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dmccullum t1_j428hqu wrote

  • Let your bank know you are traveling (number on the back of your debit card)
  • Bring your debit card with you
  • Withdraw from an ATM on the Canadian side of the border (will be exchanged at the current rate)

You'll pay a ~1-3% fee on the transaction, but this is by far the easiest and probably the cheapest way to get currency in pretty much any foreign country (at least in the developed world).

You could also ask your teller at the local bank to do an exchange for you, as they sometimes have Canadian cash available (at least, they did when I was growing up—haven't used this method in decades).

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quartadecima OP t1_j429d2x wrote

Is there any reason it would be cheaper to get it from a teller than an ATM? No fee, for example? A better rate on one side of the border versus the other?

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EveryDayIsAGif t1_j42ie9q wrote

I think there is nuance to the situation which makes it tough to say one path is definitely better than another.

Different banks and even different account types within the same bank will charge you differently for the same exchange. When I have been in your position in the past I read through my bank/debit/credit card terms and made the decision from there.

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dmccullum t1_j42q78t wrote

Possibly but it varies so much that the atm option is honestly the simplest—so I use that if I need cash. I guess if you’re taking out a significant amount it might be worth shopping around, but ymmv.

Even easier? Skip cash and use a credit card with no foreign transaction fee.

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sound_of_apocalypto t1_j48at07 wrote

All I know is that I got raked over the coals financially when I came back to VT and tried to exchange the CAD to USD. Better to just stash the cash and use it the next time you go to Canada.

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