Travel Credit Cards 2026

Travel credit cards save real money abroad: they waive the foreign currency fee and often allow free cash withdrawals worldwide. You pay in foreign currency at the real exchange rate instead of costly surcharges.

Who is it for?

For frequent travellers, holidaymakers and anyone paying or withdrawing cash abroad – without surprise fees on the statement.

What to look out for

• No foreign currency fee worldwide
• Free cash withdrawals worldwide
• Optional travel insurance as a plus
• Mobile payment (Apple Pay / Google Pay) on the go

At a glance

• Cards compared: 20
• Issuers: 12
• Card types: 13 credit cards with revolving option, 2 charge cards (pay in full), 5 debit cards
• Networks: Visa (13), Mastercard (7)
• No annual fee: 11 of 20; otherwise €24 to €202.80 per year
• No foreign transaction fee: 20 of 20
• With revolving credit option: 13 of 20; APR 16.72% to 25.79%
• With travel insurance: 11 of 20
• No SCHUFA check: 1 of 20

Calculated automatically from the current card data in this comparison.

Recommendations compared

1. Trade Republic Card – Debit card for the Trade Republic account with 1% Saveback into your savings plan. Score: 9.5/10 (Excellent) · Top rated · Annual fee: €0 · Bonus: — · Rating: 8.6/10
2. Consors Credit Card Gold Light – Free credit card with the Consorsbank account and fee-free withdrawals worldwide. Score: 9.2/10 (Excellent) · Annual fee: €0 · Bonus: — · Rating: 9.4/10
3. C24 Smart Debit Card – Free debit card with the C24 Smart account and fee-free payments worldwide. Score: 9.2/10 (Excellent) · Annual fee: €0 · Bonus: — · Rating: 8.4/10
4. DKB Visa Debit Card – Popular debit card with the DKB account — free for active customers. Score: 9.1/10 (Excellent) · Annual fee: €0 · Bonus: — · Rating: 8.2/10
5. Hanseatic Bank GenialCard – Popular fee-free credit card with free cash withdrawals abroad. Score: 8.9/10 (Very good) · Annual fee: €0 · Bonus: — · Rating: 8.2/10
6. Easybank Credit Card – Flexible credit card with no account requirement — successor to the Barclays Visa. Score: 8.7/10 (Very good) · Annual fee: €0 · Bonus: — · Rating: 8.8/10
7. Deutschland-Kreditkarte Classic – Well-known free Visa credit card with no account requirement, recommended by Stiftung Warentest. Score: 8.7/10 (Very good) · Annual fee: €0 · Bonus: — · Rating: 8.7/10
8. Bank Norwegian Visa – The all-round fee-free travel credit card with no extra checking account. Score: 8.6/10 (Very good) · Annual fee: €0 · Bonus: +€15 · Rating: 9.4/10
9. GMX WEB.Cent Credit Card (Mastercard Gold) – Free gold credit card with travel insurance and free worldwide withdrawals. Score: 8.6/10 (Very good) · Annual fee: €0 · Bonus: +€20 · Rating: 8.2/10
10. TF Bank Mastercard Gold – Free travel credit card with included travel insurance and a long payment period. Score: 8.5/10 (Very good) · Annual fee: €0 · Bonus: — · Rating: 9.2/10
11. Advanzia Gebührenfrei Mastercard Gold – Permanently free genuine credit card with travel insurance — ideal when repaid in full each month. Score: 8.4/10 (Very good) · Annual fee: €0 · Bonus: — · Rating: 8.3/10
12. DKB Visa Credit Card – Genuine DKB credit card with a credit line for bookings and deposits. Score: 8.3/10 (Very good) · Annual fee: €29.88 · Bonus: +€90 · Rating: 8.2/10
13. Openbank BestCard Smart – Shopping credit card from Openbank (formerly Santander) – no foreign currency fee, with purchase protection and 4 free withdrawals per month. Score: 8.1/10 (Very good) · Annual fee: €24 · Bonus: — · Rating: 8.2/10
14. Openbank BestCard Extra – Credit card with insurance package and 6 free withdrawals abroad per month. Score: 7.6/10 (Good) · Annual fee: €58.80 · Bonus: — · Rating: 8.2/10
15. N26 Go – N26 travel card with insurance and unlimited free withdrawals outside the eurozone for under €10/month. Score: 7.4/10 (Good) · Annual fee: €118.80 · Bonus: — · Rating: 7.9/10
16. N26 Metal – Exclusive stainless steel card with a free lounge visit, travel insurance and unlimited free withdrawals outside the eurozone. Score: 7.3/10 (Good) · Annual fee: €202.80 · Bonus: — · Rating: 8.0/10
17. Openbank BestCard Premium – Premium card with extensive insurance and 8 free withdrawals worldwide per month. Score: 7.2/10 (Good) · Annual fee: €118.80 · Bonus: — · Rating: 8.0/10
18. easybank Credit Card Platinum – Premium travel credit card with a full insurance package and 0% foreign currency fee worldwide. Score: 7.0/10 (Fair) · Annual fee: €99 · Bonus: — · Rating: 7.9/10
19. Hilton Honors Credit Card – Hotel credit card with Gold status, Hilton Honors points and no foreign currency fee for €6 a month. Score: 6.9/10 (Fair) · Annual fee: €72 · Bonus: 50,000 points · Rating: 7.0/10
20. Hanseatic Bank Goldcard – Gold credit card with travel insurance and fee-free withdrawals worldwide for €4.90 a month. Score: 6.9/10 (Fair) · Annual fee: €58.80 · Bonus: — · Rating: 8.0/10

All information without guarantee (continuously updated). Conditions may change – the provider's details are always decisive.

Related guides: Using a credit card abroad: how to avoid fees · Credit card travel insurance: what's covered

Frequently asked questions

Which credit card is best for travel?

A good travel card waives foreign currency fees and allows free cash withdrawals abroad. Additional travel insurance can be worthwhile for frequent travellers.

Can I pay abroad for free with any credit card?

No. Many cards charge a foreign currency fee of around 1–2% outside the eurozone. Travel cards deliberately waive it.

Which card suits you best?

Use your personal usage profile to calculate the real annual cost of every card.