel insurance
RBC Avion Visa Infinite, Scotiabank Passport, CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite, Scotiabank Gold Amex, TD First Class Travel, Amex Platinum
Best for hotel rewards
Marriott Bonvoy Amex
Best premium travel card
Amex Platinum
Best low or no annual fee option
Home Trust Preferred Visa

How to choose

How to choose the right travel credit card

  1. 1. Know your travel style

    How often do you fly, with which airline, and where? Your answers decide whether airline points, flexible points or low fees matter most.

  2. 2. Compare rewards and fees

    Work out what you earn on your real monthly spending, then subtract the annual fee and any foreign transaction fees.

  3. 3. Check perks and insurance

    Look at lounge access, baggage perks and the travel insurance included, including the day limits and age cut-offs.

  4. 4. Read the fine print

    Read the eligibility rules, income requirements and how points are redeemed before you apply.

How to calculate a card's annual value

  1. Estimate your yearly spending in each bonus category, then multiply by the earn rate on this card.
  2. Convert points to dollars with a cautious cents-per-point figure from the issuer, not the best-case redemption.
  3. Add the benefits you will actually use, such as free bags you would have paid for.
  4. Subtract the annual fee and any foreign transaction fees you would pay.
  5. Compare the result with a no-fee card. If the gap is small, the simpler card usually wins.

See how much travel points are worth for the values issuers state.

What suits which traveller

Occasional travellers
One or two trips a year rarely recover a high annual fee. Favour a low or no annual fee, flexible rewards you can use on a statement credit, and check what insurance is included before you buy a separate policy.
Frequent international travellers
Foreign transaction fees add up fastest here, so a card with no foreign transaction fee matters. Look at lounge access and the length of emergency medical cover, since long trips can exceed short coverage windows.
Families
Free checked bags for companions, coverage for children and a shared rewards balance can matter more than the earn rate. Confirm whether insurance covers dependants and how trips are counted.
Airline-loyal travellers
If you fly one airline most of the time, that airline's co-branded card can earn status help, free bags and bonus points on its flights. The trade-off is less flexibility if you change airlines.

Our approach: how TripRadr compares and checks credit cards

Written by TripRadr Editorial. Facts last verified October 28, 2026.

How we compare

  • We name cards by what they are best for, not by a single overall rank, because the right card depends on how you travel and spend.
  • Every card is described on the same facts: annual fee, earn rates, foreign transaction fee, lounge access, insurance, baggage benefits and eligibility.
  • Insurance is summarised as basic (delay, baggage or purchase cover only), solid (emergency medical plus delay or baggage) or comprehensive (medical plus trip cancellation and interruption). The detailed limits are on each card page.
  • The finder scores cards only on your answers. Payment from an issuer never changes a score, a label or the order of cards.

How we verify

  • Facts come from the issuer's own pages first, including product pages, certificates of insurance and fee schedules. Independent publications are used only to cross-check.
  • Anything we cannot confirm on an official page is left out or shown as not confirmed, never guessed.
  • Each card page shows the date its facts were last verified and links to the issuer. A card is hidden from the site if its facts are more than 120 days old, and an offer is hidden when it expires or has not been re-checked for 45 days.

How TripRadr is paid

The issuer links on this page are plain links, and TripRadr earns nothing when you click or apply. If that ever changes, those links will be marked as sponsored and will not change which cards we show, how we label them or how the finder scores them.

Important: TripRadr is not a lender, broker or financial adviser. This content is for information only and is not financial advice. Offers, rates and terms change and can differ by province, so confirm details with the issuer before you apply. Applications happen on the issuer's site, not on TripRadr.

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