Best cards for travel abroad

Knowing which are the best cards for travel to make your funds go further is important whether you’re planning to explore one of the cheapest countries or one of the most expensive cities in the world.  You can cut a significant chunk off your travel budget by finding the best time to book flights. It’s also important to think about your travel money – how you’ll pay for things on your trip.

That includes hunting for travel money deals and choosing the right travel card. The wrong card could see you stung with around 3% in card fees and hidden charges, which can add up to hundreds of pounds for a big trip abroad and put a serious dent in your travel budget. 

You can avoid these charges by using a competitive travel card that comes with zero fees for foreign transactions. Often, you will also benefit from a competitive exchange rate, meaning your money will go further. Some providers will even give you cashback whenever you spend on the card. 

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up

Best credit cards for travel abroad

Remember: if you are using a credit card, make sure you are in a position to pay off your bill in full at the end of each month, otherwise interest charges will cancel out any benefits. If you are applying for a credit card, always go through an eligibility checker, like the Card Match tool from our sister site Go.Compare, to see what you can get.  

Barclaycard Rewards Card 

• No fees on purchases and ATM withdrawals abroad 
• 0.25% cashback on everyday spending
• No interest on cash withdrawals if paid in full
• Protection on purchases over £100 with potential refund cover
• Representative APR of 28.9%

Halifax Clarity Mastercard 

• No fees on spending or ATM withdrawals abroad
• Purchases over £100 and up to £30,000 are covered by section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act
• Interest on cash withdrawals ranges between 22.9% and 28.9%, charged per day until paid off
• Representative APR of 23.9%

NatWest Credit Card Mastercard 

• No foreign transaction fees
• 3% fee on ATM withdrawals (minimum £3)
• Representative APR of 12.9%
• Interest on cash withdrawals ranges between 26.9% to 29.9%, charged daily until paid off

NatWest Travel Reward Credit Card 

• No foreign transaction fees on purchases abroad
• 3% fee on ATM withdrawals (minimum £3)
• 1% cashback on eligible travel spending on planes, trains, car rental, ferries, buses, hotel accommodations, travel agents, cruises, campsites and more
• 1% to 15% cashback at selected partner retailers
• Or, instead of these, 0.1% back on travel spending
• Representative APR of 27.9%
• No annual fee

Have a look at the best credit cards for cashback or credit cards with 0% on purchases if you want to make the most of your purchases in the UK.

Best debit cards for travel abroad

Most banks and building societies will add on around 3% to transactions made abroad when you use your debit card – rising to almost 5% for ATM withdrawals. So, it makes sense to either open another current account with a travel-friendly debit card, or take out a travel credit card. You can also get a travel debit card that connects to your usual current account, meaning you don’t need to open another current account.

Here are the banks that do not charge fees when using your debit card abroad. However, it is worth noting that ATM withdrawal fees may still incur a fee, often set by the ATM provider.

Chase Bank

• No fees on spending or cash withdrawals at home or abroad
• 1% cashback on your spending for the first 12 months
• After 12 months you will need to deposit a minimum of £1,500 monthly to keep getting the 1% cashback 
• Maximum £1,500 ATM limit while abroad, per calendar month
• Note you can only manage this account in-app

First Direct

• No fees on purchases made abroad
• Fee-free ATM withdrawals abroad, up to £500 per day
• Access to 7% regular saver account
• £250 interest-free overdraft

Starling Bank 

• No fees on spending or cash withdrawals at home or abroad
• Manage in-app and online
• Maximum £300 ATM limit and six withdrawals per day while abroad
• Earn 3.25% in-credit interest on a maximum of £5,000

Monzo 

• Fee-free spending
• Cash withdrawals in the EEA are fee-free if you use Monzo as your main bank account, otherwise you pay 3% on withdrawals over £250 every 30 days
• Make cash withdrawals outside of the EEA of up to £200 every 30 days for free, anything over that incurs a 3% charge.
• Earn 3.85% AER (variable) with an Instant Access Savings Pot

Currensea Essential Card

• Currensea debit card links to your existing current account, so offers a good alternative if you don’t want to switch banks
• No fees on spending or ATM withdrawals
• Maximum ATM limit of £500 per month or markup of 2% on withdrawals over £500 up to £1,500 from international ATMs
• Send £100-£20,000 per transfer with 0.5% flat-fee

Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card 

• Hilton Hotels has partnered with Currensea. So, you get similar benefits as Currensea, plus you can collect Hilton Honor points on everyday spending. 
• Annual fee of £150 
• Foreign exchange fees and ATM withdrawals (up to £500 a month) are waived 
• Automatic gold status 
• Open an account by 30 November and earn 12,000 bonus Hilton Honors points