Best Banks for Travelers 2024
The best banks for travelers cut the cost of trips at home and abroad, and come with handy perks for those on the go. Read on for our top two choices.
Best Banks for Travelers
If you travel frequently, you’ll benefit from features such as fee-free ATM access and waived currency-conversion charges. And even if you’re not on the road much, the checking accounts from these banks are outstanding choices.
This is part of Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine's 2024 best bank for you rankings. See lower down on this page for more categories.
Capital One
Why it won: Capital One goes light on fees with its online 360 accounts and its nationwide cafés provide travelers a place to relax.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Standout account: 360 Checking customers can access more than 70,000 ATMs fee-free, and you pay no foreign-transaction fee when you use the debit card overseas.
Where it is: The accounts listed here are internet-based, but Capital One has more than 250 branches in a handful of eastern and southern states and Washington, D.C.
Overview:
Capital One’s 360 Checking account has no monthly fee or minimum balance requirement, and the debit card imposes no foreign transaction fees for purchases or ATM withdrawals abroad. Capital One also provides free access to more than 70,000 ATMs, including the bank’s own machines as well as those in the Allpoint and MoneyPass networks. If you withdraw money from an out-of-network machine, Capital One charges you no fee, but you’ll likely pay a surcharge to the ATM operator. If you’d like to earn a high yield on extra cash, check out the no-fee 360 Performance Savings account, yielding 3.80%, and the one-year CD, with a 4% yield (no minimum deposit required).
Capital One has a robust mobile app that you can use to manage your accounts and make transfers on the go. Plus, along with standard branch locations, the bank operates more than 50 cafés in cities across the country. Capital One Cafés serve up food and drinks (you get a 50% discount on handcrafted beverages, such as coffee and tea, if you pay for them with your Capital One debit or credit card), as well as providing workspaces and free Wi-Fi.
Charles Schwab Bank
Why it won: Schwab waives the surcharges that most other banks impose on international travelers.
Standout account: Users of Schwab’s Investor Checking account pay no ATM fees or currency conversion fees.
Overview: Globetrotters will find Charles Schwab’s Investor Checking account hard to beat. It offers unlimited reimbursement of out-of-network fees for ATM withdrawals worldwide, and travelers pay no foreign transaction fees when they use their debit card for ATM withdrawals or purchases. The account is free of monthly maintenance fees, overdraft fees and minimum balance requirements, and you get complimentary standard paper checks, too. The debit card comes with travel accident insurance as well as travel and emergency assistance services, such as referrals to English-speaking doctors if you become ill while abroad.
You must link your Investor Checking account to a Schwab One brokerage account, which has no minimum balance requirement, and you can transfer money instantly between the accounts. With Schwab’s mobile app, you can move money and check account balances.
Kiplinger's Best Banks 2024
- Best National Banks
- Best Internet Banks
- Best Credit Unions
- Best Banks for High-Net-Worth Clients
- Best Banks for Retirees
Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
Lisa has been the editor of Kiplinger Personal Finance since June 2023. Previously, she spent more than a decade reporting and writing for the magazine on a variety of topics, including credit, banking and retirement. She has shared her expertise as a guest on the Today Show, CNN, Fox, NPR, Cheddar and many other media outlets around the nation. Lisa graduated from Ball State University and received the school’s “Graduate of the Last Decade” award in 2014. A military spouse, she has moved around the U.S. and currently lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and two sons.
-
Bigger Social Security Checks Are Arriving in April
Payments to eligible retired public sector employees will increase starting in April due to the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA)..
By Donna LeValley Published
-
5 CDs to Put Your Tax Refund Into
Planning to get a tax refund this year? Treat your future self with a risk-free way to grow your money. Here are the 5 best CDs to consider.
By Sean Jackson Published
-
Bigger Social Security Checks Are Arriving in April
Payments to eligible retired public sector employees will increase starting in April due to the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA)..
By Donna LeValley Published
-
5 CDs to Put Your Tax Refund Into
Planning to get a tax refund this year? Treat your future self with a risk-free way to grow your money. Here are the 5 best CDs to consider.
By Sean Jackson Published
-
Seven Questions to Ask When Evaluating Personal Loan Options
Taking out a personal loan too hastily could lock you into unfavorable terms with an untrustworthy lender. Ask these questions before signing anything.
By David Kimball Published
-
What Can a Donor-Advised Fund Do for You? (A Lot)
DAFs and private foundations go about helping charities (and those who donate) in different ways. Each comes with its own benefits and restrictions to navigate.
By Julia Chu Published
-
6 Great Vacation Ideas for Wheelchair Users
These six places provide plenty of travel inspiration for people who use wheelchairs.
By Becca van Sambeck Published
-
Is Chasing the American Dream Ruining Your Financial Life?
Too many people focus on visible affluence as a marker of success. Here's how to avoid succumbing to the pressure and driving yourself into debt.
By Anthony Martin Published
-
What the Senate's Vote to Repeal CFPB Bank Overdraft Fees Cap Means For You
The Senate voted to overturn the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's cap on overdraft fees. Here's what you need to know.
By Sean Jackson Published
-
These Eight States Have the Most Expensive Home Insurance in 2025
If you live in one of these eight states, you’re probably paying $1,000 or more above the national average for home insurance.
By Rachael Green Published