If you have some time before your trip to Canada, placing an order with your local bank is an easy way to get Canadian money. Banks differ on how long they will need in order to receive the funds. Give your bank a call and ask them how long this will take and if there are any fees for exchanging American for Canadian currency.
Regardless of how you are traveling, you should have access to a currency exchange agent. They are usually located at the airport, or for those who are driving into Canada they can be found at duty-free stores near the border.
Keep in mind that, like most banks, they will charge you a fee to exchange your currency. Also, you must have cash to swap as they normally do not accept credit or debit cards.
One of the easiest ways to change money is to actually wait until you get to Canada. Many U.S. banks have a reciprocal agreement with a bank in Canada. This entitles you to withdraw funds through the Canadian ATM network without charge. Because this particular international transaction is being processed through either the Visa or MasterCard network, both will charge you a 1 percent international transaction fee. Some banks will hide this in the exchange rate, others will make it a separate item in your transactions.
Again, look at the airport or a duty-free store. Both should have ATMs, and at the very least the charge may be less than if you use the currency exchange agent.
