Do u need to change us $ in Vancouver ?

[hsmcruise]

We'll be in Vancouver for 3 days and was planning to use credit card for most transactions ( for taxi to hotel) tips would be in US dollars . I think when we were in Montreal and Toronto us $ were accepted, and change was given in

Canadian $,

Does this still hold true? And do taxi take credit cards??

[martincath]

We'll be in Vancouver for 3 days and was planning to use credit card for most transactions ( for taxi to hotel) tips would be in US dollars . I think when we were in Montreal and Toronto us $ were accepted, and change was given in

Canadian $,

Does this still hold true? And do taxi take credit cards??

 

Do you NEED to? No - many local businesses, especially tourism-focused, will accept $US - at an appropriately-terrible exchange rate. Taxis do take credit cards, and you can also use them to buy transit tickets at machines on Skytrain or multipack tickets/daypasses from local vendors.

 

However, since you're here for three days then you may WANT to withdraw some local currency from an ATM for both the benefit of your pocket (better exchange rate) and also for adding a small positive to the reputation of your countrymen abroad - "arrogant yanks and their expectation they can just throw their own dollars around everywhere" is certainly not a majority opinion, but every US visitor who cracks jokes about funny-looking money and complains when they *can't* pay in US$ does give ammunition to that mindset... Not meant to imply you would do such things yourself!

[Langoustine]

At the current exchange rate, every time you use a US dollar to buy something that costs a Canadian dollar, you're overpaying by about 9¢. Why do that? Go to an ATM and get some Canadian money. Besides, as martincath says, it's the polite thing to do.

[Rickey 88]

At the current exchange rate, every time you use a US dollar to buy something that costs a Canadian dollar, you're overpaying by about 9¢. Why do that? Go to an ATM and get some Canadian money. Besides, as martincath says, it's the polite thing to do.

 

A hearty second to this suggestion! As a former Vancouverite, I have seen many offering US dollars, expecting them to be readily accepted. Canadians, being a polite crowd, do so without question. But, Canadians are not bankers, and will usually give Canadian dollars in change - and not at a very attractive conversion rate.

 

Once I saw a question "Where do I go to get my Canadian Euros?" - (it takes all kinds) :eek:

[AmberCascades]

Our $100 bills smell like maple syrup. Seriously. Not that most tourists (myself included) walk around with $100 bills.

 

Smaller places will probably just take it at par, which at the moment, is not to an American's benefit. It's probably worth your while to just get some Canadian money.

[hsmcruise]

Thanks- I understand where u r coming from