No annual fee travel credit cards are a rare breed. And annual fees often reflect that…because annual fees are one way credit card companies can justify giving you all those extras. So, finding a travel credit card that has valuable travel rewards, any type of insurance, and a few perks … all with no annual fee, That’s kind of like looking for Bigfoot - sightings are pretty rare. But no matter how rare, there are still a few Canadian no fee travel cards in the wild.

Let it be noted, however, that there are some no fee cash back credit cards that are better than no fee travel credit cards, so we included them in our list. Why Choose a No Fee Travel Card, But first, here’s a simple fact: you’re not going to find a no fee travel card that spoils you as much as the top premium cards do. So why anyone would want to give up those “lap of luxury” cards and go with a no fee travel card,

If you’re new to credit cards - no fee cards are a great starting point if points and miles are completely new to you. You get to figure out how everything works without any risk. If you don’t use your card for all your purchases - if you’re not using your credit card for the majority of your purchases, paying a steep annual fee may not make sense for you.

However, if you’re unsure, feel free to enter your monthly spending into our spending calculator to see if the rewards you would earn would outweigh the annual fee you would pay. Otherwise, consider a no fee card. If you already have a premium credit card - some people like to pair no fee cards with premium credit cards to make sure that they aren’t leaving any rewards on the table. Perhaps you have an American Express that isn’t accepted, or you love shopping at Costco, but your Visa isn’t accepted there either.

If that’s the case, perhaps a no fee Mastercard would be a good addition to your wallet. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the best no fee travel credit cards on the market. Not only is the CIBC Aventura Visa Card the number one travel credit card on the list and with good reason.

For a no fee credit card it has quite a lot going for it. It is one of a very limited number of no fee credit cards that give cardholders 24/7 Concierge Service. 2 you spend, and that doubles when you are making purchases at gas stations, grocery stores and drug stores.

Finally, you’ll earn very flexible rewards that can be used on travel, gift cards, merchandise, financial products, charitable donations, and even statement credits. One thing to note is that there is also an identical student version of this card, the . So, whether you’re a student looking for a starter credit card or you’re looking for the best no fee travel card on the market, these Aventura cards from CIBC are both pretty solid choices.

One interesting thing about the MBNA Rewards Mastercard is that it gives you a 1% return on spending, whether you’re redeeming your points for travel or cash. Plus, this card allows you to use your rewards whenever you want - there is no need to wait to redeem your points once a year, or for high minimum redemption levels.

Another thing that really sets this card apart is the fact that there are 7 different types of purchase and travel insurance included. So, if you’re looking for a no fee card and insurance is important to you, MBNA is definitely a good place to start. 50 worth of sign up bonus points - and it’s hard to say no to free rewards. This card allows you to choose up to 3 spending categories where you do most of your spending, and gives you 2% cash back for every purchase you make at stores that fall into those categories.

And, if your spending habits change, Tangerine allows you to change your chosen spending categories at regular intervals. And although this card doesn’t give you points or miles, it gives you cash that you can use for whatever travel you like! The SimplyCash Card from American Express is another card that you may be surprised to see near the top of the no fee travel list (since it is a cash back card). Cash back cards don’t usually come close to travel cards in terms of value or perks, but the SimplyCash Card is definitely an exception to the rule.