I’m going to Canada next week, and I will definitely need Canadian currency. Where am I likely to get the most CAD for my USD - a bank? My bank specifically? American Express (or similar) office? Use ATM card once over the border?
And which will likely be the best way to turn my excess CAD back into USD once I’m back in the States?
Why do you need the cash? If you use a credit/debit card, you get the best possible rate and no fee for exchanging it. For smaller things you might not want to use a card for, I’d say stop at a bank in the US close to the border. If you can, find one that’s a branch of your bank, since not all banks will exchange currency for non-members. But most banks up north have enough Canadian currency on hand to exchange at least a few hundred.
But again, I would just go with the “don’t bother, use a card” route myself.
Most US credit cards charge foreign transaction fees, much to the chagrin of those of us who visit Canada often. That said, I would agree that using a credit card is still the best option. If you’ve got a Capital One card, use it — they’re the only major CC issuer that doesn’t charge these fees, so it’s the best of both worlds.
I expect to have to use cash at the Montreal Snow Festival, just to name one planned thing. I imagine that I’ll probably also need cash if I want to ride the Metro, if there are any toll roads, if I want coffee at a convenience store…
I’ve always preferred using an ATM. My bank doesn’t charge fees for using someone else’s ATM (and pays me back for fees that the other bank charges) so this works out best for me.
Is this the festival in February? I think I went to that once. Ice Toboggan!