The Best Rewards Credit Cards for International Travel

International travel is a lot more convenient when you don’t have to carry around a wad of cash.

With a travel credit card, you can score valuable benefits and protections while paying for your travel expenses. Plus, you can do it all without using sketchy ATMs or exchanging a bunch of money into the local currency.

Of course, using a credit card overseas makes a lot more sense when you’re not paying foreign transaction fees, which can tack on 3-5 percent to everything you buy.

If you’re heading overseas and want to use credit for convenience or rewards, check out these cards:

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Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard

The Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard offers the perfect combination of rewards and flexibility. This card comes with no foreign transaction fees plus two points per dollar spent on all purchases. The best part is, these points can be redeemed for any type of travel at a rate of one cent per point.

The $89 annual fee is also waived the first year, making it the perfect travel credit card to experiment with.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred consistently receives top billing as one of the best travel credit cards, and for good reason. The card offers 1x points on all purchases, 2x points on travel and dining, all with no foreign transaction fees.

You can redeem points for travel through Chase's online portal or transfer points to popular hotel and airline loyalty programs. The card’s $95 annual fee is also waived the first year.

READ MORE: Which Travel Card is Best for Beginners?

Discover it Miles

Discover it Miles is a popular travel credit card perfect for adventure-seekers who don’t want to keep track of bonus categories or earnings limits. This card offers an unlimited 1.5 miles for each dollar you spend, although Discover promises to double the miles you’ve earned after the first 12 months.

You’ll also pay no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee. Redeem your points for any type of travel you want at a rate of one cent per point.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is another travel card that's ideal for an overseas trip, although this option is best suited to the frequent traveler due to its high annual fee.

You’ll pay $450 per year to carry this card, but you’ll get a lot in return: No foreign transaction fees, a $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge access and a Global Entry/TSA precheck credit, among other benefits.

The best part is, you earn 3x points per $1 spent on all travel and dining purchases—even those made abroad. If you travel often, those points can add up quickly.

READ MORE: Best Credit Cards for Summer

BankAmericard Travel Rewards Credit Card

The BankAmericard Travel Rewards Credit Card is another smart option for overseas trips. Not only does it come without an annual fee, but it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, either.

You’ll also get an unlimited 1.5 points for every dollar you spend, along with 20,000 bonus points after you use your card for $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days. Your points will never expire, and you can redeem them for any type of travel you want.