Exchange US$ for Canadian$?

[Liz]

I'll be arriving very late the night before my cruise from Vancouver. If I need to take a cab from the airport to my hotel, will I need Canadian currency or will US dollars be acceptable? I'm used to the Caribbean where the US dollar works just about anywhere. Several threads say the cabfare is $25-$30 to downtown - but is that Canadian or US?

If I do need to exchange currency, is there a 24-hour exchange booth in the Vancouver airport? I know my banker will get some for me before I leave but am keeping notes on various things-to-do as I think of them.

Thanks in advance!

 

Liz

[Urban trekker]

Liz - the Canadian $$$ is at par with the US $$$ and it is widely accepted - most cabs also accept credit cards.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Liz]

I really appreciate all of your great advice and insight!

 

Liz

[Ephraim]

I'll be arriving very late the night before my cruise from Vancouver. If I need to take a cab from the airport to my hotel, will I need Canadian currency or will US dollars be acceptable? I'm used to the Caribbean where the US dollar works just about anywhere. Several threads say the cabfare is $25-$30 to downtown - but is that Canadian or US?

If I do need to exchange currency, is there a 24-hour exchange booth in the Vancouver airport? I know my banker will get some for me before I leave but am keeping notes on various things-to-do as I think of them.

Thanks in advance!

 

Liz

 

All prices in Canada are quotes in Canadian dollars. People who deal with tourists all the time will generally accept US funds but at a lower exchange rate. Currently the USD and CAD are at par, so expect to pay about a 5% premium (ie $1.05 USD for $1.00 CAD.) It's related to the costs of having to exchange the money to CAD and bank charges.

 

You can also just use a credit card. Your credit card company will likely charge about 3% for doing the exchange. Or you can withdraw CAD from an ATM as well. If you don't want to have CAD in your pockets, I suggest that you use credit cards, otherwise your change will always be in CAD.

[Ephraim]

I'll be arriving very late the night before my cruise from Vancouver. If I need to take a cab from the airport to my hotel, will I need Canadian currency or will US dollars be acceptable? I'm used to the Caribbean where the US dollar works just about anywhere. Several threads say the cabfare is $25-$30 to downtown - but is that Canadian or US?

If I do need to exchange currency, is there a 24-hour exchange booth in the Vancouver airport? I know my banker will get some for me before I leave but am keeping notes on various things-to-do as I think of them.

Thanks in advance!

 

Liz

 

All prices in Canada are quotes in Canadian dollars. People who deal with tourists all the time will generally accept US funds but at a lower exchange rate. Currently the USD and CAD are at par, so expect to pay about a 5% premium (ie $1.05 USD for $1.00 CAD.) It's related to the costs of having to exchange the money to CAD and bank charges.

 

You can also just use a credit card. Your credit card company will likely charge about 3% for doing the exchange. Or you can withdraw CAD from an ATM as well. If you don't want to have CAD in your pockets, I suggest that you use credit cards, otherwise your change will always be in CAD.

[funcorn]

Is this also true for PEI and Nova Scotia? (ie., Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown). We'll be there in May & I was wondering since they are all smaller (ie. smaller than Toronto, Quebec City & Vancouver) if we needed to exchange US for CAN.

[Acey]

Is this also true for PEI and Nova Scotia? (ie., Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown). We'll be there in May & I was wondering since they are all smaller (ie. smaller than Toronto, Quebec City & Vancouver) if we needed to exchange US for CAN.

 

It is the same advice for these places - no difference. I would add though before getting a taxi to verify that the company you use takes a credit card.

[weathermom]

funcorn.. you'll find people much more likely to accept american money in Vancouver or Toronto than in the smaller towns you mentioned. I agree with the previous poster that at the present time, you'll generally pay about a 5 to 10% penalty - although some places (like whistler ) accept US at par.

US dollars do us no good up here, we just take them to a bank to exchange them back into Canadian... so if people accept them... it's good form to say thank you....

if you don't want canadian change... use credit cards. all the taxi's in vancouver accept at least visa/mcard & amex

[Captain Canuck]

check if your hotel has a shuttle or if the airporter shuttle goes to your hotel..traffic in Vancouver can be brutal so a cab can run up...nobody in Vancouver knows how to drive so a bigger vehicle is also better

[Urban trekker]

"nobody in Vancouver knows how to drive so a bigger vehicle is also better"

 

I have a driver's license so the law says that I know how to drive and no accidents in over 30 years of driving.

 

Speak for yourself

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[cdnguys]

funcorn.. you'll find people much more likely to accept american money in Vancouver or Toronto than in the smaller towns you mentioned.

 

I have to disagree. The smaller places mentioned, which aren't that small, are well established tourist destinations that widely accept American currency. You'll never have a problem of businesses refusing $USD. A mom and pop convenience store out in the boonies will gladly take your $USD. Halifax Regional Municipality has almost 400,000 people, Cape Breton Regional Municipality (Sydney Area) has 120,000 and the Charlottetown area has almost 60,000 people.

[mii]

This is just a suggestion but when we are in Canada, whether it is in victoria, Vancouver or back east towns we always bring small US denomination bills. Like fives and ten dollar bills. then if there is some change made we are not stuck very much with a lot of Canadian monies. Just a thought.

 

marilyn

[Acey]

Prior to making a purchase, ask if you can receive American currency in change. Many small touristy businesses will do this - ie. some merchants in the Saint John Old City Market.

