Posted: 10/26/2023 | October 26th, 2023
I talk a lot about travel insurance on this website. I know it’s not an exciting topic, but it’s the one thing I won’t leave home without.
Travel insurance has saved me — and my readers — time and time again. I’ve had my gear broken and stolen, missed flights, needed doctor’s appointments, and even needed urgent medical care abroad.
I’ve learned the hard way how vital it is — especially as a budget traveler.
Fortunately, these days, many credit cards come with travel insurance. And while I always recommend that you get comprehensive travel insurance in addition, there are a number of cards out that offer pretty robust protection at no additional cost.
If you’re thinking about getting a new credit card, or if you want to know which of your current ones you can rely on for decent insurance, here’s a list of the best credit cards with travel insurance:
Travel protection offered by credit cards does not cost anything extra, although nearly all of the cards that offer such insurance — with one notable exception (see below) — come with an annual fee.
It’s one of the many reasons that getting a card with an annual fee is worth it (and why I think that avoiding cards with annual fees is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when using credit cards for travel). If something goes wrong while you’re on the road and your card’s insurance pays for it, you’ll more than recoup the annual fee right there.
The most important thing to know is that for the insurance to kick in, you must have paid for your trip using that card. However, once you do that, you’ll be covered.
While the payout limits vary greatly, as do the conditions that need to be met before coverage kicks in, these are general categories that credit card travel insurance usually covers:
While these are categories that credit cards with the best travel insurance generally include, always read the fine print of your coverage no matter what. There’s a lot in there that can change what you’re eligible for, such as what state you live in, the length of your trip, and more.
With that in mind, here are the best credit cards for travel insurance and what they cover:
This is my favorite premium rewards card. It offers the most comprehensive travel insurance out of any credit card and is one of the only ones to include any kind of medical insurance. The Reserve also offers airport lounge access, a fantastic roster of transfer partners, and an array of statement credits, including a $300 USD annual travel credit that brings the annual $550 USD fee down to a more reasonable $250 USD.
As a Visa Infinite® card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s travel insurance includes the following:
Since Bilt is a World Elite Mastercard, you’ll get access to that suite of travel insurance benefits. Notably, it doesn’t have accident insurance or medical coverage, so if you’re relying on Bilt for that, you’ll want to purchase additional travel insurance that does.
Bilt’s travel insurance includes the following:
At $695 USD per year, the Platinum Card from American Express has the highest annual fee of any consumer travel card out there, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to better benefits across the board. While the Platinum does offer great travel insurance, the Chase Sapphire Reserve handily beats it in all categories.
However, the Platinum offers emergency evacuation and medical transport coverage (with no limit on cost), which can be huge if you end up needing to take advantage of it. Evacuation and transport costs can be incredibly expensive, costing upwards of $250,000 USD!
It also offers the best lounge access of any travel card, elite status benefits, travel perks, special hotel discounts, and luxury goods and service credits.
The Platinum Card’s protections include the following:
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
Want to Travel for Free?
Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.
Ready to Book Your Trip?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.
Advertiser Disclosure: “Nomadic Matt has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Some or all of the card offers on this page are from advertisers and compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. Nomadic Matt and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.”
Editorial Disclosure: “Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. This page does not include all card companies or all available card offers.”
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