Airport shuttle - Canadian money?
 

Do you need Candadian money fresh off the plane for shuttle, taxi, hotel bellboy, etc? Or will they take the American dollar?

Quite often, U.S. money will be accepted in Canada, but do yourself a favor and get some Canadian money out of the ATM at the airport. You get ripped on the exchange usually when you pay in U.S. dollars, and the banks that operate the ATMS tend to give the best exchange rates.

You can easily get off an airplane, buy a coffee, get a redcap to carry your bags, get a taxi, tip a doorman, and get to your hotel room all with US currency.

Taking money from a bank machine is an easy way for Americans to get Canadian money at a good exchange rate. Bank machiones clearly marked as belong to a real bank (RBC, Scotiabank, National Bank, TD Canada Trust, CIBC) are connected to Plus and Cirrus networks that link to most US banks, and these machines have the lowest transaction feres. Some other automated tellers, from companies other than those listed, work too, but cost a little more, or a lot more.

Wean yourself. Canadians spend Canadian dollars. Around tourist places they take them because it is easy money. Believe me, it you pay a bar bill in US dollars, you don't get the benefit of the exchange rate!

Go to the ATM, get Canadian money, and act like you know what you are doing.
Would you want a Canadian dollar for carrying a suitcase? Why Americans think that the whole world loves green is beyond me.

hopingtotravel: May I add a question to this thread? What is a proper tip (in Canadian money) for a taxi ride within the city of Vancouver?

hoping totravel: So sorry. I realize you may be talking about any of a number of Canadian cities. I just slipped and asked the question in reference to the city I will be visiting.

"Message: Do you need Canadian money fresh off the plane for shuttle, taxi, hotel bellboy, etc? Or will they take the American dollar?"

US American dollars are widely accepted at par in everywhere in Canada-have a lovely holiday!

"What is a proper tip (in Canadian money) for a taxi ride within the city of Vancouver?"

In general-and in a somewhat more serious tone-Taxi Drivers are not tipped in Canada unless they offer some exceptional service.Vancouver cabbies are notorious for badly maintained vehicles and surly unwashed drivers.
Even worse-the drivers waiting for fares @ YVR are often from remote suburbs are have a poor general knowledge of the city proper-be prepared for an adventure....

I've always tipped cab drivers in Canada! About 20% on a short ride, and 15% on a long ride. The same as if I am in the US.

Taxi Drivers are not tipped in Canada? That's news to me.

Sorry Sam - no wonder the drivers are surly with you - taxi drivers are generally tipped, especially if they have to shlep your luggage in and out of the trunk. A regular ride without luggage should warrent about 105, with luggage about 15%.

And Vancouver, like most North American cities has tended to have the Taxi Business takin over by a particular ethnic group. In Montreal it's Arabs, in New york it's Russians and in Vancouver it's East Indians. I don't find Vancouvver's any more 'surly' or 'unwashed' than most other cities though their language skills often make communication difficult.

Thanks for all your speedy replies.

We went from Burnaby, BC to downtown Vancouver-in a crummy cab with a driver who didn't know where he was going-I had to direct him-and we tipped-but he was Canadian.

Also, we are going to Montreal this fall on a train and going directly to our hotel, so no chance to get money for the cab. I went into my bank (Wachovia) to see about getting Canandan Dollars in the US. I was told I could get as much as I want and they will debit my account. They need a week to get it from the main branch and it is a flat fee of $15.

MaryAnn - there'll be an ATM at the train station. My God! And I thought our banks ripped us off on exchange. $15 service charge and two weeks to get it! Do you notice that I'm miffed at that? Don't let them rip you off like that. Wait till you get off the train and then ask directions to the nearest ATM

When in Canada, act like a good Canadian. Please and thank you's, hello's and 15% tips to service workers are very safe rules of thumb. Sort of a when in Rome thing.......

Someone mentioned the brand name ATM's which is an excellent suggestion. If you choose to use a privateer ATM, you will notice them as 2'x'2x 5' tall, they change a secondary fee above and beyond the bank's system access charge.

Using a credit card for larger purchases provides charge back protection to most and additional insurance protection if your card has that. Perfect if you are buying an iPod and then drop it... for example.

Exchange is calculated right then and is the best way for the traveller. Plus if you lose plastic, it is replaced. Lose cash and your toast.

