I’m near Buffalo, about half an hour from Niagara Falls. Hell there Timmy’s popping up all over the place.
Anytime I travel I find the easiest way to get cash is to use my ATM card. A lot easier than finding a decent exchange place.
I just spent a year in southern Ontario. Don’t worry about it. ATM’s work the same, and the dollars are just about par anyway. Keep in mind that your “debit” card in credit card mode works like a credit card, i.e., just don’t do any PIN-based transactions (I’m curious about who really does that in the USA anyway unless for cash back).
Keep in mind that if you spend American cash dollars, by law they must give your change in Canadian currency. But with the exchange rate, it’s hardly worth it.
If you use your credit cards, there may be an additional 3% foreign currency fee, but again, for the amount of time you’re going to be there, who really cares, right?
My home away from home! I go to this location almost every weekday morning. Fortunately, although the quality of Tim’s donuts has nosedived in recent years, the bagels and coffee are still excellent.
FWIW, there are at least a dozen locations in NF and you’ll find good parking at most of them, except for those at the tourist centres.
My experience in getting Canadian cash for everyday use has been mostly favorable using major-bank ATMs. The little “kiosk” ATM at YYZ terminal 3 didn’t read it, but the ATM at a CIBC branch did with no problem. POS terminals mostly failed. No difficulty at all with Visa/MC.
Tim’s by far has the best breakfast sandwiches, even in US locations. I don’t understand why US Tim’s’ coffee isn’t as good as Ontario Tim’s’ coffee, though. Lots of people still think of Tim’s as doughnuts and coffee, though – they actually have excellent sandwiches and soups during non-breakfast hours, too.
The best place to exchange money? I’m not sure, but I can tell you the two worst places. your Hotel and an airport. They will rape you and not use any KY jelly.
Okay, well, the place I went to still had the cheapest rate I’d seen. Diagonally across the intersection, there was another place that seemed to be a tourist trap and was charging three times the rate.
On that link this is the one that I’ve used…
NIAGARA FALLS - Rainbow Bridge ($)
5355 Stanley Ave. L2E 7C2
right off the corner of Roberts.
Like I said, just don’t go to the diamond shaped building diagonally across the intersection. 
The closest one I can find to home is in Kentucky…several hundred miles from here. :smack:
Maybe it’s time for a trip back to The Falls. There’s just something about that coffee…with a couple of Sugar Twins in it…we don’t see Sugar Twin down here either. And bagels…nobody down here knows how to make bagels…
Think I’ll go see if I can find some cheap airfare!
When I moved from the US to CA we came across the border with a bunch of US cash. We found the rate at the smaller “CURRENCY EXCHANGE” places were slightly higher (like one cent) than the banks. There were no fees involved at either place.
Over the next few months as we closed out things in the states (and I was getting paid in US funds from my job) I noticed TD bank seems to exchange US to CA at about 2 cents under spot - so if spot is 1.10, then TD pays 1.08. The rate is better depending on the volume you trade.
Here is a link to TD’s exchange page. Keep in mind this isn’t quite “off the street” prices. This is for people like me who have both US and CA funds accounts and swap money between the two. The rate you get as a non-customer is slightly less.
Personally, I think if one needs to exchange $500 or less, the “CURRENCY EXCHANGE” places are the best bet if they don’t take a fee.
I exchanged some US cash to CA before I moved up here through my bank in the States. I wanted to have $500 or so of Canadian on hand during the move. Of all places this is where I got the worst exchange. It was a bad rate plus a rather large fee.
US to CA rates suck so badly right now (well,. for Americans anyway) I’d just count on an even money exchange. If you can exchange now and get any more than even money… do it. But I wouldn’t sweat it. Just know what the rate is when you go, find one place and exchange a few bucks (so you have some) and shop around.
HA. He’ll be in for a shock in a few more months when you get to say “It’s worth $4.90” 
A lot of people don’t realize the US dollar is falling and Canada’s is getting stronger. People I know in the States still think $1 US = $1.50 CA.
No worries, there. That place closed awhile ago. The new owner has offices upstairs and is currently looking for a new tenant for the ground floor.