Close your eyes and imagine the following…

Strolling through the cobblestone streets of one of Paris’s quieter avenues on a warm, overcast June afternoon, the Eiffel Tower looming not too far off in the distance, and the aroma of warm, freshly baked croissants from nearby bakeries filling the air.

Your stomach is grumbling and DYING of hunger, and you really want to stop by a Parisian cafe or boulangerie, and grab one of those delicious smelling croissants or pastries.

Yet you’ve run out of money for the day… either you’ve maxed out your debit / card card limit, run out of cash, or you’ve just exceeded your daily spending plan on museums and tourist attractions, and you’re afraid to break your wallet on food.

What do you do, starve?

No. Because after reading this blog post, you’ll have a list of five Canadian travel credit cards to optimize your backpacking experiences.

Keep in mind, there isn’t a single card that includes everything, and they all have their own perks. Your decision of which card you choose is going to depend on what you value the most in your travel rewards.

So with that said, if you’re a Canadian citizen or resident looking to travel abroad and gain some financial benefits while you’re at it, then you’ve come to the right place.

Let’s go into more detail about which four credit cards offer you some incredible incentives to use them whilst backpacking and adventuring.

Unlocking Adventure: Maximizing Rewards with the American Express Cobalt® Card
Smooth Travels Ahead: Making the Most of TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card’s Travel Protections
Sky's The Limit: Unlocking Flight Redemptions With The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
Seamless Adventures: Maximizing Rewards with the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite Card

1. Unlocking Adventure: Maximizing Rewards with the American Express Cobalt® Card

Gentlemen, as Canadians, we’re lucky to be located next door to our U.S. neighbors because we get access to cards with such great benefits like this one.

Not only does this card unlock tons of travel coverages for you; it also gives you the following should you decide to splurge, and treat yourself to a more luxurious stay somewhere during your travels:

Up to a $100 USD hotel credit to use on amenities like dining, spas, or other recreation facilities - when charged to the room
A one-category room upgrade at check-in, subject to availability

In terms of the travel coverage this cards gets you, it includes:

Out of Province/Country Emergency Medical Insurance that covers up to $5 mil. for eligible emergency medical expenses incurred by an insured person under the age of 65 - for the first 15 consecutive days of a covered trip
Flight delay Insurance - up to $500 for accommodations that could include restaurant expenses and sundry items purchased within 48 hours when delayed or denied boarding for 4 hours or more and no alternate transportation is made available when you fully charge your airline ticket to your American Express Cobalt Card
Baggage Delay Insurance - up to $500
Hotel Burglary Insurance - up to $500
Lost or Stolen Baggage Insurance
$250k Travel Accident Insurance
Car Rental Theft and Damage Insurance - up to $85k for rentals 48 days long or less

Here’s a link to the Amex website for a more precise and thorough view of what the card has to offer.

And rest assured, if you value travel insurance coverage, this one’s great.

Next up, we have…

2. Smooth Travels Ahead: Making the Most of TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card’s Travel Protections

This award winning credit card offers:

The ability to save on baggage fees at the airport, not just for you, but for up to eight additional cardholders and companions - if you’re traveling with someone -, including enjoying your first checked bag free when your travels start with an Air Canada flight
The ability to earn up to $1200 in value, including up to 50,000 Aeroplan points - enough for a round trip to New York City - if you get approved before June, 2024
The ability to redeem those points for Air Canada flights / reservations, hotel rooms, car rentals, merchandise, experiences, and gift certificates

There’s obviously a lot more that this card has to offer, which is why I recommend you check out the official website page to get the full details.

And yeah, if you’re traveling and want to save money - which, let’s face it, who doesn’t - then this is a great card to have on hand.

Now let’s jump into…

3. Sky's The Limit: Unlocking Flight Redemptions With The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

On a similar note, this RBC travel card allows you to save on flight fees through earning Avion points, since one-way flights start as low as 7500 points.

It also allows you to:

Get 35,000 Welcome Points on approval and 20,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in your first 6 months, IF you apply by April 30, 2024.
Get a FREE lift pass for skiing or snowboarding when you by a single Friday lift pass using the card
Obtain out-of-country medical insurance
Get trip cancellation and interruption insurance

Check out all of the benefits that you can get with this card here.

Keep in mind you do need a $60k minimum salary to be eligible to apply for this card.

And last but not least, we have…

4. Seamless Adventures: Maximizing Rewards with the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite Card

Aside from the slick look of this card - which you can see in this link -, it also offers tons of great travel benefits if you’re looking to save money. Some of those include:

Getting up to $1500 in travel value when you join
Four complimentary airport lounge passes
An annual fee rebate for the primary cardholder, and $50 for each secondary card holder during the first year
One $50-value NEXUS application fee rebate to speed up your border crossings
Built-in travel insurance, including emergency medical, travel accident, trip cancellation/interruption, flight delay, and baggage insurance
Mobile device insurance and hotel / motel burglary insurance - the latter might come in more handy than you realize
Access to personalized travel booking and trip planning with no booking fees through Aventura’s travel assistant

Now I should mention that this card also requires a $60 000 min. income requirement, so it might not be applicable for some of us - yet.

It’s also not applicable to residents in Quebec. I know, bummer.

And if you meet the criteria, this cards a game winner.

Anyways, there you have it. Four Canadian travel credit cards that could save you money, earn you travel points, and help cover your medical expenses while traveling.

There are obviously way more cards out there, and I decided to keep the list short so that you don’t get overloaded with too many options.

That way, it’s easier for you to make a decision and not overthink, which wastes a lot of time.

And time is our most valuable resource, especially when we’re traveling - or making plans to travel - the world.

So make the best use of your time and these credit cards; go out there, and have fun.

Also don’t forget to like us on Facebook, Twitter / X, and Instagram so that you instantly receive more actionable insights to make you more resilient, and to make saving money on your travels that much easier.

Feel free to comment and suggest your own travel credit cards down below!

Have a great week!

Adventure Assets: Uncovering the Ultimate Canadian Travel Cards for Thrifty Explorers

TABLE OF CONTENTS: