Originally Posted by
sciconf
Should I use US cash?
Depends what exchange rate is offered. If the same as you're going to get using your ATM card or credit card, you could. If not, don't. I never use U.S. dollars when I'm in Canada. You can check the exchange rate each day before deciding. I would not expect every merchant to take U.S. currency.
I have Credit cards with 1% Foreign transaction fee.
That's a pretty decent rate as most cards are 3%. I have a zero % card but there's not many of those out there.
Is taking cash out on the ATMs, for Canadian $s is a good idea?
That's what I typically do for smaller purchases, but I have an ATM card that does not charge a fee and rebates ATM fees charged. Do you know what your ATM card will charge per transaction? Some charge a fixed fee as high as $5 while others charge a fee and percentage of transaction. If you're going to pay a lot to get your money out, you'd want to limit your transactions and take out larger amounts each time. Also, you may have to pay separate ATM fees at the Canadian bank you draw cash from.