Lincoln4
Buckley, WA
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Joined: 07/30/2006
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$100 Per person, per day? Wow, I better re-think our summer trip to Alaska!
Tom, Janae, & the three kids
2008 Tiffin Allegro 35QBA
My blog
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VintageRacer
Dundas, Ontario
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Joined: 04/02/2005
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A number of major gas station chains, mostly near the border, won't allow American credit cards at the gas pumps, only inside. Again a response to a lot of credit card fraud. The gas station on my corner has this policy going, it's a PetroCanada.
Brian
2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab, Hemi, 5 speed manual, 3.73 gears, Tow Beast hitch with 24" extension.
28 ft race car hauler, Lola T440 Formula Ford, NTM MK4 Sports Racer
2004 Travel Hawk 8' Truck Camper - Roll at 16K combined weight
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joe b.
Florida
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Joined: 08/24/2002
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I normally pick up $300 at the first Canadian ATM machine, at a bank, I find after crossing the border. This will last us till Alaska and then I will do the same on the return trip. If I have any remaining when we get close to the US border I will start paying for fuel in cash. You will find some of the government parks are not set up to accept cash, especially some of the remote provincial parks that have had the management contracted out to First Nation groups. You will need cash for laundry and other items like that, perhaps a haircut, etc. I still have some of the Canadian dollars remaining from our last trip in 2006, probably one of the better investments I have made in a long time as it has gone up 15% since I bought it. LOL
joe b.
South Florida, Stuart
Formerly of Colorado and Alaska
Driving a Dodge/Cummins
www.jbpacooper.com web site
http://www.picturetrail.com/jbpacooper Alaska 2004 - Alaska 2006 - Colorado photos
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obgraham
WA
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Joined: 08/30/2005
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Alan_W wrote:Is it better to use an ATM to get cash or go to a bank to exchange dollars for dollars??? ATM. Always. You'll diddle around in the banks forever trying to exchange.
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Dick_B
Palos Heights, IL USA
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Joined: 07/10/2002
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The exchange rate is just about a wash. Used to be 25% more in U.S. dollars than Canadian money but not anymore. So you could just use U.S. money and not be out much; 2% or so.
Dick_B
2003 SunnyBrook 27FKS
2003 3/4 T Chevrolet Suburban
Equal-i-zer Hitch
One wife, two bikes (both Electric Schwinn's with motor assist)
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Chuck&Gail
In the Colorado Mountains
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Joined: 06/16/2004
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IMO as long as you carry Mastercard or Visa, not some brand X card, you only need a few hundred Canadian to buy donuts and such.
Chuck
Wonderful Wife
Lovely German Shepherd.
1999 Mercedes ML320 TV
2003 Wanderer 187TB Toybox (3620# UVW, 4800# loaded)
Not yet camped in Hawaii, 4 Canada Provinces, & 2 Territories.
I can't be lost because I don't care where this lovely road is going
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Little Kopit
Newfoundland, Ca.
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Joined: 12/23/2003
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Hey Chuck Tim's takes MC now!!! Most of them.
& I, I took the road less travelled by.
RVing in Canada
My Photo Album, featuring Labrador 2006
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BigOBri
San Antonio, TX
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Joined: 04/26/2008
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Thanks to all for the great info!!! Looks like I should be safe carrying a few hundred Canadian dollars with me. I'm very new to Rving and to using this site as well. I cannot believe all the great info/advice I've received concerning various issues. If only there were more people in the world who were as kind-hearted and willing to share their experiences...GOD Bless!!!, BIGOBRI
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mitch5252
NW Tennessee
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Joined: 10/18/2006
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I'll be in Canada on my very first big RVing trip ever (Tennessee to Waterton Lakes, via Chicago 'burbs to pick up my girlfriends)in about 7-8 days! This thread has brought a couple of questions to my mind:
1) Do Canadian National and Provincial Parks take major credit cards?
2) Does anyone know the amount of the "foreign currency transaction fee" charged by Citibank Mastercard for Canadian transactions? I don't know if this is an individual bank thing, or an all-around general credit card thing.
This past Christmas, I had my card stolen and someone had a $3,600 Christmas in Italy on me! Well, I didn't have to pay anything, but after I signed my "affidavits" that I didn't buy those things in Italy, and attested to the amounts, the statement arrived and it had a nice chunk of change added as said fee...just curious what I might expect for Canadian transactions (made by ME, not some lothario in Italy!) 
Thanks for your input.
Regards,
Michelle
2008 Fun Finder X-160
2006 Toyota Sienna Limited
Equal-i-zer Hitch
Prodigy Brake Controller
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bobofthenorth
Nipawin, SK
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Joined: 03/10/2008
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National Parks take credit cards. I don't know about the provincial parks but my guess would be that they do. Just because one province does though doesn't mean that they all will or won't.
FWIW I don't get any transaction fee or handling fee of any type added when I use my credit card out of country. The transaction comes back with the foreign currency amount shown as well as the exchange rate. I've always found that rate to be fair and better than what I could have done by going to a bank and changing the funds. My guess is that you are seeing a Citibank thing and it might be worth a phone call to them and to some other card providers.
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