Hey everyone!
I leave in a week for London and then Ireland. I'm wondering where is the best place to get Euros and British Pounds from? Bank or calforex? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Out of a bank machine when you get there! There usually is no need to have the local currency before you get there.

calforex, not the bank! I would take some with but not a lot. Lots of bank machines. Also lots of skimmers in both countries. If you take money from a machine, make sure you physically go into the bank and use a machine inside not one in an outside wall.

I like calforex since with the receipt and within 30 days, you can get up to 50% recoverted after returning. So when I didn't spend all the Yen I got for my trip to Japan, I changed it back to Canadian haste free

I suggest calforex as well, and AMA if you are a member same as Calforex.

AMA gets their currency from calforex! calforex is the #1 place to get any currency on the spot

International Currency Exchange. You can order online and pickup. And take back if you have money left over. Better rates than the bank (and my family works AT A BANK!)

This is from my girlfriend who lives in London.
Bank machine is not a bad idea but there are fees.
I would also caution that we are going through so much political uncertainty that the rates are fluctuating like crazy. I desperately need to send money to my CIBC account but rates went in the wrong direction after election and other incidents.
So I suggest she divides. Brings some from calforex. There is a better option of a travel card that she can put pounds or euros on - get two cards - she can then use those cards and save the fees etc. Also not good to be carrying too much cash. The travel card is like cash and convenient.

Travel cards used to be offered by AMA but not any longer. Instead, Canada Post offers them and their fees are stupid ridiculous. Costs to put money on, costs to take money off, then if you don't deplete it, Canada Post takes a percentage of the balance every month until it's empty. A huge money grab by an already costly corporation.

Wendy my girlfriend probably doesn't realize the costly fees for some reason. She lives in London and comes to Edmonton for the summer every year and travels a lot. Good to know.

Cibc has a cc for foreign currencies so no conversion fee. Don't know much about it though.

I leave tomorrow and I'm getting mine once I arrive at a bank machine better rate

Just back from both countries and I concur with advice of getting both currencies from an ATM, but only inside a bank if possible. Several of them have no added fees attached. Use credit cards when available too and pay in either euros or sterling. DO NOT ask to pay in Cdn. dollars, as that will have added costs embedded.

I just returned home from a trip to Europe. I got enough Euros from calforex for my spending money for my time there. My friend had problems with both her VISA card and her interact card so I was glad I had enough cash with me so I didn't have the same hassles. It helped me to stick to my budget too.