[funcorn]

I'll probably exchange a little money anyway. Thank you all for your input. Even though US currency is accepted, I'm sure CAN would be more appreciated for tiny things. And, of course, credit cards if the purchases are larger.

[Ephraim]

Living in Montreal, I have yet to see a single merchant who stocks US change to give US tourists. Generally expect to get change in Canadian dollars.

 

Think of US dollars as a major inconvenience for Canadians and thank them properly for accepting it, even at horrible exchange rates. For example, there is no way to deposit US funds via an ATM, so I have to pay a fee of 80c for using a bank teller, not to mention the difference of 2% in the exchange rate between buying and selling.

 

As for driving, Montrealer's have a reputation for being some of the worst drivers in Canada. In reality, I think that Montreal drivers are extremely skilled and that when people from out of town visit they are our difficulty. In Montreal (as with Manhattan) there is no right on red. We also don't require the first lane to yield to oncoming traffic, it is the responsibility of the vehicle entering the highway. When visitors come to Montreal they often having trouble with parallel parking and with our flashing advanced protected green lights (flashing green lights in Montreal mean that you have the only green light and can turn with impunity). We also don't have very many strip malls in the city because it's so old and therefore we all know how to parallel park. We often have to have B&B guests with parking their cars because they can't parallel park.

 

If you ask me the worst drivers in Canada are those in Toronto who have large highways and have developed the bad habit of tail-gating. When I drive in Toronto I often have to keep a foot on my brake to force the light on, so that the car behind me will back off.

[Captain Canuck]

relax

[Langley Cruisers]

...nobody in Vancouver knows how to drive so a bigger vehicle is also better

 

I'm not sure if you are being sarcastic, think you're being funny, or just being rude, but I think my 30 years of claims-free driving speaks volumes. I can drive here just fine, thank you. :)

 

Liz, enjoy Vancouver and have a fun cruise.

[Urban trekker]

Well said Langley Cruisers!!

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Captain Canuck]

but please turn your left signal light off...its been on for 27 of those 30 accident free years....

 

 

and if you don't recognize a joke you NEED a cruise

[funcorn]

Living in Montreal, I have yet to see a single merchant who stocks US change to give US tourists. Generally expect to get change in Canadian dollars.

 

Think of US dollars as a major inconvenience for Canadians and thank them properly for accepting it, even at horrible exchange rates. For example, there is no way to deposit US funds via an ATM, so I have to pay a fee of 80c for using a bank teller, not to mention the difference of 2% in the exchange rate between buying and selling.

 

Ephraim--I assume from your comments that you are a merchant in Montreal. Please let me know the name of your business so that I won't majorly inconvenience you with my US currency (or even my CAN currency). Thanks so much

[giblert]

Ephraim--I assume from your comments that you are a merchant in Montreal. Please let me know the name of your business so that I won't majorly inconvenience you with my US currency (or even my CAN currency). Thanks so much

 

Wow, you're giving someone a hard time because they're explaining why they need to charge a little more to accept what IS NOT LEGAL TENDER in Canada?

 

YES; most Canadian businesses accept US currency as a CONVENIENCE to their customers.

NO; the rate isn't going to be as good as a bank for the aforementioned reasons.

[Acey]

Funcorn:

In Saint John, Halifax, PEI and Sydney your $USD is not a major inconvenience - we will happily accept your currency and are glad Americans chose to give their business to our region in the first place.

Saying $USD is a major inconvenience for all Canadians is an over generalized statement that is not known to be true. And yes there are many merchants that stock small amounts of $USD for those customers that wish to receive $USD change - maybe not B&B's, but certainly businesses that cater to cruise tourists. Do not expect however that change can be provided all of the time. Having worked in the hospitality industry as well as customer service, to me any "inconvenience" is mitigated by the fact someone chose your business in the first place and you got to meet a new person.

 

So I think that's what funcorn felt - that she would be an "inconvenience" by patronizing a business with $USD.

[funcorn]

Giblert--No, I fully understand that it's inconvenient to accept a foreign currency and fully expect to pay an additional charge for doing so. As I said in one of my previous posts, I probably will exchange currency (or use credit cards) but I don't want to inconvenience anyone who does not want to take my money, USD or CAD.

 

Acey--Thank your for your comments. I was not the poster who asked about getting change in USD. When I travel to a foreign country, I fully expect to receive change in the country's currency. There have been times, however, when I had not been able to exchange my currency and there were places that would gladly accept my USD for a small purchase (with a service charge, of course). And I know that Ephraim was not speaking for all Canadians--some of my best friends are Canadians.

[funcorn]

Addendum: (and this is my last comment on this) My Canadian friend told me that when she goes to visit family in Sarnia she never exchanges currency because it is widely accepted there (for a fee, of course).

 

That said, I am really looking forward to visiting Halifax, Sydney & PEI! I was in Scotland several years ago at the same time my parents were in Nova Scotia--the weather was about the same in both places. Hopefully, it will be nice; but if not,I'll just throw on my raingear and still enjoy the sights!

[Putterdude]

It may very from bank to bank in the US but I have a US Visa card issued by Bank of America and the odd time I have used it for a Canadian purchase B of A has wacked me with a $2 service charge per transaction and that is before applying their userous exchange rate. So be aware!!!