Regardless of how frequently you travel, having the right credit card on your trip is something that can bring you quite a bit of peace of mind. My all time go-to travel credit card is the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Not only does it have a lucrative sign-up bonus, but it also provides some great insurance coverage that is extremely valuable in itself.
When I went to Iceland a few years ago, I put the entire trip on my Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, including my rental car. While driving around one afternoon, a rock was kicked up from the car in front of us and put a very large crack on the side of the windshield. To make matters worse, as we drove around the crack kept getting larger and larger... enough to put a damper on any trip. I quickly researched my coverage options through the Chase card, and found that I was 100% covered with the insurance build into my Sapphire Preferred. Thankfully, we were able to enjoy the remaining time with minimal stress, knowing that we had protection.
While returning the car to Enterprise, they noted the large crack and said that they'd have to charge us for a replacement windshield. The total cost was equivalent to about $600 USD.
There are two key items to being able to utilize the full rental car coverage with Chase. 1 - Put the entire rental car charge on your credit card (including the cost for the damage that they will charge you). 2 - Decline all extra coverage that the rental car company tries to sell you when checking out - be strong! I know they're persuasive.
Note - this coverage works only for rental cars, trucks, and SUVs. Not campervans.
When we returned to the United States, I quickly called Chase to file a claim. I added the photos of the cracked windshield, as well as the receipt for the replacement windshield. The whole process only took a few minutes, and I had my $600 credit back on my credit card in less than 30 days. This is always my number one response when someone challenges me on credits cards with an annual fee, and this isn't even taking into consideration the large sign up bonus you can easily earn when you first apply.
Chase Sapphire Preferred -
Pros:
Sign up bonus of 60,000 points (worth $750 towards travel) when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months
Rental car coverage
No foreign transaction fees
$50 Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit on account anniversary
Cons:
$95 annual fee
Must book travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards travel site
Customer service hold times when changing existing travel reservations
If you're looking for a good travel credit card, or even an every day one that you can turn into travel rewards - definitely check this one out!