Cheaper to exchange USD here or Canada

magpie

Travelling to Canada and USA. Is it cheaper to Exchange GBP into USD here or will we receive a better rate exchanging CAD into USD when we get to Canada.
Many thanks

alanrowell

CHEAPEST is with an ATM card at a US ATM, otherwise I'd say change in the UK as changing in Canada would mean being charged for 2 currency changes - GBP to CDN & CDN to USD - even if it's done as one transaction.

Don't change money in the US if you can avoid it as, to put it bluntly, the US "doesn't do" foreign exchange & so it can be time consuming AND expensive.

Also use your CC as much as possible in the US

ferf1223

If you have a Nationwide flexaccount current account that's probably your best option - they give you the bank rate (not the tourist rate) and they do not charge you for foreign withdrawls (many banks do and give you a much worse rate as well) when you use your card at overseas ATMs.

We have recently jumped on the Nationwide band wagon after having it recommended to us by several people. We're only using the account for overseas holiday money and seems like it will be a great thing.