 Poster: A snowHead
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We're off to Banff at Easter and, as we haven't been to Canada for over 10 years, I was wondering if we should take traveller's cheques or some cash and rely on ATM's? (Commission charges are a pain I know).
You don't seem to hear about or see t. cheques much these days. What do you think?
Cheers. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Traveller's cheques?
You don't hear about them much any more because few people use it any more. ATM is the way to go.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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A bit of cash, and plenty of plastic - does the job anywhere. Travellers cheques are soooo last century 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Just a warning that ATMs that are in most hotels in Canada don't seem to accept our cards - you have to go to an ATM at a bank. Travelex now do a Cash Passport thingy which looks quite useful although I've never used it http://www.travelex.co.uk/uk/cashpassportcurrency.aspx
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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cathy, I do it at the airport!
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cathy, No, not just your card. Most of the canadian ATMs located in hotels/stores are part of the Interac network (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interac) and whilst this does accept north american Visa/Mastercard cards, they commonly don't accept European cards - for this you need generally need to use ATMs at banks.
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UK Visa Debit cards don't tend to work with interac and some banks don't seem to like them either.. Calagary aiport has cash machines for either mastercard or visa next to each other.. RBC seems to take anything though.
switch or Maestro or what ever its called now, should work on interac as they are cirrus.. but still safer to try a main bank.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Strange, never had a problem at any cashpoint in lake louise or banff myself!
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 Travellers Cheques?
Cash and cards will be much cheaper and accepted in most places.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I think it depends on the card you have. We have Visa debit cards which if you do too, then we found the only places with cash machines to accept them (after extensive searching) was the little foreign exchange just inside next to the entrance to the downtown 'The Keg' (117 Banff Ave) and then further down Banff Ave towards the bridge, on the corner at the traffic lights theres a CIBC bank on left hand side with ATM's.
You pay a set amount per withdrawal, about $2 I think, so withdraw as large an amount you feel comfortable carrying each time instead of more smaller withdrawals if you want to avoid racking up withdrawal charges.
All the shops and restaurants (except Earl's) seemed to take Visa, including on the hill, so we just used our card wherever possible to save on carrying so much/having to get cash out all the time.
We looked briefly into the Travelex passport before exchanging a few quid on the way out this time, but there seemed to be numerous fees involved with that too.
Finally another bit of advice if you don't already is to phone your bank before you go to advise you're going away, there's then less chance of your card being stopped the first time you try to use it out there and having to phone them from abroad. It's for that reason we change some money to go out with, enough to last us the first few days incase we have to get in touch with the bank, which has been the case 3 out of 4 years.
Have a great time! (Sorry, that should be 'Awesome!')
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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A warning for Scots going there (or other people who happen to live in Scotland). My father in law thrust a handful of notes at us just as we left for Banff a couple of years ago; when we went to change them in the bureau de change in Cascade Mall, they had a different rate for Scottish notes, and not as good as for Bank of England notes. I suppose we should be grateful they accepted them at all!
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Yellow Pyranha,
That is interesting. One time I was buying pounds at a CIBC branch and noticed that the teller's list of exchange rates had separate entries for Scottish and English pounds (buying obviously; presumably they didn't sell Scottish pounds). I was surprised since I thought the Scottish notes would be unacceptable outside the UK. The teller told me that they were quite happy to accept them but that they had to process them differently. However, the exchange rates were the same.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks to everyone who replied - looks like plastic is the way to go.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Take beaver pelts and use them to barter with whilst trading.....
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Poster: A snowHead
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Biddy Twiddle,
Fellow snowhead going over Easter, keep an eye out for the stickers on the helmets
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome to SH Freefall. Looks like conditions are good over there. You going with Neilson?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Freefall, welcome to SnowHeads  . If you update your email, you won't be down a crevasse any more.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Biddy Twiddle wrote: |
| Welcome to SH Freefall. Looks like conditions are good over there. You going with Neilson? |
No, always travel independently
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Helen Beaumont wrote: |
| Freefall, welcome to SnowHeads . If you update your email, you won't be down a crevasse any more. |
My email is fine and I reactivated by clicking on the link. But its nice down here and I cannot see any advantages in climbing out
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Let me think, now. Travellers' cheques make suitable subject for The Piste because we all use money when we go skiing. I am looking forward to a thread in The Piste on toilet paper, next.
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| Quote: |
I am looking forward to a thread in The Piste on toilet paper, next.
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Shall I start one and then we can all read more of your cutting sarcasm Achilles?
Thanks to all who provided very useful information here - I thought that's what this site excelled in. Could do without the sarcasm tho'. 
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We have been visiting Canada for several years now and each time we visit the bank freezes our cash cards and on 4 occasions the mastercards simply because we have used them in Western Canada! Each time we ring them to let them know that we will be going and each time they say "we can do nothing its the computer" "ring us when you have a problem ".
Take some cash and then use banks to get the cash out its the only system that has worked for us.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Freefall, hope you have a few beers down there to keep you company.
achilles, perhaps you should be less scathing when inexperienced forum users are posting.
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| joneski wrote: |
We have been visiting Canada for several years now and each time we visit the bank freezes our cash cards and on 4 occasions the mastercards simply because we have used them in Western Canada! Each time we ring them to let them know that we will be going and each time they say "we can do nothing its the computer" "ring us when you have a problem ".
Take some cash and then use banks to get the cash out its the only system that has worked for us. |
Similar experience for me.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yep - similar for me. Usually find some ones (bigger banks) work, other don't.
Never had problems with a credit card in Canada, so use that and cash.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Helen Beaumont wrote: |
| ...achilles, perhaps you should be less scathing when inexperienced forum users are posting. |
It's normal with any forum to use appropriate sections, newbies or not.
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Biddy Twiddle, everywhere in Banff (unless you are paying for something, most places accept them) charges 5% (I think...).
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You know it makes sense.
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| achilles wrote: |
| Helen Beaumont wrote: |
| ...achilles, perhaps you should be less scathing when inexperienced forum users are posting. |
It's normal with any forum to use appropriate sections, newbies or not. |
It's also normal to use appropriate language when giving suggestion, newbies or nor.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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abc, exactly.
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FAQ