Maybe I am missing something...a lot of the people seem to recommend using ATMs. But don't all banks charge a hefty fee when the ATM's don't belong to the same bank? For example, I have a Wachovia bank ATM card (a US bank.) When I withdraw mony from a canadian bank ATM, I am under the impression that both banks will charge a surcharge, which can easily come to $5 per transaction. If you withdraw $20 a time, that's 25% surcharge! An exchange window, regardless of how outrageous they rate they give, will certainly beat that!!

I have always used credit cards when travelling whenever possible. Is there a reason why I should stop doing so and start using the ATMs? I know if you absolutely need cash you can use an ATM (or better yet, an exchange window), but if both cash and credit card are acceptable, why should I use cash?

But if you withdraw $100, it's only 5% or if you get $200, it's 2.5%.

I think the argument for ATM machines is (a) they are everywhere and (b) the exchange rate is better. If you want to traipse all over looking for an exchange center which will give you a less favorable exchange, then that seems fine.

>>>>>>I have always used credit cards when travelling whenever possible. Is there a reason why I should stop doing so and start using the ATMs?<<<<<<

I don't know anyone around here who has recommended that one use cash for all transactions. Most posters, as far as I can tell, recommend credit cards for larger purchases (hotels, rental cars, meals, cabs, ferries, etc.).

Credit card companies charge a currency conversion fee too, but I consider it to be quite a small fee in the larger scheme of things.

Still, it's useful to have cash for small transactions, e.g., to buy a newspaper, a few stamps, a cone from an ice cream stand, and things like that. It's also useful to have some change for tips, e.g., tipping a bell boy for carrying suitcases.

Also, there are some businesses, like some B&Bs, that don't accept payment by credit card. Paying cash for those services involves a certain amount of inconvenience, but some travellers are willing to put up with the inconvenience in exchange for accommodation that may be cheaper than a hotel, may be situated in a unique location, or whatever.

Further to what MikeT said, I think it's unwise to withdraw C$20 from an ATM at a time. It would be better to try to estimate the total amount of cash one is likely to need in Canada, and withdraw it all at once. I would withdraw C$200, and certainly no less than C$100.

If you have Canadian notes left over at the end of your trip, you can change them back to American dollars when you get home, but as you probably know you cannot change Canadian coins.

Some American banks have reciprocal relationships with Canadian banks. These reciprocal relationships allow customers of one bank to use ATMs of the other bank without incurring a service charge.

For example, Bank of America belongs to a "Global ATM Alliance." This alliance gives Bank of America customers free ATM privileges at the Bank of Nova Scotia in Canada, BNP Paribas in France, Barclays in the United Kingdom and several countries in Africa, Deutsche Bank in Germany, Poland, Spain and Italy, and Westpac in Australia, New Zealand and several Pacific islands.

Got back from Vancouver Canada and if I were to give advice as far as currency exchange, here it is:
1. You do not need a lot of cash. For the two of us, it averaged about $20 per day. And we bought fruits and things from street vendors. Most other things you can use credit cards. If you have a car, get some $1 and $2 coins for street parking. If you plan to go to Granville Island (sp?), get a little extra cash as the water taxi and some vendors there only take cash.
2. When we were there (July 2004), the published exchange rate in the newspaper was about 1.34, and we were able to get 1.31 at an exchange window near our hotel on Robson St (near Hornby.) No fees attached. No minumum. Then we saw another exchange window a few blocks away that offered 1.32. Who says it's best to use ATM that charges $5? Even if you withdraw $100 (which you probably won't need if you are staying for less than 5 days), it's still a 5% ripoff + exchange rate differential. But for those who enjoy being ripped off, go for it.

Thanks Judy. :) I'm going to Europe in a little over a year and I couldn't find the post on the European board where someone posted what the partner banks for BofA are over there.

amyx: I bank with Bank of America which as Judy says is partnered with Scotiabank. I got $20 Canadian from my local branch because I needed Skytrain fare and there is no Scotiabank ATM in the Vancouver train station. Bank of America charged me a 5% fee for it. However, I was able to use the Scotiabank ATMs the whole time I was in Canada, with no fees whatsoever. Bank logic, I guess.

Sam_Salmon: Everybody tips taxi drivers in Canada! And, not just when they are travelling w/luggage! We tip taxi drivers for "trips around town". Just out of curiosity, where do you live Sam_Salmon??